Warm Quinoa and Zucchini-stuffed Tomatoes

Description
.

Ingredients

 * ½ cup quinoa
 * 2 tablespoons olive oil
 * 1½ cups purified water or vegetable stock
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 * 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
 * ½ medium onion, chopped
 * 1 cup grated zucchini
 * 2 tablespoons currants or raisins
 * 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil
 * ½ teaspoon ground curry (or cumin)
 * ¼ teaspoon paprika
 * 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
 * 6 medium tomatoes
 * 2 teaspoons bread crumbs
 * 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 °F.
 * 2) In a small saucepan, toss the quinoa in, add one tablespoon olive oil, stir, pour in the water, salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning, and bring to a boil.
 * 3) Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
 * 4) Pour one tablespoon olive oil into a nonstick pan and sauté the chopped onions, zucchini, currants, parsley or basil, curry, paprika and lemon juice over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
 * 5) Scoop the quinoa into the sauté pan and mix thoroughly with a spoon until it is blended with the vegetables to make an aromatic stuffing. Remove from heat.
 * 6) Create a lid for each tomato by cutting a star shape around the stem about ¼-inch deep. Remove the top and set it aside.
 * 7) Scoop out the seeds of each tomato and some of the loose pulp, being careful to leave a strong wall of tomato all around.
 * 8) Spoon equal amounts of the stuffing into the cavities of each tomato, filling them up generously.
 * 9) Put the tomatoes in a small ceramic or glass baking dish and garnish with a sprinkle of bread crumbs and one teaspoon Parmesan cheese per tomato.
 * 10) Cover the baking dish with a glass lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes. Tomatoes should be firm and easy to transfer from the baking dish to the serving plates.
 * 11) Garnish by putting the star-shaped tomato lids back on top of each tomato.