See Also: Appetizers · Cooking Club · Vegetable Dishes
Artichoke, Quinoa, and Mozzarella!
From Dorothy McNett's recipes at www.dorothymcnett.com. A grand flavor combo as well as beautiful to look at. Place in middle of the table and let everyone pick and dip.
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa (white, red, black or a combination)
1-2 medium to large artichokes, cooked (see Artichoke recipe)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
pinch of semi-coarse sea salt
Rinse and drain the quinoa. Combine quinoa and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 5-6 minutes. Or, combine in a glass or ceramic batter bowl. Cover and cook in microwave 5 minutes. Allow to stand until all liquid is absorbed. In meantime, cook 1-2 artichokes as directed in the recipe Artichokes. Cool them slightly for ease in handling. Then gently spread the leaves, removing the thistle center but keeping the heart in place. Turn them upside down and flatten as much as possible, but keeping intact. Heat large frypan or griddle pan. Drizzle with the olive oil. Place the flattened artichoke on the hot pan and cover with a smaller heavy pan to act as a weight to hold it flat. Cook a few minutes, or until the leaves are browning and getting a little crisp. Invert onto a large serving platter. Dollop teaspoon sized amounts of the quinoa over the leaves, sprinkle with pepper and thyme. Slice the cheese and arrange over the quinoa, sprinkle with a bit of salt and serve!
Recipe created 2012-05-11.
