Did you know that when you mix a bit of fresh spinach with quinoa you can make a pretty darn amazing baked pie?
No, it’s not gross.
It’s actually quite tasty.
I’m serious.
It’s actually Really tasty.
No need to run off to Dean ‘n Deluca or Whole Foods Market for their pre-made options when you can whip up this baby in no time.
I’m actually not quite to sure as to why, after thirty years I’m just coming around to exploring the other side of grains.
And I’m not just talkin’ about your average bowl of quinoa here, folks.
I’m talking about creating a masterpiece.
I mean, honestly – one look at this guy below and would you really think I whipped him up with quinoa?
I didn’t think so.
You’ve probably had a similar dish before made from flour or potatoes and served with applesauce and sour cream… o the memories of when I was a kid.
But, who wouldn’t love a bite of this quinoa goodness?
Well, my friends, your ordinary ‘bake’ just got a whole lot better.
This quinoa spinach bake couldn’t be easier to make. All you need is some quinoa, fresh spinach, sesame seeds, eggs, yogurt, a cut little shallot and a few spices.
You can serve this with anything from mashed avocado and hummus or a side of Greek plain yogurt.
No breadcrumbs in this recipe, folks – I opted for white sesame seeds instead, which line the baking dish and give the quinoa an extra crunch with each bite.
Perfect for lunch or dinner and heck – I’m even ready to serve it to my clients for breakfast.
Why not, right?
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 1 lb. fresh baby spinach
- 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
- 2 cups cooked quinoa about 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup Greek plain yogurt
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¾ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Coat an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray, then coat with sesame seeds.
-
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spinach; blanch until bright green, approximately 8-10 seconds. Transfer hot spinach to the ice bath to cool for 30 seconds, remove and drain water. Set aside spinach on a paper towel.
-
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet. Add shallot, garlic, thyme and chili powder; sauté until translucent, approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer to a medium-sized bowl.
-
Add spinach, cooked quinoa, yogurt, eggs, sea salt and pepper to the onion mixture; mix well to combine. Transfer quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish and place in the oven. Bake until set and golden brown, approximately 60 minutes.
-
Remove from oven. Slice, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Just found your blog and I’m sitting here at 2:20am reading and enjoying and printing so that I can try out. Can I substitute the eggs with ground flaxseed? And also add the sour cream?
I just made it for the first time and it will be out of the oven soon. I’m sure it will be delicious. To cut out a step, instead of blanching the spinach, I sauteed it with the garlic.
Sounds great Laura!
Made this tonight. Delish! Thanks!
Christie- that’s so great! Have a wonderful weekend!
Made this today as our Resurrection Day meal! Amazingly flavorful and delicious! It takes a little time to assemble but so worth it!
So happy to hear that!!! Have a wonderful night and thank you for your comment!
@Tina, I substituted egg with vegan cream cheese & sour cream & it turned out delicious! We also added vegan shredded cheddar cheese 🙂 My husband is not a vegan and had 2nd helpings!
Thanks Elizabeth; have you tried the new GO Veggie! Vegan Shredded Cheese?
Hi Amie, the GO Veggie Shreaded cheese is what I always cook with when the recipe calls for it. I love this recipe so much I’m making it again! Thanks for a wonderful recipe Amie:)
Sounds great Elizabeth; my clients love the GO Veggie! Shreds; have a great weekend!
Nice and tasty and super healthy!
Thank you so much Kevin; so great to hear from you! Hope all is well with you. Have a great night!
Hi Amie!
I just found your blog and I might be up all night reading all your amazing recipes!
I want to try this recipe. Is there a way to make it vegan?
Thanks Tina; you can try to use dairy free milk such as So Delicious Coconut Milk (their Greek yogurt may work) along with an egg substitute such as chia seeds and water. Let me know if that works. If not, you can add in silken tofu along with the chia seeds/water!
Tried it for Christmas dinner and it was very good. I added a little butter and put some shredded cheese in it. That was great. The tomatoes and peppers sound wonderful also.
Thanks Claire; so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays!
I’m planning on making this for a work Christmas brunch. Would it be okay to prepare this the night before and throw it in the oven the next morning?
Thanks Rachel! Yes thst will work. You can reheat it at 350degrees F for 10 min or until warm!!
Thanks, Amie! Will reheating in a microwave work, too? I think that will be my best and only option in the morning. I appreciate your help, as I’m continuing to become versed in the kitchen.
That may work; I’d try cutting it into small pieces to microwave it but only for a few seconds! Hope it works; let me know how it tastes!
I’m curious if this would work with some type of egg substitute. Would love to try it, but my daughter has an egg allergy. Thoughts??
Thank you Amy; so nice to hear from you! I would say you may be able to use the chia seed/water solution for the egg substitute but I would try to add some ricotta cheese or something to add a little umph to it, ya know what I mean? Would that work for you? Have a great night Amy!
This is brilliant ! A source of iron , protein & fiber. Can’t wait to buy quinoa and bake this.
Thank you so much Rachel; hope you enjoy it!
I am going to try this tomorrow have a ton of kale thinking of swapping spinach for kale in this case- just using what i have!
what do you think? Would you blanch the kale, treat it like the spinach?
I would steam the kale so it’s nice and soft and then put it in- kale tends to be a bit tougher than spinach so I would cook it a bit more. Enjoy Gabby!
YUM! I love “pies” made with veggies and grains, and this looks so delicious!
Thanks darling! Miss you already. Xxoo
Looks like a great meal to me!
Thanks Maria; hope you enjoy it..it’s delish!
I just got a bag of spinach from my CSA and always keep quinoa in the kitchen, so will definitely give this a shot when I’m back from Boulder and back in my kitchen! So nice to meet you this past weekend. Look forward to seeing you again soon.
So great meeting you, as well darling! Hope to see you again soon!
Love the idea of those sesame seeds on the bottom!
Thank you Cara; it’s perfect for a gluten-free breadcrumb crust! Hope you enjoy it. xo
YUM! I cannot wait to try this! Sounds amazing…then again, what’s not to like?!
Thanks Lisa! Excited to hear what you think of this recipe when you try it! Enjoy!
I’d love to add some fresh roma tomatoes and/or peppers to this. What are your thoughts? Do I need to saute the peppers first?
Ooo yes ma’am. Sounds fabulous Ash! I would try to saute the peppers for a few minutes before tossing them into the oven! Hope you enjoy it and hope your summer is going well! Sorry for the delay in comment as I’ve been traveling from Seattle to Portland all day.
xo