Recently I was having company and was looking for a creative way to take my quinoa salad from simple to spectacular. Here is the result.
Yield: 8 boats
Cook the quinoa in two cups of water according to package instructions.
Preheat the oven to broil.
Using a spoon, remove the seeds from each piece of zucchini. Dice interiors and set aside. Sprinkle remaining zucchini exteriors with salt and pepper.
Grease a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Add zucchini and broil for five to eight minutes, until edges are a bit charred. Remove from oven.
Lower oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a bowl, combine quinoa, red pepper, shallot, diced zucchini interior, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and more salt and pepper. Fill each zucchini boat with the quinoa mixture.
Return the quinoa-filled zucchini boats to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm.