Baby Loves Quinoa. So Do I.

Saturday was a veg at the house kind of day. I don’t get many days like that, and it was pretty darn awesome. I woke up in my pj’s, changed to go on a brief run, showered, then put on a fresh pair of pj’s. Nice.

Even nicer? The super-comfy vegetarian meal I made for dinner. It was way easy (although, it does take fore-thought to make; the tomatoes spend a long time in the oven), and I gotta say… we never missed the meat. Here’s my gift to you: a healthy meal that all will enjoy, Broccoli & Quinoa Bake and Slow Roasted Tomatoes.

Broccoli & Quinoa Bake, a Katie-original!
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
Breadcrumbs for pan (I prefer Panko)
8 oz. chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
and extra water squeezed out
2 tsp. olive oil
Onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tb. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
a dash (or three!) of red pepper flakes, optional
1 cup quinoa
2 cups veggie stock
1 cup ricotta
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 glass with cooking spray and coat lightly with breadcrumbs.

Cook quinoa according to package directions, subbing the water for veggie stock for added flavor. Meanwhile, heat oil in saute pan, and cook onions, garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper over medium heat 8 minutes or until translucent.

Combine thawed broccoli, ricotta, and eggs in a large bowl. Add onion mixture and cooked quinoa. Pour mixture into baking dish and place in the oven. Bake 45 minutes, then top with shredded cheese. Return to oven and bake until melted, approximately 5 minutes and then turn on broiler. Cook until golden in spots, another 2-3 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes, recipe inspired from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
16 plum tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tb. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions: Mix all ingredients, except tomatoes in small bowl. On a large, rimmed, baking sheet toss tomatoes gently with the herb slurry. Turn all tomatoes cut side up, then place in oven at 200 degrees for 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours. Serves 4 – 6.

Mr. William is a big fan of both broccoli and quinoa. This meal was naturally, right up his alley!