Roasted Tomato and Basil Quinotto

I'm harvesting beautiful grape and cherry tomatoes right now and thought about a risotto like dish using quinoa.  Add some basil and a little cheese and you've got "Quinotto"!


Serves 3 or 4

For the roasted tomatoes and garlic:

2 cups grape or small cherry tomatoes (or a combination of both)
2 large cloves garlic left in their skins
4 Tbl olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves in a small roasting pan and add the oil and a little salt and pepper.  Roll everything around to coat and then roast in a 400F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes begin to shrivel a bit.  Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the quinotto:

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained well
3 Tbl butter
The previously roasted garlic cloves
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups warm chicken broth (I think vegetable broth would also work)
The roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze the garlic from their skins and then mash and chop it.
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and then add the quinoa and garlic and stir to coat all the grains.
Over medium heat, add the wine and cook while stirring frequently until the wine is absorbed into the quinoa.
Now add a ladle of chicken broth and stir while cooking until the broth absorbs into the quinoa.  keep repeating until the quinoa is cooked (You may not need all of the broth) This may take about 30 minutes.  You want the mix to be loose and not dry.
Gently stir in the cheese, tomatoes and basil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
NOTE TO COOK: You can stir in a bit of cream at the end for a creamier version...I'd say about 1/4 cup.