Cookbook Review & Giveaway: Caprese Quinoa Bake with Balsamic Reduction

Today I am bringing you a delicious recipe from Nicole Morrissy newest cookbook Prevention RD's Cooking and Baking with Almond Flour.  


Nicole is registered dietitian and diabetes educator. She is also author of the blog Prevention RD and participates on a cooking board with me. 

I jumped at the chance to review the new cookbook because I have tried other recipes of Nicole's and each one was yummy and delicious. I also have many friends that follow a gluten free diet due to gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease. In my own household, we followed a gluten free diet for a few years while Ron struggled with different stomach problems.  We are not currently gluten free, but I am very familiar with the lifestyle and wanted to bring a recipe to you while promoting Nicole's wonderful cookbook. 

The cookbook is divided up by different courses such as, breakfast, sides & starters, entrees, breads & muffins and dessert. Each category has a large variety of different options that will calm any cravings. A few of my favorites were are: Bakes Egg Cups, Protein Pancakes, Sweet and Savory Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, Shrimp, Pesto and Goat Cheese Pizza, Ricotta Basil Turkey Meatballs, Peanut Butter Banana Muffins and Lemon Bars.  In addition to a large variety of recipes, Nicole created different icons displayed with each recipe noting sugar free, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, low carb, high fiber and dairy free.  I really like the icons because it is a quick glance for the ready if they are looking for a specific type of recipe to prepare. 

The recipe I decided to share with you is Nicole's Caprese Quinoa Bake with Balsamic Reduction.  In my house caprese rules the day and I loved the idea of a warm side dish to accompany an entree from the grill. However, you could certainly have this as a main meal as well. I used fresh tomatoes and basil from our farmer's market and a wonderful aged balsamic I picked up in Door County.  The recipe is very easy to follow and makes 4 servings for an entree or 6-8 as a side dish.  Nicole notes that In place of using an egg, almond flour acts as the “binder” to keep this bake easy to serve in single pieces.  The frosting on the cake is the delicious drizzle of sweet balsamic over the finished product created a perfect medley of summer flavors. 

Congratulations Nicole on a beautiful and delicious cookbook! Cooking and Baking with Almond Flour can be purchesed at Amazon,Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, and Indiebound.

I am giving away a copy of Nicole's cookbook to one reader. To enter just comment below and I will randomly select a winner and announce it on Friday at 8:00 a.m. 


Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup + 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped and divided
3 large tomatoes or 6 small tomatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick slices
6 oz. fresh mozzarella
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup almond flour
1 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated


Instructions

Rinse quinoa under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer for 1–2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a small pan, along with 2 cups of water. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer quinoa for 15 minutes, remove from heat, and allow to sit for 10–15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup basil; stir.Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and layer the bottom with half the tomato slices. Top the tomatoes with the quinoa and press the quinoa gently into an even layer using the back of a spatula, reaching the sides and corners of the pan. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and place over the quinoa. Layer the remaining tomatoes on top of the mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, heat the balsamic vinegar over medium-low heat. Simmer for 10–15 minutes or until reduced by half and consistency is syrupy. Stir often to avoid burning.

In a small dish, combine the almond flour and Parmigiano-Reggiano; mix well. After 15 minutes of baking, remove quinoa bake from the oven and sprinkle with almond flour mixture. Change oven setting to broil and return bake to the oven. Broil for 30–90 seconds, being sure to avoid burning. Remove from oven. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and sprinkle with reserved 3 tablespoons basil.

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