Quinoa Spinach Caprese Bake (V) (GF)
Ingredients
Add one carton of mixed cherry tomatoes
¼ cup kalamata olives
3 garlic cloves minced
A sprinkle of sea salt and pepper
2 cups broccoli
1 cup of organic quinoa
½ cup homemade or store purchased pesto
½ cup coconut oil, full fat
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Grated mozzarello
Description
Step 1:
In a medium saucepan put ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil (no vegetable, canola or soy oil) on medium low heat.
Add one carton of mixed cherry tomatoes
¼ cup kalamata olives
3 garlic cloves minced
A sprinkle of sea salt and pepper
Let the tomatoes pan roast for 30 minutes. They should gently simmer, not splatter all over, and their juices release and skins pop. Set aside.
Step 2:
Put 2 cups broccoli (approximately) in a saucepan with a little bit of water and salt.
Cover and cook on medium high for 5 minutes.
Drain and put florets in a standing mixer and pulse a few times to chop but not turn into mush.
Set aside.
Step 3:
In the same standing chopper put the tomato mixture and pulse to chop.
Set aside.
Step 4:
In a large stock pot boil 4 cups water with salt
Add one cup of organic quinoa and cook for 12 minutes.
When there is 5 minutes of cooking time left, add 3 cups frozen chopped spinach
Drain
Step 5:
In a small bowl whisk together
½ cup homemade or store purchased pesto (for store bought check the label, none of the above mentioned oils are in it)
½ cup coconut oil, full fat
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Assembly:
Set the oven to 350 degrees
In an 8X8 baker spray with avocado or olive oil
Layer half of the strained quinoa/spinach
Layer all of the broccoli
Layer half of the tomatoes
Sprinkle with mozzarella (grated)
Layer with the rest of the quinoa
Then the pesto cream
Top with tomato mixture and more mozzarella
Bake for 30 minutes until mixture is bubbly and hot
* Recipe originally inspired by Tieghan Gerard, Half-Baked Harvest
Recipe by Janet Neustedter
Recipe Story
We were invited to friends for dinner and she made the original recipe by Half-Baked Harvest. It was spectacular! I took the recipe and added more phytonutrients to it with the spinach and broccoli, and the pesto sauce with the nutritional yeast puts it over the top yummy! Enjoy