Tapas” small Spanish savory dishes, typically served with drinks at a bar, and On my recent trip to Spain, I have a lot of memories of some great tapas dishes which I would treasure. From a platter of grilled cheese served with berries in Granada, to a beautiful mushroom in Seville, I loved them all and the concept of Tapas makes the live simple as It can be just made into a main dish by just adding some carbohydrates or salad.
My challenge through summers was to serve an apt tapas-style dish to go well with A can of chilled beer. To go well with beer, the dish is required to have a kick from spices,and at the same time i want my dish to be lite as a starter to keep some space for the main course. Also a lite snack is welcome in the warm climate of Delhi.
So I traveled back to my trip to Prague and recalled how we enjoyed the grilled vegetables (especially the Aubergines and Asparagus) which were served with feta, and here goes my dish.
Herbed Quinoa and Feta filled Chargrilled Aubergines served with olive and pepper Gouda cheese ! Garnished with beetroot microgreens and Drizzled with chili oil for an extra kick! This is what took me a while to post my entry for nominations as I was waiting to try it out with my share of weekend Beer !!
It came out as a really admired one as Me and my better half liked the pepper and chili oil kind of kick, and at the same time the freshness from herbs, salty cheese. All married well in this dish.
Do make it and try it out with a chilled glass of beer. I do reckon that this would work well with A glass of white wine as well.
| Prep Time | 15 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 Minutes |
| Servings |
Portions
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Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Quinoa
- 1 Cup Vegetable Broth Can use Chicken Stock
- 2 Cloves garlic
- 1 Tsp Crushed black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 100 Grams Feta cheese
- 4 Aurbegines Small
- 8 Slices Gouda Chese Cut in rounds
- few Sprigs Beetroot Microgreens
- salt to season
- 1 Tbsp Refined olive oil To grease the grill (can use Vegetable cooking oil)
- Few Sprigs Thyme
- 1 Tsp Chili Oil
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Wash Quinoa under running water over a sieve. Scrub the grains vigorously to let go of husk. Let it stand and Drain the extra water.
- Take a heavy bottom pan, Add 1 Tbsp Oil, Add drained Quinoa, and allow to toast for about a minute on high flame.
- Add vegetable stock, salt, and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes on medium flame.
- Once all the water seems to be absorbed, add Pepper and herbs ( sprigs of thyme ), with the flame switched off, Cover and leave for 10-15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, Fluff the grains with fork, and drizzle 1 tsp Olive oil.
Preparing Aubergines
- Cut Small Aubergines Lengthwise, Scoop the flesh using a small spoon. Rub Salt And allow the salt to seep in( 5 -10 minutes) To save time do it while the quinoa is cooking.
- Heat a grill, Add 1 Tbsp Refined Olive oil, allow the pan to heat up. Now add Aurbegines white side down and allow the rim to turn brown.
- Turn with the help of tongs and allow the skin to cook. Do not let the aurbegine to shrink. A little crunch is desired.
Arranging The Dish
- Crumble the Feta cheese.
- Cut Thin Slices of Gouda Cheese. Arrange it in a serving Platter.
- Place the aubergines on the cheese slices, add Fill the cooked Warm quinoa into each cup loosely.
- Now top with a generous portion of Crumbled feta. (Combine Crumbled feta with thyme before hand)
- Garnish with Beetroot herbs for a bright color and rizzle some chili oil before serving.
Recipe Notes
This dish is best made with Small aubergines for the convenience of bite size.
The dish is best served warm.
