Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables:

2 red bell peppers
2 tomatoes
2 T olive oil
1/4 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c slivered fresh basil
1 (14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (1 2/3 cups)

Quinoa:

1 c quinoa
1/4 t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T toasted pine nuts
1/4 c jarred romesco sauce*
2 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil
4 c cleaned and stemmed arugula leaves
1/3 c Parmesan cheese shavings

To prepare Roasted Vegetables: Preheat oven to 375˚. Halve red peppers and remove stems and seeds. Cut into 1-inch-wide pieces and put on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and place cut-side up on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes or until tender and browned. Stir peppers once. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Toss peppers with basil. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and seeds. Chop flesh to a fine puree or puree in a food processor. Combine with broth to equal 2 cups and set aside.

To prepare Quinoa: Put quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse with cold water 5 minutes to release the bitterness. Drain well. In a 1 1/2-qt. saucepan, combine tomato broth with quinoa and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and cook about 5 minutes longer until the liquid has been absorbed. Season with pepper and add pine nuts. Set aside, uncovered, 5 minutes. Whisk together romesco sauce, lemon juice and olive oil. Divide arugula among plates and spoon quinoa on top, then peppers. Drizzle sauce over everything and sprinkle Parmesan on top. Makes 4-6 servings.

*There are several brands of romesco sauce, a puree of sweet peppers, toasted almonds, hot pepper and other seasonings, available. Look for it in the condiment or sauce sections in supermarkets.