Carrot Zucchini Quinoa

I love quinoa.  It's great warm or cold.  As a salad, as a side, or as part of a main dish.  It has a slightly sweet nutty flavor that I can't get over.  I'm hooked on it.  And in the summertime when I'm serving lighter dishes, a quinoa dish always seems to play a part in making my dinner a very filling experience.

I got the idea for this dish from a magazine and I am very pleased how it turned out.  I admit, I took a spoonful before I took a picture.  And then I took another one as I adjusted the settings on my camera.  A couple more bites were had before we all sat down to dinner, and then I kindly helped the boys out with their last bite.  Oh, and then the container for leftovers was just a tad small, so I had to take just a few more bites. Oh the sacrifices I make...

Needless to say.  I think this is my new favorite quinoa dish.  It's bursting with flavor and I just love it!  It's an added bonus that there's an entire zucchini and a solid cup of carrots in it, too!  I served this as a side/salad with the Spring Gazpacho.  The pairing was great.

Carrot Zucchini Quinoa
Serves 4-6

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup carrots - shredded or put in your food processor until they're little bits
• 1 medium zucchini - shredded
• 2 t dry tarragon
• 1 T EVOO
• S & P to taste

-- Combine all ingredients in a medium - large sauce pan.
-- Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes (until all the liquid is absorbed).
-- Serve warm or room temperature or chilled.  (I haven't tried it chilled, but I can't imagine it not tasting great!)