Spinach Quinoa Pie

I don’t know about you, but I love anything resembling a casserole. If there is something warm, baked and savory…i’m in! I am starting to love quinoa. It is so easy to cook, can be flavored with anything…and to top it off its really healthy! So I wanted to find a way to mix my love of quinoa and casseroles together in one amazing dish. And the result…..Spinach Quinoa Pie!

My inspiration for this dish came from a recipe I found on the blog the Healthy Apple. I made some adjustments to make it my own. To view the original recipe please visit Quinoa Spinach Bake at: http://thehealthyapple.com/2012/06/11/quinoa-spinach-bake/

I began by cooking my quinoa. I brought 1 cup of quinoa to a boil in 2 cups of water. After I reached a rolling boil, I reduced the heat and covered. I simmered the quinoa until it was fork tender. Then I removed it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes and fluffed it with a fork. I set it aside while I prepared the rest of my ingredients. Next I preheated the oven to 350 degrees F.

Then I blanched my spinach. I did this by boiling water in a large stock pot. I added the spinach and cooked for about 10 seconds, or until the spinach turned bright green. I immediately removed the spinach and dunked it in a ice bath. I left it in the ice bath for about 30 seconds. After 30 seconds I removed from the ice water and put on a towel to dry.

Next, in a large skillet saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Once the onions and garlic are done cooking, remove from heat. Pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the quinoa, spinach, Greek yogurt, eggs, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Mix the ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Be sure not to over mix or the spinach could begin to break down. Spoon the mixture into a baking dish. I used an 8 inch round glass dish. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, until the top has a nice golden brown color.