Drowning in cherry tomatoes? Don’t despair! This is the perfect opportunity to whip up some slow-roasted goodness. Simply toss them on a pan with olive oil and a sprinkle of herb salt, then let your oven work its magic at a low temperature.
I took it a step further and threw in some whole garlic cloves to roast alongside the tomatoes. The result? Flavor bombs ready to burst! With this roasted garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice, I created a delightful dressing to complement a spinach, tomato, and quinoa dish.
Having too many cherry tomatoes is a delicious problem to have! But even better than a bowlful of freshness is a bowlful of tomatoes bursting with lycopene, a superstar nutrient. Here’s why:
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Sun protection shield: Lycopene acts like a natural sunscreen, offering some protection against harmful UV rays [1]. Think of it as a tasty SPF boost!
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Heart health hero: This powerful antioxidant fights free radicals, which can damage cells and contribute to heart disease. By neutralizing these free radicals, lycopene may help keep your heart happy [2].
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Cancer fighter: Research suggests lycopene might play a role in reducing the risk of certain cancers, particularly prostate cancer [3].
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Skincare from within: Lycopene may even help improve skin health by boosting collagen production, which can give your skin a youthful glow [4].
So next time you roast cherry tomatoes, you’re not just making a delicious side dish, you’re packing in a powerful punch of health benefits!
Roasted Tomato & Spinach Quinoa with Lemon Garlicky Dressing
Family Size! I make a HUGE bowl of this so I have leftovers, plus I feed 5 adults on a daily basis. You can size down based on how much quinoa you prepare.
You Will Need
- 16oz bag of quinoa
- 4-5 cups of raw spinach, diced thin
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 12-oz flats of cherry tomatoes (or about 4-5 cups)
- olive oil and salt for tomatoes
- 1-1/2 cups of frozen corn (or fresh if you have it!
Dressing
- 3 whole garlic bulbs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 lemons, juiced
How to prepare
In a rice cooker, pre-cook quinoa. Use 2 cups of water per cup of quinoa.
Cool quinoa.
Wash tomatoes and drizzle a little olive oil and salt over them. Spread out the whole tomatoes and garlic bulbs on a baking pan at 350 for 25 minutes. Some of the tomatoes will be whole still when you take the pan out, and that’s OK.
When garlic bulbs cool, gently sqeeze out the soft garlic into a bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup of quality olive oil and the juice from two lemons. Stir until well incoporated, may be a little lumpy and that’s ok.
Dump the roasted tomatoes, raw spinach and frozen corn into the quinoa. Mix. Pour the dressing all over the quinoa and mix again. Add more lemon juice and salt to season if you’d like it a bit tangier!
