Mediterranean Tomato Quinoa with Spinach and Artichokes

By LEP04

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 8 ounces (about 1/2 bag) frozen chopped spinach
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 7 ounces (about 1/2 can) quartered artichoke hearts, drained, thoroughly rinsed, and diced
• 16-ounce container chopped tomatoes, drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from thescrumptiouspumpkin.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
Bring three cups of water to a boil in a saucepan, and season with salt. Add the quinoa and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 10-12 minutes. The quinoa is cooked when the spiral germ becomes visible around the grains.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Arrange the pine nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until they become light golden. Watch carefully, they burn quickly!
Place the frozen spinach in a heat-safe container and microwave until thawed. Transfer thawed spinach to a fine mesh strainer. Arrange strainer over a large mixing bowl and squeeze spinach, wringing dry, until all excess water is drained from the spinach.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the spinach, artichokes, and tomatoes and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and add and combine the cooked quinoa and toasted pine nuts. Serve.

Instructions