Quinoa and Parmesan Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes

Last week we had one of those Indian Summer dinners that made my mouth water and my senses tingle with joy. The main course, Baked Balsamic Agave Chicken, was succulent and flavorful. We munched Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes on the side. And we capped off the dinner with these delicious Quinoa and Parmesan Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes. These are easy to make, ridiculously healthy, and absolutely perfect to serve on the side of a some sort of grilled masterpiece of an entree. Nosh. Nosh. Nosh.

There is something magical about simple ingredients combined in the right proportions. These tomatoes are bursting with flavor, and the flavor of these little beauties is enhanced by roasting them. Simple, real, whole food, minus all of the junk and gunk that come in those supermarket pre-packaged foods. Oh yeah. Music to my ears. Or tongue. Whatever.

Baked Balsamic Agave Chicken

A few years ago, I stumbled across a recipe that screamed to me, "MAKE AND EAT ME NOW." The star of that recipe was an amazing reduction of balsamic vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. I started making the reduction to dress salads, baste meat, spread on toasty bread...pretty much anything that could act as a vehicle for it became something that drove directly into my mouth. One of my favorite ways to eat this reduction (which I have since modified and tweaked) is to baste chicken with it, bake the chicken until it is nice and tender, and then smear a little more on top before sprinkling with parmigiana cheese and shredded fresh basil. This recipe is fast, easy, totally healthy, and sure to please even picky eaters.

A quick note-I promise that the flavors are not overwhelming. The simmering and reducing of the ingredients mellows the strong acidity of the vinegar and spicy edge of the mustard, and there is a delicious, delicate sweetness imparted by agave nectar. A-ma-zing. We ate this chicken with Quinoa and Parmesan Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes (recipes coming soon). It's a great, quick, half hour meal full of real, whole foods. You can't ask for much more. Ok-you could ask for Ryan Gosling to sit across the table to whisper sweet nothings to you while you ate it, but let's not get too greedy ;)