Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

When I first saw this recipe, what caught my eye was how easy it would be to modify it for just about any flavor combination that sounded good.  While I mainly stuck with the original Italian theme, it would be super easy to switch a few spices and make a wide variety of tasty dishes (Mexican and Indian come to mind).  I modified the original recipe a bit, my modifications are reflected in the ingredients below.

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:
For the stuffing:

• 1½ cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• ½ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 handful of kale or spinach
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 teapoon dried oregano 
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

The rest: 

• 6-8 medium sized tomatoes 
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and kale. Cook, stirring regularly, until kale is wilted.
2. Combine the stuffing ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Don't be afraid to add salt! Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375ºF. With a sharp knife, gently cut out the stem portion of each tomato. Then, with a spoon, gently scoop out as much of the seeds as possible, being careful not to split the tomatoes or poke through the bottom of them. Chop the tomato innards and add to stuffing mix.
4. Gently stuff each tomato with quinoa mixture, again making sure you don't split or poke through the tomatoes. Put them in a baking pan. Drizzle them with olive oil and top them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with a bit more cheese.

Notes:
I used 6 tomatoes, and added the innards from 4 of them to the stuffing mix.  I had enough leftover stuffing to fill a ramekin (which I baked right next to the baking pan).