Quinoa Caprese with tagliatelle from zucchini

Let's combine some great combinations!

Just like tomatoes, basil and mozzarella seem to be made for each other, the combination of zucchini and tomatoes is quite outstanding too!
I used to make the tagliatelle from zucchini dish often for my kids, when they where younger; it was a great way to have them eat veggies without the sour faces. And the nice thing is, it's such a pure dish, it's incredibly easy and absolutely rich in flavour.

 Since I've discovered quinoa, (please say keen-wa!) I can honestly say I fell in love with it. Besides it's tastiness, it's one of the most healthy products on earth. The seeds (it's not a grain!!) where already cultivated in the Andes, 5000 years ago, and formed the basic diet of its inhabitants, the glorious Incas. They considered quinoa as sacred food, a gift from god. They called it "La Chisiya Mama," the mother of all grains.
Quinoa is a complete source of protein, which contain all the essential amino acids that the human body can not produce itself. These amino acids help your body to actually use the proteins you eat.

Quinoa contains a lot of fibre, more than rice, pasta or potatoes and is richer in vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin E and vitamin B, than all other grains.

So.. and there it comes, I thought of combining the great taste of Caprese with quinoa and the zucchini- tomato dish. It worked out wonderfully well, and looked amazing! I used a small form to layer the dish, but if you don't like that, or don't have a form that fits well, please just layer the food on your plate. The colours will do the trick!

SEE THE WHOLE RECIPE

Ingredients: (4 persons)

1 cup of quinoa
1 zucchini
300 gr. cocktail / 'Tasty Tom' tomatoes
2 (buffalo) mozzarella's
1 large hand of fresh basil (20 gr.)
1 zucchini
freshly ground pepper and (sea) salt

Directions:

• Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. When using one cup of quinoa, use two cups of water. Bring to boil, add the quinoa, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain if necessary and cover with lid.
• Bring a big pot to boil.
• Cut the zucchini in thin slices (like tagliatelle) and blanche the tagliatelle for 1 minute in boiling water. Drain.
• Preheat the oven at 400F. / 180 C.
• Chop the fresh basil leaves, first in length, than in width.
• Whisk the basil through the quinoa, along with one or two tbsp of olive oil, freshly ground pepper and some salt.
• Cut the tomatoes in thin slices and remove the hard pieces.
• Sprinkle some olive oil in an oven dish, and add the zucchini, some salt and pepper.
• Place the the tomatoes on top, and again, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven for about 12 minutes.
• In the meantime tear up the mozzarella.
• When you can take out the vegetables from the oven, place a nice amount of basil-quinoa on a plate, layer it with zucchini, tomatoes and mozzarella en sprinkle some of the nice warm veggie juice on top. 
• Absolutely delicious!

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. When using one cup of quinoa, use two cups of water. Bring to boil, add the quinoa, and cook for 12 minutes. Drain if necessary and cover with lid.

Cut the zucchini in thin slices.

Like tagliatelle.

Blanche the tagliatelle for 1 minute in boiling water. Drain.

Chop the fresh basil leaves, first in length, than in width.

Whisk the basil through the quinoa, along with one or two tbsp of olive oil, freshly ground pepper and some salt.

Cut the tomatoes in thin slices and remove the hard pieces.

Sprinkle some olive oil in an oven dish.

Add the zucchini.

..and some salt and pepper.

Place the the tomatoes on top, and again, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

In the meantime tear up the mozzarella.

After 12 minutes, take out the vegetables from the oven.

Place a nice amount of basil-quinoa on a plate, layer it with zucchini, tomatoes and mozzarella en sprinkle some of the nice warm veggie juice on top.

Bon appétit!