Description
Sweet summer tomatoes are filled with herbed and spiced quinoa and baked with parmesan cheese for a delightful and filling side dish, adapted from “Everyday Italian Cooking” by Giada.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2/3 cup quinoa
- 6 ripe but firm beefsteak tomatoes
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, about 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 to 4 mini peppers (mix of orange, red & yellow peppers), about 1/2 cup chopped peppers
- 3 tbsp chopped basil
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/8 cup parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Lightly coat an 8 inch square baking dish with a tsp of oil. Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice off the top of each tomato. Reserve the tops. Scoop and reserve the pulp and juice from each into a small bowl. Place the hollowed tomatoes in the prepared dish.
- Wash quinoa, cook with double the quantity of water and let it cool. When cold, fluff up quinoa using a fork.
- Heat a tbsp of oil. When hot, add chopped onion, garlic, chopped bell pepper, dried basil & dried oregano.
- When onion and bell peppers turns soft, add the reserved tomato pulp & juice and cook until the mixture thickens, about 10 mins. To this, add fluffed up quinoa, salt, pepper, chopped basil, mozzarella & parmesan cheese and give it a good toss. Taste to adjust salt & pepper.
- Spoon the quinoa mixture into the hollowed tomatoes mounding slightly. Replace the reserved tops and bake until the quinoa is heated through, about 20 to 25 mins.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
- Category: Main, Side