I am not a vegetarian, but sometimes I'd think I could be with a little effort. Then I daydream about a good steak or carnitas tacos and that is out the window. With that said, I do appreciate vegetarian food and usually make at least one meatless meal a week. It's usually easier to make and lighter on calories. 

This meal has become a weeknight staple. It is incredibly flavorful and super easy to make. The quinoa cakes, with rosemary and parmesan, crisp up nicely and the roasted tomatoes are so simple to make. I also puree the tomatoes and it's my new quick go to pasta sauce too. This meal tastes like it took a lot more time than it does and looks pretty impressive too. Always a plus on a Tuesday night. A food blogger I am not, so any time I post recipes you can trust they are good ones worth the write up.

Ingredients, artfully displayed.

The plate might not look super full, but these cakes are dense and filling. You could always roast some more veggies to go with it. Also good with sauteed spinach!

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes 

(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 pound cherry tomatoes (Try cherry heirloom tomatoes in the summer)

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (I've used dried thyme too in a pinch)

2 teaspoons packed light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix together tomatoes and garlic in a nonreactive 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Whisk together oil, vinegar, thyme, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Drizzle over tomato mixture.

Bake until tomatoes are softened and caramelized, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat as is or put in the blender or food processor to make it into a sauce. It can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Quinoa Cakes 

(better known as Crispy Rosemary and Parmesan Quinoa Cakes adapted from the Seriously Delish Cookbook)

2 cups cook quinoa

2 large eggs plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons coconut oil (triple filtered if you don't want any trace of coconut flavor)

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, shallot, garlic, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir well. The mix will be wet. Add the flour and bread crumbs and stir again to combine. Use hands to form about 10 small cakes. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add the cakes and cook until crispy, about 5-6 minutes per size. Remove and cool for 1-2 minutes.