What to do with quinoa

I’ve been watching Paper Chef from afar for quite a long time.
I’ve been wanting to participate for a long time also but I always happen to be out of town, traveling, in a foreign kitchen, etc…So, I was so exited this time to actually be able to participate. That was until I saw the ingredients list.
Quinoa, tomatoes, yogurt and rice paper.
Quinoa is something that I like if somebody else makes it, but I wouldn’t normally cook with it. Love tomatoes and yogurt and I have used several times rice paper for Shrimp Rolls. The combination of all 4 ingredients was definitely a challenge for me.
Ilva, who is our wonderful Paper Chef host, just publish some scrumptious "Polpettine di pollo con rosmarino" and that is where I got my inspiration from.
My dish is a roasted tomatoes soup with mini quinoa croquettes (or polpettine).
The soup has small dollops of Tzatziki and the rice paper was cut into small strips, seasoned and fried for garnish.
I hope you’ll enjoy it; it was fun creating it

Roasted tomatoes soup with quinoa croquettes:

For the soup:

6 ripe tomatoes

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 onions, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

Oregano, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Cut tomatoes in half; fit cut side up on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of kosher salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile sauté onions in a medium pan. Chop tomatoes and add to the onions, mix well and add the broth; season to taste.

Quinoa croquettes:

1 cups cooked quinoa
½ cup breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ cup parsley
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and roll mini croquettes.
(I got 50)

Tzatziki

1 pint Greek style yogurt
1 English cucumber peeled, grated, salted lightly for 5 minutes and squeezed between the hands to remove juice
3 garlic cloves mashed to a paste
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (optional)
Salt

Just mix everything up together until it is all blended and the oil has emulsified into the yogurt.

Topping:

Rice paper, thinly sliced
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic salt

Limes wedges.

Soak rice paper until pliable, cut into thin strips, season with chili, cumin and garlic salt and fry in some olive oil.

Sopa de tomates con pequeñas croquetas de quinoa:

Para la sopa:

6 tomates
5 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
1 cebolla picada
4 tasas de caldo de pollo
Sal y pimienta a gusto
Orégano a gusto

Calentar el horno a 375. Cortar los tomates por la mitad y poner en una fuente de horno, rociar con aceite de oliva sal y pimienta. Cocinar por 30 minutos.
Mientras tanto saltar la cebolla en aceite de oliva. Picar los tomates ya cocidos y agregar a la cebolla; mezclar bien, agregar caldo y condimentar con sal, pimienta y orégano.

Mini croquetas de quinoa:

1 tasa de quinoa cocida
½ tasa de pan rallado
½ tasa de queso rallado
¼ perejil picado
Pimienta a gusto
Ajo en polvo a gusto
2 huevos

Tzatziki:

2 tasas de yogurt griego
1 pepino, pelado y rallado y exprimido con las manos para sacar toda el agua
3 dientes de ajo, pisados
½ tasa de aceite de oliva
1 cucharada de vinagre de vino
1 cucharada de eneldo picado (optativo)
Sal

Decoración:

Papel de arroz, cortado en tiritas
Chili
Comino
Sal de ajo

Poner papel de arroz en remojo, cuando se ablande un poco cortar en tiritas y secar.
Condimentar con chili, comino y sal de ajo. Freír rápidamente en un poco de aceite de oliva.

Limas

Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad

Another of my favorites summer treats are tomatoes.
I just got back from Italy where I was in tomato heaven.
We planted several rows of tomato plants, but until the plants gave us their first fruits, we had endless trips to the market where we bought dozens, kilos and pounds of tomatoes.
I ‘m almost sure I had tomatoes every day. In sauces, or sugo; salads, antipasto; drizzle with olive oil, next to some fresh mozzarella and basil.
You can eat cherry or grape tomatoes like candy.
A recipe that I enjoy very much and I’ve been eating since I was a child (many, many years ago) is Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad. I used to make the salad with mayo, but now that I’m more health conscious I use olive oil in stead.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Tuna Salad:

-1/2 cup Arborio rice
-4 small tomatoes
-1 (6 oz) cans of tuna, drained
-4 oz mozzarella, cubed
-4 Tbs. Olive oil
-1 Tbs. lemon juice
-Salt, to taste
-Pepper, to taste
-2 Tbs. Capers

Cook the rice in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Drain. Rinse the rice under cold running water. Set the rice aside.
Cut tomatoes in halves and scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice from each tomato into a medium bowl.
Season tomato halves with a little salt and set aside.
Whisk oil, with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Toss the rice with the reserved tomato pulp, tuna, mozzarella and olive oil mix.
Spoon the rice mixture into the hollowed tomatoes.
Decorate with capers.

Tomates rellenos con ensalada de atún:

-1/2 tasa de arroz Arborio
-4 tomates, pequeños
-1 lata de atún de 6 onzas (170 grs), escurrida
-4 onzas (120 grs) de mozzarella, en cubitos
-4 cucharadas de aceite de oliva
-1 cucharada de jugo de limón
-sal, a gusto
-pimienta, a gusto
-2 cucharadas de alcaparras.

Cocinar el arroz por 20 minutos en una cacerola mediana con abundante agua salada, mezclando ocasionalmente. Colar. Enjuagar arroz bajo agua fría. Reservar.
Cortar los tomates por la mitad y vaciar. Guardar la pulpa en un bowl mediano. Condimentar las mitades con un poco de sal y reservar.
Batir el aceite con el jugo de limón, sal y pimienta.
Mezclar el arroz con la pulpa de los tomates, el atún, el queso y la mezcla de aceite de oliva.
Rellenar los tomates y decorar con las alcaparras.