We expected to be on the road (and the soccer pitch) a good chunk of the weekend but when a change in circumstance gave rise to a free Saturday at home, my husband hit the yard and I started putzing in the kitchen. A nest-worthy day if ever there was, the cool drizzly weather helped seed my meanderings into an eight hour session of baking and cooking.
I started with two different batches of flourless peanut butter cookies (yes, I’m on a bit of a quest), made and photographed this savory quinoa pie and then moved on to play with a grain-free version of chicken piccata (so good!).
In the end, we gravitate towards the things we love.
By the time all was said and done, I had used up every pot, pan and mixing bowl in the house, the walls were spattered and not an inch of counter space was left ungummed (that’s actually a word). In the midst of it all, I started looking to the floor for real estate expansion but our eagerly promenading four-legged friends put an end to that option.
Can I tell you the best thing that happened though? (other than the eating part I mean)… following a day of digging trenches and moving rocks, my man offered to clean my mess from head to toe while I sat on my very contented behind with feet up sipping a glass of wine (that he poured for me!)… now that’s love in my books folks. But truly, one of the kindest gestures you could ever offer someone (and a perfect mother’s day gift).
Now this savory pie… I came across it in one of my homie magazines and was immediately intrigued. But I did have doubts about whether it would hold together. Maybe because it was billed as a riff on risotto, I had a sinking feeling that the interior wouldn’t gel; that it would remain soft and ooze out as soon as I cut into the tart — good tasting maybe but not intact or servable as a pie slice.
Happily, the experiment worked out much better than anticipated. So much so that it invigorated me to share it with you.
First off, I love the presentation – although my pies will never be Martha-esque in appearance and I’m always tempted to add the word “rustic” to the title as a caveat, I’m still taken by its visual beauty and have arrived at a point in my progressive term on earth where I view oddities and imperfection as a lot more interesting. This pie format is a fresh way to enjoy a favorite side (or light meal) that also allows you to work in some veggies and benefit from the additional protein from the cheese and eggs. The interior remains moist but has good structural integrity so that the overall texture remains intact. The sweet potato is sliced thin enough to cook to softness (and also makes slicing a snap) and the variety of seasonings (including the broth in which the quinoa is cooked) delivers the flavor.
I view this recipe as having huge experimental potential ~ I made another batch last night with thin sliced purple potato, rosemary and olives that was delish.
The next time I make it I will incorporate some beans or lentils and maybe swap out the cheese for some salsa. The overall density and wet/dry ratio is always something to be aware of with these sorts of recipes but that’s what experiments are all about. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose but I like to keep playing and not worry so much if it ain’t perfect.
- 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)
- 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.
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.
There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in ~ Leonard Cohen
Ah looks delicious. Can’t wait to give it a try.
thank you for stopping by!
This is such an awesome pie! I love sweet potatoes and I bet this is the perfect savory dish :)
thank you so much for dropping by Megan and welcome to Inspired Edibles! I hope you enjoy this recipe if you give it a try.
Whaaaaaat!? This is sooo awesome. I love the entire look of this pie, I’ve never seen one like it. It sounds so delicious. It’s always nice to have a day in the kitchen where you can use every pot and utensil there is. Thank god for “dishwashers” ;-)
I hope you had a great Mother’s Day, Kelly! And cheers to foodie experiments turning out better than even anticipated :-)
isn’t it fun! I’m so glad you like :). It was entirely new to me too! x
Certainly a perfect mother’s day gift! I could imagine that whole kitchen scene and “ungummed” made me laugh out loud. I’ve taken to lining my counters with plastic wrap when I bake because the clean up is sometimes downright exhausting! That is love – all those simple little things speak to how big the love is.
I am so excited about this pie, Kelly! Creative and beautiful! xo.
plastic wrap lining, love it! thank you Tessa, x
What a coincidence Kelly, I was just eyeing a recipe which used sweet potato as the crust for a quiche- like recipe and then here you go using the same beautiful ingredient as the topping! We used to eat a lot more quinoa but I fear I tired of it, this flavourful and beautiful recipe is just the ticket to draw me back into eating more of this superfood.
I too am blessed with a kind and generous husband who cleans up after me in the kitchen, although he claims it is because I don’t wash dishes too well…coincidence? 😉
haha, I’ve been trying to get fired from dish duty forever Eva! Please share your tips :)). I love the idea of using sweet potato as a crust – Sally (in the comments above) recently shared a quiche like that – it seems to work very well. I find quinoa lighter than rice (actually lighter than many grain/grain-like sides that can leave me feeling bloated) adding some flavored liquid while it cooks adds a surprising amount of taste shaking up the humdrum factor.
i loved hearing about your day, kelly. time to putz (a new word for me – i use putter but maybe it means something different?) and be creative in the kitchen is wonderful. and i’m glad the recipe turned out better than you anticipated. i love recipes like that. i recently followed a recipe for a purple smoothie to the T and it looked nothing like the one in the picture accompanying the recipe. so frustrating. eager to see what will come from your kitchen next!
putter & putz – different etymology but in this case I am using the words similarly :o. I know, so many kitchen experiments don’t work out and it’s an absolute joy when one does off the bat. I also wonder sometimes with all the photographic enhancement tools (filters, etc) whether we no longer get an accurate representation of recipes… that’s not to say they don’t often look gorgeous in their own right (a bit like an art form) but perhaps not always like the food they originally started out as.
Was this the day after our lunch, Kelly? I’m so glad you got to enjoy some down time to do the things you love! Making a huge mess in the kitchen can be so fun, especially when a very nice husband does all the cleaning up for you ;)
This is such a genius, creative recipe. I’ve honestly never seen anything like it! I would have never thought to make a quinoa pie, but as someone who buys quinoa in bulk, I think I’d absolutely love it. And that sweet potato crust is absolutely gorgeous. I laughed at your “rustic” comment — but I really think it looks elegant and Martha-esque — or maybe Nigella-esque, which is even better in my opinion! Isn’t it so exciting when an experiment turns out so well on the first go? Have a wonderful week, my friend! Xo
Hello Julia! I’ve never seen anything like it either… it immediately grabbed me just as my eyes were about to close in bed (my favorite magazine perusing time :O). I’m glad you find it elegant and you know, with some patience you could actually make the circles properly concentric – it’s so pretty and it tastes delicious. Many ways to change up the flavor too. And yes! It was following our lovely lunch Julia :) so happy to have met you and look forward to more opportunities.
What a husband!!! That’s love for you and yes, a great Mother’s Day present, but then I’m sure he does things like that all of the time. :) Another awesome looking quinoa dish! You’re going to make me a quinoa lover sooner or later. This pie is so very intriguing in presentation, content and nutrition. I am curious about the texture. Looks like it holds together quite well. Guess I’ll have to make it and find out for myself. :) Thanks Kelly!
I landed a great guy (mostly for putting up with me) – do gestures of this kind happen all the time? don’t think so :D but that’s what makes it so special when it does. You never know MJ… this may well be the dish that immerses you and Bobby in the quinoa love for good ;-) (plus, I bet you could put an awesome chile twist on this puppy).
I can definitely see the potatoes being sprinkle with a little chile powder. :)
I continue to smile as I type, Kelly. I envisioned said mess with husband pouring wine while you kick back. I’m loving this scene! What a sublime and inspiring day. I absolutely adore what came out of it. This pie, in it’s beautiful color, shape and nourishing flavors, and what will be coming to Inspired Edibles next. I continue to be baffled at how such a beautiful recipe can come forth out of the chaos of a completely turned upside down kitchen. A generous dishwashing mate, and wine pourer, is a gift in these exhausting times. And ohhh after a long days work for him too.. this speaks to his character and smitten love for you. This makes me happy. Hugs love. Cant wait to whip this mouthwatering pie up. xo
I’ve got to say, I loved the scene too! ♥ With 3 men in our home, I rarely do experimental (blog-related) cooking on the weekend – it’s a non-starter given how busy the kitchen tends to be :o so this was a little unexpected fun. The pie is a delicious way to change up a traditional side and it works so well! The cheese contributes to the cohesion but there are likely many ways to play with this one. I hope you have fun experimenting and thank you for your thoughtful note Traci.
This savory pie is beautiful and so are your words. You have such a natural flow and grace to your writing. I hope you share all of those kitchen experiments with us and I agree, that’s my kind of love too.
well what a lovely comment, thank you Megan ~ I will certainly aim to get the results of those experiments on the blog :) May and June always catch me by surprise in terms of busyness and our summer won’t be much quieter, but the fall should bring a shift in momentum.
Dear Kelly, what a gorgeous pie! Your photographs and presentation make everything look irresistible… (They also always make me very hungry!). It looks better than most sweet, sugar and butter-loaded pies/tarts I’ve ever seen.
I had such a pleasure reading about your weekend experiments (you always write in such a beautiful way….). I often spend long hours on Saturday (but most of all Sunday) experimenting and then my cleaned kitchen gets transformed into a real battlefield. I’m very talented in making a mess in no time at all. It’s always such a pleasure when someone else cleans up, isn’t it? (Not to mention a glass of wine…).
mess making is a great pastime isn’t it… and I couldn’t agree with you more, it seems to come rather effortlessly :o wonderfully therapeutic. I don’t usually do much in the way of experimental cooking on the weekend but this was an unexpected change that ended up being a lot of fun. Thanks so much for your words about the pie Sissi.
Hi Kelly,
Wonderful! Can’t wait to try it.
Love,
Adele
PS Happy pre Graduation!
my heart is in my throat, x (love back to you!)
YES to oddities and imperfections and to letting the light in. Loved this post, your writing and the beautiful presentation. Such a unique way to serve quinoa, I’m really looking forward to it.
wonderful! I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try and thank you for the kind words Dael.
I have a huge smile now… not only because I learned the world putzing – which I loved, but also the ungummed. Perfect. Absolutely perfect
another reason to smile is that in less than 12 hours I will have a post going up, and it features sweet potato in a sort of antipode of yours… you will understand once you see it, if you grant me the pleasure of a visit, that is!
Bewitching doors always open for you!
not sure where I’d be without my adopted Yiddish vocab.
Love it! Can’t wait to try it!
thanks girl! :)