Black Bean Quinoa Casserole

I made this up last week. A friend has teenagers who’ve gone vegetarian, and is wracking his brains to figure out what to feed them. I was thinking of his dilemma while cooking and this was the result. I will tell you it is AMAZING eaten hot, and so-so eaten cold. By “amazing” I really mean tasty hearty healthy filling down-home food. I’ve been keeping the leftovers in the fridge, and heating them up. Just as good as the first time!

BLACK BEAN QUINOA CASSEROLE

Part One

2 cups cooked quinoa
15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed
1 cup corn
1 cup sweet peas (frozen is fine)
1/2 cup chopped sweet bell peppers (I used a mix of colors)
2 medium onions, chopped, and sautéed in EVOO (olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used home pickled garlic cloves)
1/3 cup grated cheese
oregano & basil (to taste, I used fresh from the garden, not sure how much)

Part Two

4 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used kefir)
salt & pepper (to taste)

Topping

2/3 cup grated cheese (I wanted feta, but was out)

Assembly

You know how to make quinoa, right? Roughly like rice — 2 parts water for 1 part rice or quinoa, with 1 teaspoon salt per two cups of water. With quinoa I like a couple tablespoons extra water, and I cook it by bringing it to a boil, boiling it for about 5 minutes with the lid on, then turning the heat off, leaving the lid on, and coming back later (anywhere from twenty minutes to eight hours).

I mixed the ingredients in the Part One section all together (cooked quinoa, beans, peppers, corn, onion, garlic, cheese, and herbs). You can substitute storebought herbs if you wish, but it is summer, and I have fresh ones in the garden. I’ve found I really LOVE the blossoms of the basil plant – such a strong spicy flavor for the basil!

This is when everything is mixed in together.

Beat the eggs, milk, salt & pepper in a separate bowl.

Then, I lined a 13″x9″ cake pan with parchment paper, and spooned the quinoa mixture into it. Pour the egg mixture over the quinoa mixture, and top with the rest of the grated cheese.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.

Indulge in a healthy feast!