Savory Quinoa Pie with Sweet Potato (GF, Vegetarian)
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A delicious and versatile quinoa pie featuring sweet potato, ricotta and thyme.
Author: Kelly adapted from Alive Magazine (alive.com)
Serves: Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth or broth of choice (I used chicken)
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (renders approximately 3 cups cooked)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 (or more) garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ground thyme
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- ½ tsp herbes de provence
- pinch salt and coarse black pepper
- 1 or 2 sweet potatoes (longer is helpful), peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (about ⅛" thick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- Cook quinoa according to package directions substituting broth of choice for water.
- Meanwhile in a small pan, sauté onion and garlic over low'ish heat with 1 Tbsp or so olive oil until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk: eggs, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined. Add ricotta and sautéed onion and garlic and whisk again.
- To this mixture, add the thyme (ground and fresh) and herbes de provence and finally the quinoa - hand-mixing to combine.
- The original recipe calls for a tart tin with removable bottom (if you have one, wonderful), I did not so I used a regular 8" tart pan and lined the bottom with parchment paper (simply lay tin over parchment and trace the base - you will end up with a circle the size of the base - cut and apply. The most important part is making sure you coat the base (on top of the parchment) with olive oil and especially the sides to prevent sticking ~ it will make it much easier for your pie to slide out of the pan.
- Arrange the sweet potato slices in concentric circles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly as you go, making sure to cover the entire bottom. Gently add the quinoa mixture overtop of potatoes, being careful not to displace the disks too much. Spread the mixture out to cover the full length of the pan using a cake knife or the back of a spoon to flatten and smooth.
- Bake the savory quinoa pie uncovered for 35- 45 minutes until it begins to acquire a golden color and is just firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before covering the pie with a plate (large enough to cover full surface of the pan). Carefully invert the pie pan onto the plate (flip it) allowing the pie to drop onto the plate before gently removing the pan. If you have greased the sides of the pan, you should have no problem with this but if the pie doesn't drop, panic not. Simply flip the plate back over again, use a flat knife and run it along the edge of the pan to loosen. Try the plate inversion again.
- Slice the savory quinoa pie and serve immediately.
- While you can reheat this pie from the fridge, it tastes best from the oven.
Notes
The Broth: don't underestimate how much flavor the broth delivers to the quinoa - whether you use it in this recipe or others, it's a simple and effective way to enhance taste. And broth is just one option - coconut milk, citrus, a splash of soy/tamari, are just a few others you can experiment with.
Slicing the Sweet Potato: I used a sharp knife to slice the potato (no mandoline required) it's quite easy to slice through raw sweet potato and at that thickness, you shouldn't have a problem.
The Concentric Circles: a little imperfection adds a bit of charm to this pie. Don't worry too much about the design - the important thing is to cover the base.
Applying the Quinoa: there may be some movement of the potato disks while applying the quinoa layer. You can try to minimize this as you apply but if some displace, you can gently tug as needed once the pie cools to bring them back in line (or use a sprig of thyme to cover a bald spot!).
Herbs: the thyme comes through nicely in this recipe but if you know it's not your thing, simply replace it with an herb/s of preference - sage would be another nice complement but it's really a matter of personal choice.
Carrageenan: carrageenan is a food additive used as a thickening agent in processed refrigerated foods/beverages (not just dairy - almond milk too). It has been implicated in inflammatory processes in the body. While I have no interest in supporting exaggerated and unfounded claims (particularly when they are being promulgated by various interest groups), I do think there is enough evidence to keep an eye on carrageenan as more studies are conducted. My approach is to avoid it when I can by selecting brands that don't use it.
Slicing the Sweet Potato: I used a sharp knife to slice the potato (no mandoline required) it's quite easy to slice through raw sweet potato and at that thickness, you shouldn't have a problem.
The Concentric Circles: a little imperfection adds a bit of charm to this pie. Don't worry too much about the design - the important thing is to cover the base.
Applying the Quinoa: there may be some movement of the potato disks while applying the quinoa layer. You can try to minimize this as you apply but if some displace, you can gently tug as needed once the pie cools to bring them back in line (or use a sprig of thyme to cover a bald spot!).
Herbs: the thyme comes through nicely in this recipe but if you know it's not your thing, simply replace it with an herb/s of preference - sage would be another nice complement but it's really a matter of personal choice.
Carrageenan: carrageenan is a food additive used as a thickening agent in processed refrigerated foods/beverages (not just dairy - almond milk too). It has been implicated in inflammatory processes in the body. While I have no interest in supporting exaggerated and unfounded claims (particularly when they are being promulgated by various interest groups), I do think there is enough evidence to keep an eye on carrageenan as more studies are conducted. My approach is to avoid it when I can by selecting brands that don't use it.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2016/05/savory-quinoa-pie-with-sweet-potato.html