MEDITERRANEAN TIAN OF ASPARAGUS
AND AROMATIC ALMOND QUINOA
WITH PIQUANT POMEGRANATE AND ORANGE DRESSING

Gourmet Dinner – Main

Vegan
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 mins. Cooking Time: 45 mins

Ingredients
4 - large red peppers
110ml/3 ½ fl oz - olive oil
1- clove garlic, crushed
1 - medium (275g) aubergine
1 - large (275g) courgette
200g/7 oz - thin asparagus (trimmed)
75g/3 oz - blanched almonds (whole)
5ml/1 tsp - Ras el Hanout spice (or All Spice)
50g/2 oz - quinoa (uncooked and rinsed)
30ml/2 tbsp - flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
30ml/2 tbsp - dill, finely chopped
½ - small orange, zest and juice
45ml/3 tbsp - pomegranate molasses

Equipment
Griddle Pan, Small Frying Pan, Medium sized saucepan and 4 x 80mm/3 1/8” dia, 60mm/2 3/8” high bottomless cooking rings.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°/400°F/Gas 6.

2. Place red peppers in a baking tray and roast until the skins are beginning to blacken (approximately 30 minutes). Take out of the oven, place in a bowl and cover with cling film. When they have cooled sufficiently remove the skin and seeds and cut into halves.

3. Heat the griddle pan. Mix the garlic with 90ml/3 fl oz of the oil. Thinly slice the aubergine and courgette (no more than 4mm/ ¼ “, on a diagonal if thin).

4. Brush all vegetables, except pepper, with oil mixture and griddle until lightly charred. Keep warm in the oven until ready to assemble the tian.

5. Heat 5ml/1 tsp of oil in a small frying pan and add in the spice. Toast the nuts in this mixture until well coated and turning golden. Remove from the pan, cool slightly and chop roughly.

6. Bring 200ml/6 ½ fl oz water to boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer for 12-15 minutes until grains start to ‘burst’. Drain and mix with nuts and herbs. Add seasoning if required.

7. Mix orange juice, zest and pomegranate molasses together and add 1/3 of the dressing into the quinoa mixture.

8. To assemble the tian place a ring on each serving plate. Start with 4 slices of aubergine, then a layer (30ml/1 tbsp) quinoa, followed by ½ a red pepper, 25g/1 oz asparagus, 4 slices of courgette, another layer of quinoa, and ½ a red pepper. When ready to serve, remove the ring and balance another 25g of asparagus on top of the tian.

Serve with the rest of the dressing, roasted sweet potato wedges and a green salad.

© Copyright The Vegetarian Society 2004

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