The first time I heard of quinoa was a few years ago at a dinner party. It was served with a Cuban beef stew. At first bite I found the fluffy, crunchy grain delicious even though I had no clue how to pronounce it. After the dinner party, I wanted to learn all about it, especially how do you pronounce it? I found out that it’s pronounced Keen-wah and it is not only delicious but it is really healthy. Quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed. In addition to being a good source of protein, it is also a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus. Since my discovery, I am always looking for new recipes with quinoa. Today, I tried to make the Quinoa, Bacon and Mushroom cake from Chocolate & Zucchini, one of my favorite cook books by Clotilde Dusoulier. I liked the recipe but since I wasn't in the mood for bacon I slightly changed it. Instead of bacon, I used some canned diced tomatoes. I also added some saffron for extra flavor.
What to gather: 2 cups uncooked quinoa, 6 oz canned, diced tomatoes, 1 medium yellow onion chopped, 8oz mushrooms sliced, 3 large eggs, ¼ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ cup flat lead parleys chopped, and ½ teaspoon saffron water (optional).
How to make it: First, preheat your oven - 400 degrees. Start cooking the quinoa according to the package instructions. I cooked mine in chicken broth for some extra flavor. Cook it til’ its brown and crisp. Make sure all the water is gone.
While the quinoa is cooking, you can cook your chopped onions in a skillet on medium heat for 8 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the sliced mushrooms and cover the skillet for 5 mins. Then let the mixture cook for another 2mins without the cover so that the juices evaporate. Set it aside while you mix the eggs and cream.
Grab a large bowl and whisk the eggs, cream, tomatoes salt and pepper. Add the parsley and a dash of saffron water. Then, spray your cooking pan with some Pam or grease it with butter. I baked mine in a cupcake pan because I like the smaller portions. If I cook it in a bread pan, I'll eat the whole thing in one seating. Once you filled your pan to the rim, then bake it for 35 mins or until top is golden.
Let it cook for 5mins when you take it out of the oven and be careful not to burn your finger like I did. Once it's cooled a bit serve with a salad!
