Pizza Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked quinoa cooked in 2 C water (or about 3 1/2 cups cooked quinoa)
6 oz can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 med-large onion, chopped
2 tbsp water
1 Tbsp. Grapeseed Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed (I grind mine in a mortar & pestle)
1 tsp marjoram
1 Tbsp. Basil
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
pinch of sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional but I used for a cheesy flavor)
1/2 cup shredded Italian blend or Mozzarella cheese, optional for topping

Directions
1. Rinse quinoa well (if needed; the quinoa that I buy is pre-rinsed so I don’t need to do this) and combine with water in a small pot over high heat.  Bring to a boil, cover and turn down to low and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed, the quinoa is tender and completely cooked.  Remove from the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes while preparing the rest.*
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4 – 1 cup ramekins, 2 – 2 cup dishes or a larger casserole dish, depending on how you want to bake and serve this.
3. In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste with the garlic and onion, water and olive oil.  Mix well.  Add tomatoes and all the seasonings including the nutritional yeast if using.  Mix well again before adding the quinoa.  Once the mixture is completely mixed, taste for seasonings and add more salt as needed.  Divide among the dishes for baking, sprinkle with cheese if desired.
4. Bake 30-35 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly or until the quinoa on top is golden and crispy. Add any additional toppings if desired.
*For a quicker prep, cook the quinoa the night before and refrigerate to easily assemble the next evening.

Serves 4

Nutritional Information per serving

Nutrition Facts   User Entered Recipe
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories		384.4
Total Fat		11.4 g
	Saturated Fat	3.5 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.8 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	3.8 g
Cholesterol		16.4 mg
Sodium		660.1 mg
Potassium		661.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate		55.2 g
	Dietary Fiber	8.8 g
	Sugars	14.3 g
Protein		19.3 g

Comfort Food – made healthier

I don’t know about you guys but where I live it’s starting to get pretty chilly outside. I’m talking highs around 50. I love it. I love the warmer, cozy clothes and how I don’t mind working up a sweat in the gym because I know when I’m done I can step out into the fall weather that is chilled just enough for a perfect post workout walk. Another thing to love about this weather is, of course, the warm comfort food that pairs perfectly with the chilly weather. Sometimes, though, it can be a challenge to take those comfort food favorites and make them healthier and veggie packed. We recently came across a recipe for macaroni and cheese that will knock your socks off! Not only is it delicious but it is packed full of veggies (my favorite part) – who could ask for more? Make sure you give this one a try, you can find the recipe HERE at Kitchen Thymes.

image from http://www.kitchenthymes.com

I’m also including a side dish for creamed kale. I’ve had a ton of Kale begging to be used and this seemed like a great way to use it up.

Creamed Kale

Ingredients:

3 pounds Kale, center piece removed then roughly chopped

1 medium onion, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ pieces

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (or chicken or vegetable stock)

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional; adds a cheesy flavor)

Pinch of Nutmeg

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a sauce pan over medium heat combine the almond milk, cottage cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic and nutmeg. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth (if you don’t have an immersion blender I would suggest blending first in a blender or food processor, then transfer to a saucepan to heat up). Set aside until ready to use.

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions in pan until tender. Whisk in flour and cook about 2 minutes, making sure the mixture doesn’t brown. Whisk in the warm milk mixture and cook until thickened.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and carrots and cook until tender (not mushy), about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and then return to pot. Add cream sauce and cook until flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.