Quinoa Stuffed Artichoke

I have a big bag of frozen cooked quinoa left over from my quinoa pizza, and it falls out of the freezer every time I open the door. One day I walked into the kitchen to see Max, 8, shoving it back in as hard as he could, desperately, saying to himself, "Where does it go?!" I know the feeling.

Today I saw the best looking artichoke and my brain's light bulb turned on. The result: a very simple and far from groundbreaking way to make a stuffed artichoke. Healthy, though, and tasty too.

Quinoa Stuffed Artichoke
1 large artichoke
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
3 Tbsp. diced onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan

Cook the artichoke in boiling salted water til tender. Cool, then hollow out, discarding the fuzzy choke. Heat a little olive oil in your skillet and saute the onion and garlic until soft, then add quinoa, basil, and salt and pepper. Pile it all in the artichoke, then sprinkle cheese on top and broil until it's melted.


Janet's Notes: Infinitely variable. It might be good with some tomato, and next time I'll try some chopped raw pumpkin seeds to give a little more substance. It was a good simple side dish and could easily be a main course for people that aren't my children.