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 breadcrumbs
• 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.