Caprese Style Baked Quinoa

1. I won an amazing prize at our Christmas party this year. It was two full bags of groceries from Trader Joe's, all organic stuff, courtesy of our "Green Team" at work. And, it's a good thing too, because we were down with the flu over the holidays, and didn't get out of the house to buy anything. I was able to create this dish out of what we had on hand in the refrigerator, and the pickings out of my Christmas haul !

It was the perfect thing for us after a week of eating soup and feeling like not doing much. It was simple to put together, warm and comforting.

 

Caprese Style Baked Quinoa

3 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups prepared spaghetti sauce

2 tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup shredded mozzarella

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh basil, cut into ribbons

Preheat oven to 375. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cheese, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. Simmer over low until thickened, and then place half of the mixture in an 11 by 7 pan sprayed with non-stock. Top with the shredded mozzarella, then spread the remaining quinoa mixture over the top. Top with the slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden brown. Let rest 10 minutes before serving, and top with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.