Vegetarian Recipe

Prepare produce

Peel and dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Peel and slice the carrots into 1/4-inch rounds. Core and dice the red bell pepper. Trim and half the zucchini lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch half-moons. Clean and slice mushrooms if needed. Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil. When shimmering, add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add the minced garlic, carrots and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5–6 minutes until carrots begin to soften.

Add the zucchini and mushrooms, stir to combine, and cook 4–5 minutes until mushrooms release moisture and zucchini becomes tender. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften.

Pour in 1 cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits. Stir in the cooked quinoa (or brown rice) and warm through 2–3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

While vegetables cook, press excess water from tofu using paper towels or a clean dish towel, then cut into 3/4-inch cubes.

In a separate nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes in a single layer and cook without moving 3–4 minutes to get a golden crust, then turn and brown on all sides another 3–4 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add drained chickpeas to the vegetable pan in the last 3 minutes of vegetable cooking to heat through and absorb some of the pan flavors.

In a small bowl or jar combine soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, smoked paprika, ground cumin, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. Whisk or shake until blended.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables, quinoa and chickpeas and stir to coat evenly. Add the browned tofu and gently fold to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2–3 minutes so flavors marry. Taste and adjust salt, lemon or soy sauce as needed.

Turn off heat. Chop the fresh parsley and sprinkle over the skillet. Scatter toasted pumpkin seeds and, if using, crumble the feta or vegan feta on top.

Serve warm, dividing into 4 bowls. Offer additional lemon wedges on the side if desired.