April 23, 2013

Quinoa Casserole

Well, hello there!  I have been as busy as a bee with the grand opening of TimeCycled, my awesome vintage shop on Etsy.  It's been great fun scouring thrift shops, yard sales and auctions to find neato merch to include in my new shop.  Ivy Lane Designs is still going strong with 5,669 sales, offering handmade recycled nifty gifties.  Check them out!  

Tonight I made a healthy quinoa casserole that we thoroughly enjoyed.  It's vegetarian, or vegan, and gluten-free.  Feel free to substitute whatever veggies you have on hand for those listed.  This recipe is super versatile.  I included cilantro because we love it!  If you're not a fan, just omit it.



QUINOA CASSEROLE

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 onion, chopped (I use a large white one)
  • 1 green or red pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup zucchini, cubed (about 2 small)
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 4-ounce can diced green chiles
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • Salt
  • 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded (we use dairy-free Daiya brand) - this will go on top, so do not mix it in with the rest

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375ยบ F.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse throughly with cold water for at two minutes.  Drain.  In a medium saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, for one minute.  The quinoa will begin to dry out and pop a little.  Add the vegetable stock.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onions and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and zucchini and cook 3 more minutes.

Transfer quinoa to a large bowl.  Add onion mixture, beans, green chiles, tomatoes, corn, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice and salt to taste.  Mix thoroughly and transfer to prepared baking dish.  Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese and bake 10 minutes more or until melted and just beginning to brown.

Serve and enjoy!

~Merrill