I made this for the first time last night for a potluck style cousin dinner and let me just say, IT WAS A HIT! Usually the first time you make a dish, you DON'T want to do it for other people! Especially because I knew going into it that I was altering the original recipe I found, so I was already going out on a limb. Then, on top of that, I ended up short on time and running behind, so I was a little stressed about how this would turn out.
WELL, let me tell you, not only was this SUPER EASY to pull together in a short amount of time, it was SOOOO DELICIOUS! I don't think anybody even realized I was going for a "healthy" contribution to the party, it was just THAT GOOD. You better believe my sister was nudging me for the recipe, SO HERE IT IS:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups petite cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Sea salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 2 small shallots, minced OR 1/3 cup diced red onions
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (about 1 cup of grated cheese)
- 8 ounces fresh part-skim mozzarella cheese: 2 options
- Slice into 1/4–inch rounds
- Use freshly grated over the top of tomatoes
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small pot, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Lower to a simmer, add quinoa and cook, covered, for 15 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, place the halved tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes, until the skins open up.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. When hot, add the minced shallots (or red onions) and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots have become translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
5. In a large bowl combine the quinoa, roasted tomatoes, cooked shallots and garlic, and basil. Stir in the grated mozzarella and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
6. Transfer the quinoa mixture to a large or baking dish and smooth the top.
7. Two options here:
1. If you’re going for presentation: Start in the center, and overlap slices of tomatoes and mozzarella in a small circle. Make a second circle of overlapping tomatoes and mozzarella, covering the surface of the quinoa—If you’re using a square or rectangular dish, just make two lines of overlapping tomatoes and mozzarella.
2. If you’re short on time: line the top of the quinoa mix with fresh sliced tomatoes and cover in remaining grated mozzarella.
1. Cover the skillet loosely with foil (OR a lid if your dish has one) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
2. While your quinoa bake is in the oven, place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 3-5 minutes until the vinegar becomes syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
1. NOTE: If you're short on time, drizzling balsamic from the bottle is just as delicious as cooking it, but try it both ways and see which you like better!
3. Sprinkle your quinoa bake with freshly sliced basil and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Serve immediately.
TIPS:
1. Using freshly grated mozzarella can save you time if you're in a rush and not worried about presentation. Although, the fresh mozzarella rounds and tomatoes lined over the top does make it look a little more gourmet if you're looking for presentation points!