Cauliflower Quinoa Comfort Casserole

This is pure comfort food - the tomato sauce mixed with the quinoa makes you swear you were just eating pasta! I adapted this from a recipe from the fantastic fuckers at Forks Over Knives - click here for their original recipe.

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups dry quinoa

3 1/2 cups veggie broth, divided

1/2 medium onion, diced (1 cup-ish)

6 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 6 cups)

1 tbsp white wine vinega

3 cups cooked black beans (2 cans)

3 cups store-bought marinara sauce

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1/3 cup kalamata olives

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan mix quinoa and 3 cups of your broth. Bring that mother to a boil; then reduce heat to low and cover that shit up. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let’er stand 10 minutes. Don’t any extra fucking water. If you have an INSTANT POT it’s even easier. Use the same amount of quinoa and broth, but put the setting on manual high for 1 minute. That’s not a mis-print. One-fucking-minute. Once it’s done it’s duty allow to sit for ten minutes before hitting the quick release - makes it perfect every-goddamn-time!

In a skillet, add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and 1/4 cup broth; cook over medium for 10 minutes or until onion is tender and all soft like, add more broth, 1 to 2 tbsp at a time, as needed to prevent that shit from sticking. Add cauliflower to skillet and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, or until cauliflower is just starting to get tender. Do not overcook that shit or it’ll get mushy-as-fuck and won’t brown. Add vinegar and stir. Voila!

Preheat oven to 350 F. Fluff quinoa with a fork; then spread it in an even layer in the bottom of a large casserole dish - a 13x9 one should do. Cover quinoa with an even layer of black beans, then marinara sauce, followed by cauliflower and green peas on top. Sprinkle on the olives. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until it starts to brown on the cauliflower. Serve that beautiful stuff warm and SMASH it into your mouth.

---------

If you’re enjoying Former Fat Forker consider checking out our Patreon page to help to keep it free for everyone.