ASPARAGUS ARTICHOKE TART with QUINOA CRUST GLUTEN FREE

By lisaS

lauren mayer

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 2 cups. cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• I tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• I large egg
• Filling:
• 3 large eggs
• l/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 114 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 4 oz. goat cheese, cut into slices or coarsely crumbled
• 1/2 pound asparagus (about 12 medium stalks), tough ends trimmed and cut into 3" lengths
• 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, well drained aod gently squeezed dry
• Fresh basil, julienned, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a 9-inch pie plate generously with cooking spray. To prepare crust, combine cooked quinoa, pesto,
Parmesan and egg in a bowl. Stir until blended. Firmly press the mixture along the bottom and up the sides of
the prepared pie plate using the back ofa spoon. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
• Stearn asparagus until barely tender (see tips, below). Set aside and allow to cool slightly while preparing the
filling. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and milk together.
• To assemble the tart, place the goat cheese along the bottom of the prepared crust. Add the artichoke hearts on
top, then finish by placing the asparagus in a ·'spoke" pattern. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the
asparagus. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F without opening
the oven. Continue baking an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool IO minutes before serving. Sprinkle
with julienned basil and serve cut into wedges.
• Quick Tips
• 1. RealisticaJ!y, 1 thought this dish might be a hard sell for my children. I created a separate pie for them that
had the same crust, but I filled it with shredded mozzarella and the egg filling and baked it with the other pie.
It was essentially a cheese pie (see the pie in the foreground, second photo from top). What kid doesn't like
that? I made a separate one since we had rriends over for dinner. Had it been just the four of us, I would have
made 1/3 of the pie for the kids and the other 2/3 in the way described above. They ate the revised version in a
. flash and asked for seconds. And then thirds.
• 2. To get 2 cups cooked quinoa, start with I cup dry quinoa. Rinse it well, then place it in a saucepan with a
tight-fitting lid. Add 2 cups of water, then bring it to a boil. Allow it to boil rapidly for 5 minutes. then remove
from the heat and cover it. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 15 minutes. All the water should be absorbed and the
quinoa should be fully cooked. You will have enough to make the crust and just a bit leftover for a salad or
side later in the week.
• 3. The easiest way for me to cook the asparagus for this dish is to rinse it in cold water, place it on a plate.
cover it and microwave for about 2 minutes. It will be crisp-tender and ready to' add to the dish.
Preparation time: 30 minute(s)
Cooking time: I hour(s) 15 minute(s)