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September 14, 2012

Roasted Eggplant & Red Pepper Quinoa + Apple Kale Salad

Vegan Vegetarian
11 comments
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Morning!

I had another fun “ingredient potluck” dinner last night with my blogger buddy Gena! I’m loving these dinner dates — we get to catch up and enjoy each other’s company and a delicious, wholesome meal, but without spending money (and with the added bonus of clearing out the random odds and ends in our fridges). Perfect!

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Like last time, Gena came over with whatever she had in her fridge/pantry and we combined forces with what I had in mine, making up the recipes as we went.

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First on the menu — a kale salad!

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Gena brought over some kale, apples, raisins, carrots, and a homemade cashew curry dressing. We combined it with some canned beets I had in the fridge and voila! A fun, unique salad.

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The salad was delicious — great combination of flavors!

To make the cashew curry dressing, Gena blended the following in a Vitamix (a food processor would also work):

  • Heaping 1/2 cup cashews
  • 1 tsp curry
  • 2 pitted dates
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
  • Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (3-4 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup water

So creative! If you like creamy dressings, you’ll love this.

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For our main course, we decided to make something involving quinoa.

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We ended up using my quinoa, red pepper, cannellini beans, and dressing ingredients with Gena’s roasted eggplant and chickpeas. It was a great combo as well!

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Here’s how you can recreate this at home!

Eggplant & Red Pepper Quinoa Salad

Mix the following together:

  • 1 cup quinoa (dry), cooked according to package directions
  • 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup chickpeas
  • Half a red pepper, chopped
  • 4 slices of roasted eggplant, chopped

For the dressing:

  • Equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil (about 1/4 cup each)
  • Juice from one whole lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

It came out beautifully — we loved all the colors! Feel free to get creative with this recipe — you don’t have to follow it exactly for it to still be tasty. 🙂

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We enjoyed dinner on the porch while chatting away. Beautiful night to dine al fresco!

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It was wonderful to catch up with Gena, as always — besides being fun, she also gives good career advice. 🙂

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Today is my last day of my internship with Rebecca Scritchfield! I can’t believe how quickly my 4 weeks with her went by. It was great to be able to see a private practice dietitian in action, both with clients and also with the media. Next week I start at Corporate Wellness Solutions, where I’ll be interning for 3 weeks, up until right before the wedding. 🙂

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

- anne
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11 comments
  • Kelly @ My Love Affair with Running
    September 14, 2012 · 8:24AM:
    Yum love quinoa salads! Perfect leftovers for wholesome packedunch :)
    Reply
  • Gena
    September 14, 2012 · 9:29AM:
    I am so glad we got to hang, and also glad we stayed in and cooked! What a fantastic meal, and with so little effort. Maybe I'll consider career coaching if this whole GI doctor thing doesn't work out ;-) I kid, I kid.
    Reply
    • Anne P
      September 14, 2012 · 9:44AM:
      Haha you definitely have a career in coaching ;) Excited for you to move near the metro - can't wait to see the new place! xo
      Reply
  • kim@hungryhealthygirl
    September 14, 2012 · 12:34PM:
    Dinner looks super yummy and I'm definitely going to give that dressing a try!
    Reply
  • Lauren
    September 14, 2012 · 1:13PM:
    Love that Gena included the beets for you! :) What a great dinner.
    Reply
  • Kris S September 14, 2012 · 1:40PM:
    Bonjour from Paris! The reading of fANNEtastic food continues internationally of course ;)
    Reply
    • Anne P
      September 14, 2012 · 2:51PM:
      Haha love it! Send us an email when you get a chance - can't wait to hear how it's going over there so far! xo
      Reply
  • Adventurer September 15, 2012 · 9:27PM:
    This does look awesome. Nicely done/thanks!
    Reply
  • Skydiver September 15, 2012 · 9:29PM:
    Looks terrific, thanks! And look forward to hearing about the next intership. You've certainly generated a great mix of experiences. Well done!
    Reply
  • Gena
    September 17, 2012 · 7:46PM:
    Gah! I realized today (posting the salad myself) that I've made this twice, once with 1 cup nuts, the other time with 1/2 cup (a half batch). I said to use 1/2 tsp salt here, but the 1/2 tsp is for the 1 cup measurement, so the amount of salt in this recipe should be 1/4 tsp, not 1/2. Sorry darlin' -- blogger fail!
    Reply
    • Anne P
      September 17, 2012 · 8:06PM:
      No worries! I doubt 1/4 tsp of extra salt will matter :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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