Tomato Quinoa Salad

Although this side dish didn't exactly come out as I hoped, it was still good and unique. The blog I used as a guideline obviously either used much bigger tomatoes than mine, or didn't roast them nearly as long as instructed for the photo. But, I found this great gourmet blend of tomatoes and wanted to do something with them. They were pretty for my first photo at least. 

 

2 lbs assorted tomatoes

1/2 cup red quinoa

1/2 cup plain quinoa

kosher salt, to taste

1/2 Tsp brown sugar

1 Tsp balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced

1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

1 Tsp tarragon

2 garlic gloves, grated

2 Tbsp goat cheese

 

Recipe Adapted from Relish

 

Cook the quinoa according to package directions. For extra flavor, cook it in a broth instead of water. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wipe a baking sheet with some olive oil. Add vinegar to the sheet and brush with a basting brush to spread. Cut tomatoes in half and lie them flat on the sheet. Sprinkle them with the salt and sugar. Add the spices and garlic to the sheet.

As I stated earlier, this is not what I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, it still tasted great...just not so pretty. When I make it again to bring it someplace, I will roast the tomatoes a lot less. I roasted them for 10 minutes (yellow), 12 minutes (maroon), and 15 minutes (red). Maybe next time I will turn my oven down to 200 and approach it very slowly. Again, use the size of your tomatoes as a gauge for the cooking time.

 

Mix the cooled down quinoa with the goat cheese. Crumbles would be best but I had a spreadable one, so I just added it in tiny bits very slowly, and stirred it carefully so it didn't stick together. Once this is done, add your tomatoes. You can serve this warm or cold, but not hot. Great for a different salad dish to bring to a cookout.

Fig & Goat Cheese Phyllo Cups

Years ago, I took a Greek cooking class with my friend Katie to learn how to use phyllo. This recipe came from this class. Fig and goat cheese sounds admittedly strange. You really need to give it a try though. The taste is very surprising, especially considering the ingredients. I got my cousin Anna hooked on them when I brought leftovers to her house. They are great for appetizers, or even desserts. It's one of those dishes that walks a fine line between food and sweets. And you don't get much more Greek than figs and goat cheese! 

 

Make phyllo cups according to instructions.

 

½ cup dried figs

½ cup water

¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 package goat cheese

Cut figs in small pieces. Simmer in a saucepan with water and vinegar until boils. Continue heating until mixture is a syrup, but does not begin to harden. Let cool. Add to phyllo or puff pastry. Top with goat cheese crumbles or a dollop if creamed. Bake for about 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven.