Meat Free Monday
Baked tomatoes with quinoa
Today’s recipe of baked tomatoes stuffed with quinoa makes a tasty supper dish. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is simply bursting with vitamin B and iron and is a wonderful grain as it contains all 8 essential amino acids, which makes it a unique complete food. The ancient Incas honored this protein dense food, making it a staple in their everyday diet. It is now gaining more recognition and becoming a valuable vegetarian source of protein.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 11/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs – I use parsley and basil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons fresh breadcrumbs
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C
- In a small saucepan, toss the quinoa in 1 tablespoon olive oil, then pour in the stock and add some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Pour 1 tablepsoon olive oil in a non stick pan and saute the chopped onions with the herbs and lemon juice over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Scoop the quinoa into the pan and mix thoroughly until blended to make a stuffing.
- Create a lid for each tomato by cutting around the stalk about 5 mm deep., Remove the top and set it aside. Scoop out the seeds of each tomato and some of the loose pulp. Now spoon equal amounts of the stuffing into the cavities of each tomato.
- Put the tomatoes into a baking dish and garnish with a sprinkle of breadcrumbs and bake for 25 mins.
Lovely – I usually just stuff them with breadcrumbs but the addition of quinoa is a great idea
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Really like the sound of this recipe. it’s a long time since i baked tomatoes, but am inspired to try it again now.
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mmh, this looks and sounds delicious
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I’ve never tried quinoa before, although I have heard how good it is for you..this has inspired me to try it out.
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I really enjoy your recipe suggestions every monday, but haven’t made anything yet…however, there is a packet of quinoa languishing at the back of my cupboard for months and I didn’t know what to do with it..now I do 🙂 I will definitely give this one a try!
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I am a bit of quinoa evangelist myself, so I am delighted to see your nice recipe here.
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The Incas, held the crop to be sacred and referred to quinoa as “chisaya mama” or mother of all grains. It was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using ‘golden implements’.
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That is very interesting Dunatha..thank you for enlightening us..an even better reason to try this sacred grain 🙂
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I went to a small but powerful cancer treatment center in the greater Chicago area. part of the treatment is following a very rigid diet. Quinoa is almost a staple in the diet and I think this recipe would get very high marks from the Block Center!!
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Hi Marie,
Thanks for this recipe, my daughter and her husband are vegetarians and are coming for a visit this week…can’t wait to surprise them with this dish!
thanks, k
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Yum Marie! Looks like a keeper! I’ve cooked with this grain a number of times and have found the taste can vary considerably based on where I purchase it. But I love grains of all types and I haven’t tried quinoa this way. Will give it a whirl!
Love to you,
Jody
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I would agree with Jody about the grains tasting different but I too will give this recipe a try!
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I made this yesterday and I really enjoyed it – thanks for posting 🙂
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Just noticed this recipe today..think I’ll try it out 🙂
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nyommy!
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