Fail. Not vegan. Sorry. Honey is an animal product, made by bees. I'm not vegan either, though I like vegetarian and vegan foods, and I made the same mistake a while ago - using honey in a recipe that I thought vegans would like. If I were the recipe creator I might try replacing the honey with agave syrup, which *is* a vegetable product. Or I'd quit calling the recipe "vegan."
Quinoa Salad with Frisee, Eggplant, and Corn
This quinoa recipe, developed by SAVEUR.com contributor Judy Haubert, combines gluten-free quinoa with sautéed eggplant and a light Asian lime vinaigrette.
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Credit: Anna Stockwell
Ingredients
1 tbsp. salt1 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 graffiti or Japanese eggplant, cut into 1 ½" cubes
2 tsp. canola oil
3 tbsp. honey or agave nectar, divided
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. mirin
2 tsp. sesame seeds
2 ears corn, kernels removed (approximately 2 cups)
1 head frisée, light green and white parts only, trimmed to 2" pieces (approximately 2 cups)
⅓ cup chives, cut into ½" batons
2 tsp. lime zest (from 1 lime)
3 tbsp. lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
1. Combine 6 cups of water with the 1 tbsp. salt in a 3-4 qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Add quinoa and simmer 12-15 minutes until grains are tender and have separated. Remove from heat and drain quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Set sieve back over empty pot, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 10-15 minutes.2. Toss eggplant cubes with 1 tbsp. salt and drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Squeeze dry. Heat canola oil in a 10" sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add eggplant and sauté until browned on all sides, 3-4 minutes. Whisk together 1 tbsp. of the honey or agave, soy sauce, and mirin. Add to eggplant, stirring to coat, and cook 1-2 minutes more until glazed. Transfer to a small bowl, toss with sesame seeds and set aside.
3. Whisk together remaining honey, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, ½ tsp. salt and fresh pepper. Toss with cooked quinoa, eggplant, corn kernels, frisée, and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
