Caprese Quinoa Bake

I have officially had my Fitbit Charge HR for more than one week now and one of my favorite things to do in the morning is check out how I slept. It tracks my sleep and tells me what time I went to sleep, what time I woke up, when and how many times I woke up throughout the night, and also when and how long I was restless throughout the night.

Donny was gone at the Nuggets game last Friday night with some friends so I partied. By partied, I mean I made a cauliflower-pizza-crust pizza and lounged around in yoga pants. I know, I know. It’s a rough lifestyle partying my face off all the time like that.

The best part about the night was that I went to bed early. I know I went to bed early because my Fitbit told me. In fact, here is what my night looked like according to it….

Yes, that does in fact say I went to sleep at 8:31pm. On a Friday night. And I’m in my 20s. I swear I am a 90-year-old lady trapped in a 27-year-old’s body! So according to the chart, I was fairly restless when I first went to bed then a couple more times in the night. I got up to go to the bathroom I believe early in the morning. I finally got up at 7:48am Saturday morning. Apparently I was a little sleep deprived! I don’t usually sleep 10+ hours in one night but I guess I was due for some good rest.

When I wasn’t sleeping over the weekend (which apparently wasn’t much leftover time) I made a caprese quinoa bake. I I used ramekins because ramekins are a great way to ensure portion control! One ramekin = one serving. Easy peasy.

I love pretty much anything caprese….I mean tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella?! Yes please. 

I even made my own balsamic reduction. I’m talking on my own without my personal chef (aka Donny) in the kitchen or even in the house! Yes. He leaves me unattended and I get crazy trying new things (that actually rarely happens…I am usually too nervous to try silly things like reducing vinegar on my own). However, I made my own balsamic reduction without supervision and it turned out great! I was nervous to burn it at the end so I think I took it off the heat a few minutes before it would have been perfect. It thickened quite a bit but I think it had a little more to go. 

I took one bottle of balsamic vinegar (happened to be 2 cups exactly) and heated it over medium-high heat in a saucepan on the stove. Once it started boiling I turned the heat down, let it simmer and work its magic. It took quite a while to get it reduced down, but it was worth it. If you don’t want to make your own reduction or if you don’t have time, you can use plain balsamic vinegar on this recipe or just go without. If possible, I definitely suggest the reduction! 

Also, check out our new knife. Donny’s cousin Joe made it. He makes his own straight razors and recently got into making knives too. They are awesome! Look how pretty it is. It is really really sharp too! I was worried at first that I was going to slice my finger off (honestly, I still am) but Donny said using really sharp knives makes it easier and less likely to slip and cut yourself. Made me feel a little better. 

If you look closely you can see his name on the blade… it says “Joe Edson” close to the handle. Awesome! If you like good knives in the kitchen (which, who doesn’t?!) then these are worth the investment. We are going to have to keep buying them from him one at a time until we have a wonderful set of Joe Edson knives. Check out his website at EdsonRazors.com or “like” him on Facebook at Joe Edson Custom Straight Razors and Knives. He puts up some really cool pictures of them too.

 I had never done this before, but I substituted chicken broth for water when preparing my quinoa.  I think it added a really nice flavor to the recipe, but if you do not have any on hand or already have your quinoa prepared, then you can use water.

Caprese Quinoa Bake

2015-04-13 20:48:54

Serves 4

Tomato, mozzarella, and basil combine for a delicious twist on basic quinoa. Pairs perfectly with grilled chicken, steak, or even fish!

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Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

55 min

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

55 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup quinoa
2. 1 cup organic chicken broth
3. 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4. 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed + 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
5. 1 large egg
6. 1 tsp dried basil
7. Salt & pepper to taste
8. Additional fresh basil for garnish
9. 1/4 cup balsamic reduction

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray four ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Prepare quinoa according to package directions, substituting organic chicken broth for the water.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa (~1 1/2 cups once prepared), cherry tomatoes, and cubed mozzarella in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, whip with a fork until well beaten. Add egg to the quinoa mixture. Stir well.
6. Add dried basil, salt, & pepper to quinoa. Stir again.
7. Evenly distribute the quinoa mixture into the ramekins.
8. Top with shredded mozzarella.
9. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
10. Pour balsamic reduction over the quinoa before serving and garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

1. Quinoa can be made with water if you do not have chicken broth.
2. The quinoa mixture can be baked in one medium baking dish, but cooking times will vary.

Eat. Lift. Play. Repeat. https://eatliftplayrepeat.com/