Dukkah Roasted Broccoli, Quinoa & White Bean Mash

A delicious Meat-Free Monday lunch or dinner option. Packed with nutrients & plant-based protein coming from the chickpeas, cannelini beans & tri-coloured quinoa. It's a meal packed with flavour & the spices can be adapted depending on your favourite tastes.

This is also a great side to a beautifully baked or pan fried wild-caught salmon fillet or stir fried, baked or poached chicken breast pieces or if you're running short of time a poached, fried boiled egg.

Serves 4 as a main meal or 6 as a generous side dish

Ingredients:

Dukkay Broccoli:

2 heads of broccoli, chopped into florets

2-3tbsp dukkah mix (see below for home made recipe)

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed coconut oil

White bean mash:

1 can (organic if possible) cannelini beans, drained & rinsed well

1 can (organic if possible) chickpeas, drained & rinsed well

2tbsp tahini (hulled or unhulled- i like unhulled)

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

1 minced garlic clove (can omit if not tolerant to raw garlic)

A pinch of pink himalayan sea salt 

Cracked pepper to taste

Tri-coloured quinoa:

1 cup quinoa, tri-colour or white (see below for cooking instructions)

Dukkah:

3tbsp white sesame seeds

3tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

3tbsp toasted pepitas

1tbsp fennel seeds

2tbsp cumin seeds

1tbsp corriander seeds

1tsp ground turmeric

1/2 cup roasted macadamia's (can use almonds, hazelnuts, or any roasted nut of choice)

2tsp pink himalayan sea salt

Cracked black pepper

*Be creative with your dukkah, if there are other herbs or spices you enjoy, give them a go in the mix too! I'm sure if you like them normally, you will like them in your dukkah mix!

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

• For your dukkah- either use a blender, food processor or mortar & pestle to grind nuts & spices. Add roasted nuts into blender with all ingredients except sesame seeds. Pulse until nuts have broken down. Can leave quite chunky. Add sesame seeds & mix through by hand to keep them whole.

• In a mixing bowl, place your broccoli florets & drizzle with oil. Mix broccoli around to try & cover with oil. Sprinkle over dukkah & mix again so that dukkah sticks to broccoli. Place on your baking tray & sprinkle any remaining/excess dukkah over broccoli. Place in oven for around 20 minutes (or until broccoli edges have browned).

• For the quinoa- Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a seive under running water. Place quinoa into a saucepan & add 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, then reduce & let the quinoa simmer on low until all water has been absorped. Set aside for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork to separate seeds.

• For the white bean mash- Place both drained chickpeas & canellini beans into your blender, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper. Blend until combined. Can leave slightly chunky & mix further with a spoon OR continute blending until smooth if you want more of a puree'd mash.

To Serve:

• On a chopping board, platter or plate, spoon out white bean mash to line the bottom.

• Mix your quinoa & broccoli together in a mixing bowl & serve on top of white bean mash OR add quinoa & broccoli at separate times by adding scoops of quinoa, then add broccoli, add more quinoa, then broccoli and repeat. This will just leave your broccoli florets looking more obvious (as seen in photo).

Enjoy your delicious, tasty vegetarian/vegan meal! This recipe definately combines some of my favourite flavours & foods! Yum!