Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

I love any sort of stuffed veggie. These pretty, filled tomatoes are perfectly portioned and portable. They are a lovely side dish all year round, or make a great main dish served with a big green salad 🥗. I added cheese here but leave it out to make this vegan. A quick word about quinoa; though it has protein as opposed to rice, it’s still high in carbs (so I’m careful about how much I have). This recipe yields four servings.

Ingredients:
Salt
1 3/4 cup prepared regular quinoa. Make extra to put away for future use if desired.
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp each chopped fresh basil and parsley
1 garlic clove minced
I small diced white onion, lightly sautéed
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese 
4 large ripe but firm tomatoes

Prepare the quinoa according to package directions in lightly salted water. Dice and lightly sauté the onion in olive oil until fragrant. Set both aside. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat an 8 inch square baking pan with olive oil. Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice off the tops of the tomatoes and set aside. Scoop the seeds, pulp, and juice out carefully and place in a small bowl. Put hollowed tomatoes in the baking dish. Add 1/3 cup of the tomato pulp mix to the quinoa and mix gently. Stir in the garlic, fresh herbs, sautéed onion, cheese, 2 tbsp of olive oil, and 1/2 each salt and pepper. Add more salt and pepper if needed (taste a bit). Spoon the mixture into the prepared tomatoes. Cover again with the tomato tops and and bake 20 minutes. This can be made up to about 3 hours ahead. Serve hot or at room temperature.