Veracruz Eggplant & Quinoa
A chunky Veracruz-style sauce with tomatillos, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes is the star of this recipe. Veracruz-spiced eggplant and fluffy quinoa make perfect matches for the sauce.
Servings
Produce
Yellow Onion (Organic)
1/2 0.25 Whole
Zucchini (Organic)
1 0.5 Whole
Cherry Tomato
5 2.5 oz
Potato
13 6.5 oz
Tomatillo Verde
9 4.5 oz
Bell peppers (Organic)
4 2 oz
Garlic (Organic)
2 1 Clove
Oregano Vulgare
1/2 0.25 oz
Eggplant
1 0.5 Whole
Protein & more
Quinoa
1 0.5 cup
Kalamata olives
2 1 oz
Pantry items
Olive oil
2 1 tablespoon
Sea salt
To Taste
Spice mix
Mild Ancho Chile
1 0.5 tablespoon
Cumin powder
2 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder
2 1 teaspoon
Granulated Garlic
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Cut eggplant into ½" slices. b. ½” dice bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, yellow onion, and tomatillos (remove husks). c. Mince garlic.
Instructions
1
Prep eggplant:
a. Season eggplant (½” slice) with ½ tsp salt to draw out any bitterness. Set aside until ready to cook.
2
Cook the quinoa:
a. In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 2 cups water (1 cup for 2-person portion) and ¼ tsp salt. Bring to a boil.
b. Add quinoa; stir immediately. Cook at a low boil until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, cook vegetables:
a. In soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 2 tsp olive oil. Add garlic (mince) and yellow onion (½" dice); cook until onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
b. Add potatoes (½" dice). Cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 3 minutes.
c. Add tomatillos (husk, ½" dice), bell peppers (½” dice), and fresh oregano (leave whole); cook until soft and juices release, about 3-4 minutes.
d. Add zucchini (½” dice), cherry tomatoes (leave whole), and olives (leave whole); cook until tomatoes soften and zucchini is just fork-tender.
4
Cook eggplant:
a. Season eggplant with 1 tbsp Veracruz spice mix. Add more for a bolder flavor, and start with less if you're making a 2-person portion.
b. In second saute pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tsp olive oil. Add eggplant; cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Carefully flip and cook another 1 minute.
5
Serve:
a. Divide quinoa among plates. Spoon over Veracruz vegetables.
b. Serve eggplant on top of or alongside. Pour a glass of wine, imagine you’re at a beachside cafe in Veracruz, and enjoy.
Chef's notes
We went middle of the road with the spice mix amount in the recipe. For those that prefer a bolder flavor, we provided additional spice mix. Also, if you have meat lovers at the table, the Veracruz sauce pairs perfectly with a flaky white fish like drum, snapper, or rockfish. If they aren't fish fans, grilled chicken breast would also complement the sauce beautifully.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX