I’ve taken two classic fall side dishes and created a healthful quinoa bowl out of them. This bowl of goodness is a little bit healthy and a little bit decadent and a lot delicious! Each of these “side dishes” can be prepped ahead and reheated. So you could even do them as side dishes for the week then use leftovers to make the bowls!
4 servings
Quinoa:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon apple pie or pumpkin spice
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cups baby kale leaves - chopped
Brussels Sprouts:
1 pound Brussels sprouts - sliced thin
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
Corn:
2 tablespoons butter
2 (15 ounce) cans roasted or regular whole kernel corn - drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup milk or half and half
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
For serving:
Sliced apple
Shredded Smoked Gouda or White Cheddar
Roasted walnuts and/or dried cranberries
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Make the quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic, olive oil, Dijon, maple syrup, spice, and a dash of salt and pepper. To a large bowl, add the quinoa, kale, and dressing. Set aside until ready to serve.
Make the Brussels. Toss them together on a sheet pan with the olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy.
Make the corn while the Brussels are cooking. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium low heat. Add the corn, maple syrup, cream, salt, and pepper and stir together. Bring to a slight boil for one minute and lower the heat. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining tablespoon of butter with the flour until it becomes a thick paste and add to the corn. Cook for about 2 minutes until thick. If it gets too thick, add a little more cream until desired consistency. Stir in the parmesan. Build the bowls with quinoa on the bottom. Top with the Brussels, corn, apple, Gouda, and nuts. Serve warm.