Peruvian Quinoa Tortilla

I’m about to call it quits!

It all started with my husband. He waited until our wedding to casually inform me that he eats kosher. That sent me for a spin, as I really liked my seafood and pepperoni pizza.

Then my son was diagnosed with food allergies soon after he was born. So our household went egg , nut and dairy-free. And I went bonkers! Back into the kitchen, learning to cook differently. Here come the chia seeds, the kombucha, and the vegetables I’ve never heard of. CuceeSprouts is born.

When my son outgrew all but his nut allergies, a ray of sunshine blossomed on my kitchen table, in the form of frittatas, greek yogurts and mushroom stroganoff. Even though he never learned to like milk and eggs, he couldn’t stop asking for steaks and grilled cheese sandwiches. And so my fridge slowly started looking like a mini supermarket, bloated with meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit.

Then, out of nowhere, my daughter came out to me as a vegetarian. She simply refused to eat her favorite species (something I do not condone her for, especially after witnessing someone at a table next to me take a knife through a body of a deep fried guinea pig with its head still on.)

After a bit of convincing though, mainly for my own sanity, I converted her to a pescatarian lifestyle and started planning on integrating a bed into my kitchen furnishing. How else could I comfortably create meals for a kosher carnivore son, a dairy-loving husband, a pescatarian daughter who doesn’t really like vegetables, and … me?

That is when our dinner table started looking like a gourmet all-you-can-eat restaurant, with a glass of wine permanently attached to my wrist.

And just when I thought I had it all figured out, my husband arrived from Peru and calmly informed that he is now an egg-eating vegan.

Peruvian Quinoa Tortilla

Inspired by a trip to Peru; created by me :)

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 inch of ginger, minced
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• ½ cup bell peppers of various colors, chopped (or any other vegetables – I used zucchini in this one)
• ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1 market-fresh corn, shucked
• ½ cup cheese, cubed. My favorite cheeses to use here are feta, gouda, goat or cheddar
• 6 eggs
• Himalayan salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

1. In a medium nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the onions. Cook the onions until they are soft and starting to caramelize, 5-15 minutes
2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or so
3. Remove from heat, pour into a medium-sized bowl and cool slightly
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are light yellow in color. Stir in the cooled quinoa, onion mixture, cheese, corn, olives, bell peppers and combine until incorporated. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil in the saute pan. Return the entire mixture back to the pan and use a spatula to flatten out surface. Cook until the bottom is lightly brown, about 5 minutes
6. To flip the tortilla, set a large plate over the skillet. In one motion, invert the tortilla onto the plate. Put the pan back on the burner and carefully slide tortilla in, cooked side up. Cook just until set, about 4 minutes longer
7. Serve it warm or at room temperature. You can keep your tortilla on the lowest heat on the stove or in the oven until ready to serve

Wine pairing

I googled a bit to find THE perfect wine pairing for this dish as I really was not sure. My research led me to this beautiful rich and dry Olof Cellars Barbera that seems to complement and complete the dish!