Asparagus, Green Bean, Lentil, and Quinoa Casserole

I finally went to the Hollywood farmers market on Sunday. You’d think in a city that supports local farming as much as Los Angeles does that weekly outings would be a part of life, but when you’re out of town as often as I am you tend to forget how wonderful organically homegrown food is. Having been almost over a year since I’ve last been to one, I indulged till my heart was content. My gems of the trip were organic pepper jack cheese curds and a freshly baked jalapeno cheese loaf, and as far as the most delicious vegetable, I’d have to say that the beets were out of this world. Along with those items, I also got asparagus, green beans, shallots, butternut squash, brussels sprouts on the stalk, mixed greens, green and pink lentils, blood oranges, and a tall glass of fresh raspberry lemonade. I didn’t want to get too crazy because the last thing I want is for the food to go bad, but I’m realizing now that I could have bulked up more and gone through it without wasting a single bit.

So I’ve got 1 bunch of asparagus left, about ¼ pound green beans, a scoop of the lentils (about ¼ pound), and one shallot left (I’ve held on to the butternut squash—stay tuned for a delicious casserole recipe).  I’m inclined to sauté everything together and toss on a bed of quinoa, but I think I might try making a casserole of sorts, using a small amount of low-fat vegetarian parmesan ceasar dressing and nutritional yeast.

To save on time I’m going to sauté the veggies while the quinoa is cooking, saving the lentils until last in hopes they remain a bit crunchy.

Once the quinoa finished cooking, I mixed in the lentils, dressing, and yeast, finally layering it with the sautéed veggies in a casserole. I also sprinkled some yeast over the top, along with chili flakes—the chili flakes of course being optional.

After about 20 minutes in the oven at 350, I added a light layer of parmesan cheese and cranked the heat to 400 for about 5-7 minutes.

Next time I’d probably mix in the veggies with quinoa with the thought that the quinoa would absorb some of the flavors. Other than that, this was a pretty good last minute veggie toss!

1 ½ cups quinoa, cooked to package directions

1 large shallot, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 ½ cups cooked lentils

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

¼ cup creamy dressing (optional)

1 tablespoon chili flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil, shallots, and garlic in a skillet until fragrant.

Add green beans and cook for about 5 minutes.

Begin cooking quinoa according to package directions.

Add asparagus and sautee for about 15-20 minutes or until beans tender.

Once quinoa is cooked, add lentils, yeast, and dressing.

Spread evenly in a baking dish, laying vegetables on top.

Sprinkle a small amount of yeast and chili flakes, if using, over the top.

Place in oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

If adding cheese, take out a few minutes early, layer cheese, turn oven to 400 degrees and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.