Tuscan Quinoa Bake
For this recipe I used store bought sun dried tomato pesto and about double the amount. (I’ve made the pesto easily enough also but not much different in the casserole.
one-pan spring tuscan quinoa bake.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: main course
Cuisine: american
Keyword: one pan, quinoa, quinoa bake
So, this is what I call healthy comfort food.
prep time 10 minutes
cook time 40 minutes
total time 50 minutes
calories 285 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to your liking
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives halved
- 1/3 cup roasted marinated artichokes, drained + roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons pickled pepperoncinis roughly chopped (optional)
- 3 cups cooked quinoa*
- 4-8 ounces ricotta cheese omit for vegan version
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (omit or use vegan cheese for vegan version)
- 2-3 red bell peppers sliced
- 8-12 pepperonis optional
- 2-4 ounces pecorino cheese freshly grated (omit for vegan version)
- cherry tomatoes + freshly torn basil for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Add the olive oil (make sure the oil covers the entire bottom of the baking dish, if not add more oil), now add the sun-dried tomato pesto, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried dill, crushed red pepper, garlic and salt and pepper to a 9 x 13 inch or slightly smaller baking dish (I like using one of those oval dishes that is just a little smaller than a 9×13). To the baking dish add the cooked quinoa, the olives, artichokes and pepperoncinis. Toss well until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Dollop the ricotta over the mixture and gently mix to combine.
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Overtop, sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese and then scatter the sliced red peppers over top. At this point it will seem like there are too many peppers, but this is fine. They will cook down. Place the pepperonis on top. Sprinkle on top 2-4 ounces of pecorino and another drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is browned and the peppers have softened. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil, tomatoes and more pecorino or parmesan. Cut and eat!
Roasted Cauliflower
I did the easy version of this with just the Dijon and olive oil… I don’t usually measure and my best guess is I use about half cup of each Dijon and olive oil and whisk it until emulsified (fun watching it become creamy and thick:-)) This I use on one head of cauliflower, it seems way to thin for this to be spread over two heads. I’ve made it with the Parmesan and parsley as well and that too is delish!
Ingredients
2 large heads cauliflower
1 clove garlic, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
- Position an oven rack in the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, then trim the stem flush with the bottom of the head so the cauliflower sits flat on the prepared baking sheet. Rub the outside of each head with the cut garlic.
- Whisk together the oil, 3 tablespoons mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper in a small bowl.
- Put the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and brush the entire outside and inside with the mustard-oil mixture. Roast the cauliflower until nicely charred and tender (a long skewer inserted in the center of the cauliflower should pass through easily), 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let rest for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the parsley and Parmesan in a small bowl. Brush the outside of the roasted cauliflower heads all over with the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard and generously sprinkle with the Parmesan mixture.
- Cut the cauliflower into thick wedges and serve on plates with a sprinkle of salt, lemon wedges and any extra Parmesan mixture.
Italian Pear Almond Cake
Italian Pear Almond Cake
A delicious cake, that’s more pears than cake. Moist and lightly sweet, it is perfect for any time of day. Best on the day it’s baked. If you have a scale, use the gram measurements, for best accuracy.
Ingredients
- 9 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
- 9 Tbsp white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 7 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3.5 oz ground almonds
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 medium pears ripe, peeled, cored and halved
- 1.7 oz flaked almonds
- Icing sugar for garnish
Instructions
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Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
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Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
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Prepare pears, by peeling, coring and cutting in half. Set aside.
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In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and white sugar together until pale and fluffy.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a spatula, fold in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Spoon batter into the prepared springform pan and use a palette knife to even out the mixture. (Batter will be thick and fill the pan only about an inch thick).
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Arrange the pear halves over the top of the cake and bake in pre-heated 375° oven for 25 minutes. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle the flaked/sliced almonds over the top. Return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
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Leave the cake to cool in the tin, then run a knife around the outside and carefully remove the ring and base. Dust with icing sugar before serving with
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Optional Mascarpone, Marsala and Orange Cream: Whisk the grated rind of 1 orange and 2 Tbsp. of freshly squeezed orange juice in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons sweet Marsala and 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) of mascarpone cheese. Sweeten with icing sugar to taste.
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