Ali Cooks: Farmer's Market Skillet

The recipe below was unfortunately not purely inspired by the beautiful, fresh veggies at the farmer's market.  HOWEVER, I did buy the veggies from the Terre Haute Farmer's Market this past Saturday...well, most of it...  Hey now, I already had perfectly good frozen corn in my freezer, and on a grad student's budget, that means that there is no reason to pursue another purchase.

The Farmer's Market Skillet recipe had honestly been in my FoodGawker 'Intend to Make' tag for a looong time, but yesterday was finally the big day.  I was cooking for just me (Brian had opted to eat up a good amount of his food this week before we leave for vacation on Thursday), so I decided that it was the perfect occasion to go crazy with my veggie-loving tendencies.  Corn + tomato (I found an orange one at the farmer's market!) + zucchini = Yum to the Max.  (Yep, that's real-life math that just happened.)

Also, you should know that I changed the recipe from a lemon-y dish to a citrus-y dish, since I had orange/lime ingredients and no lemon.  I really like the orange flavor, so trust me--it still works!  

A note about the temperature of the skillet goodness:  You can make it hot and eat a good couple servings and then the next day eat leftovers cold.  It's totally delicious both ways, and if you need a good lunch idea for the week, I totally suggest this one.

Are you thinking, "Wait, there's no protein.  This isn't even a complete meal."  Well, you're wrong (sorry!).  Quinoa is full of protein, and the box of quinoa I used boasted that fact outright!  (Yay quinoa!)  Of course I won't banish you from my blog if you add meat, but it might change the potency of the vinaigrette, so experiment with caution.  A good serving of Farmer's Market Skillet would make a great side dish, too, so get creative and enjoy!

Farmer's Market Skillet

*adapted from iowagirleats.com

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 tbs olive oil

1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced (or half a large one)

 1 1/2 cups corn

 1 tbs dried green onion

salt & pepper

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 cup (or more) of cheese (I used a combo of gouda and cheddar)

For the Honey Citrus Vinaigrette:

1 tbs orange zest

2 tbs lime juice

1 1/2 tbs honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan.  Add the rinsed quinoa, place a lid on top, and turn the heat down to medium-low.  Cook the quinoa until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes.  Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork and let it cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the Honey Citrus Vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the zucchini, and the corn, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Saute the vegetables until barely tender, about 4 minutes.  Add the cooked quinoa and half of the Honey Citrus Vinaigrette.  Stir everything together and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, the dried green onion, and cheese, to the skillet.  Stir well, taste, and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Let cool slightly before serving.