Cheesy Italian Quinoa Bake

I've been looking forward to making this for a few weeks now and was happy to finally get around to it. I did kinda change it up a bit, and decided that the recipe I had, had some of the basics for an Italian Style Dish, so I went with it and this was what I ended up with. It has an incredible smell to it, but I didn't find that the flavour quite measured up to that smell. Everyone else who ate it said it was better than the Quinoa Mac & Cheese I made a week or so ago, but I had to disagree. All a matter of opinion though I guess. I was also told to stop with the quinoa for awhile, so oh well. 

Recipe adapted from Dinner, Dishes & Desserts who got it from The Healthy Apple.

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. Quinoa, uncooked
1 1/2 C. Water
1 1/2 C. Broth
3 Eggs
2 Tsp. Basil

1/4 Tsp. Sage

1 Tsp. Oregano

Salt

Pepper

6 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 1/2 C. Onion, diced
1 C. Tomatoes, diced

1 C. Mushrooms, diced

1 1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese (I only had Aged Cheddar on hand), grated
2/3 C. Parmesan, divided
Marinara Sauce

Directions

~Rinse quinoa and cook in the water and broth in a saucepan until all the moisture has been absorbed. Allow to cool until it is just warm.

~Preheat oven to 375 F

~Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl.

~Season eggs with basil, sage, oregano, salt & pepper to taste, & garlic.

~When quinoa has cooled enough, mix into the egg mixture.

~Add onion, tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and 1/3 C. Parmesan. Mix to combine.

~Transfer mixture into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 C. Parmesan

~Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is golden and crispy.

~Serve by itself or topped with marinara sauce.

Enjoy

Quinoa Mac & Cheese

This was good and will definitely be added to my make-again list. Even the one that hates anything to do with healthy, wholesome eating (aka eating quinoa) went back for seconds and ate it as a midnight snack as well. I feel this incredible sense of accomplishment for this.

The thing for me about quinoa is I've always liked the idea of it, but never really found anything I could make at home that tasted half decent. Until now that is. I think the answer may be as simple as cooking it in stock instead of water, or maybe just adding lots and lots of cheese to it. Cheese always makes anything better (or is that supposed to be chocolate?).

Recipe from Baking Serendipity who adapted from Monica Nelson Fitness.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1/2 Zucchini, chopped into small pieces (about 1/2-3/4 C.)

1 Medium Onion, diced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. Oil

1 1/2 C. Quinoa, rinsed & drained

3 C. Chicken Stock

2 Eggs

1 C. Milk (we used unflavoured almond milk)

2 C. Aged Cheddar Cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese, shredded and divided

1/2 C. Panko

Directions

~Chop vegetables and saute in oil in a large skillet until soft.

~Add in the rinsed and drained quinoa and saute for approximately 3 minutes.

~Pour in stock, stir and reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid has absorbed and quinoa is cooked.

~Meanwhile preheat oven to 350 F.

~In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, 1 1/2 C. Cheddar & 1/2 C. Parmesan. Stir to combine.

~When quinoa is cooked, scoop into egg mixture and mix to evenly coat.

~Put mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish (or to make individual versions, use muffin tins), sprinkle top with remaining cheeses and panko.

~Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is crispy and golden and inside is hot.

Enjoy

Quinoa Yam Patties

These didn't really form like I had expected them to. Nor did they taste like I had expected either. That's not to say that they were bad (we wouldn't have eaten them for 3 nights straight if they were bad), they were just different. I had originally decided to make them one morning. It seemed like a great idea (but they seemed to take all day to make, so a bit time consuming to say the least), and I really would have liked them to be ready for lunch, but they weren't. So dinner rolled around and I must admit, dinner time is when I always confirm that I could never be vegetarian. I don't need bacon or sausage for breakfast, or sandwich meat for lunch, but I do think dinner should contain meat. So, I didn't truly enjoy these the first night. But I do have to say, they were quite filling and had some decent flavour going (then again I just ate it by itself on a plate with a bit of thai sauce as we didn't have buns or burger fixings.)

The key thing to remember for this recipe is to let it cool completely in the fridge before trying to form patties. I didn't at first and that's what caused my nightmares. They went together much better the next day after they had sat.

So I guess the main question is, would I make these again? And I would have to say I honestly don't know. I really liked the idea of them, but what I imagined them to taste like, wasn't what they actually tasted like. So, even though they didn't taste bad, it's sometimes hard to overcome something that is different.

I adapted this recipe from In Sock Monkey Slippers. The idea to add the tahini came from Made to Create.

Makes 5 Patties

Ingredients

1 C. Water

1/2 C. Quinoa

1 1/2 C. Yams, shredded (about 1/2 large yam)

1 Egg, beaten

1/4 C. Bread Crumbs

1/4 C. Bran

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1/2 Tsp. Tahini

Salt 

Pepper

Olive Oil

Directions

~Rinse the quinoa and place into a pot of boiling water (1 C.)
~Simmer on low heat until all the water is gone (times vary depending on brand of quinoa), 10-15 minutes
~Allow quinoa to cool.
~Peel and shred the yam with a cheese grater.
~Place the yam in a piece of paper towel and squeeze out the extra liquids (isn't it an amazing colour??)
~In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, yam, egg, bread crumbs, bran, garlic, tahini, salt and pepper.
~Mix well and then place bowl in refrigerator to cool.
~When cool, form into patties.
~Heat skillet (or grill) and the oil, and cook burgers until they are golden on both sides and crispy.

Enjoy

Never would have thought Yam Juice would be this vibrant and solid of a colour. Just thought I'd share :)