Baked Spinach with White Beans & Quinoa {vegan + gluten-free}

Yay, it's that time of the year again when fresh (baby) spinach is in season 'round here :D
Sooo, I'm getting creative to sneak these super power greens in my daily diet in all ways possible - call me addicted, I'll admit it!

I'm wrapping it up in a tortilla, using it as is in a salad, sauteeing, or chopping into a stir-fry, never getting tired at all!

Just a crazy fact btw before I'll continue with the recipe: I've never liked spinach as a little kid ever, and my parents really tried everything: raw, cooked or sneaked into different kind of bakes. There's a leafy green inside - no chance that I would've touched it! But luckily tastebuds change and so I'm all in for spinach now!





Today's recipe is one of my most favourite ways to have it: baked, with (white) beans and quinoa, plus a good squeeze of lime, some herbs and spices - healthy comfort food perfection!
This dish is vegan and gluten-free and doesn't require a lot of work: all you do is to basically mix the ingredients into a skillet or oven-proofed baking dish, cover it, bake for 20 minutes and further 5 minutes uncovered if you like to have some crispness on top like me ;-).

So it's perfect for these current first days of spring weather, when basically all you want to do is to soak up as much sun as possible and spending long hours in the kitchen aren't an option. Of course it is easily whipped up and devoured on other days as well ;-).
Top it with a good dollop of yogurt (using soy or similar to keep it vegan) or add an egg or some chicken for non-vegans/non-vegetarians :) (my favourite way is the chicken!).

Baked Spinach with White Beans & Quinoa
- serves one, recipe can easily be doubled, trebled, quadrupled, .... adjusted to the needed serving-size
- 150g/ Spinach, use defrosted one if needed
- 30g/ 1/3 cup uncooked Quinoa or 100g/ 1 and 1/3 cup cooked Quinoa
- 120g/ 1/2 cup White Beans, canned or cooked
- 1 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 pinch of each: nutmeg, ginger, pepper and salt
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
-optional, for garnishing: lime juice, yogurt, parsley, pepper, salt

1. Cook the Quinoa according to package directions.
2. Finely chop the spinach, then mix all the ingredients into a skillet or oven proved baking dish, cover with aluminium foil.
3. Bake in the oven at 375°F/175°C for 20 minutes, then remove and serve or bake for a further 5 minutes uncovered to get a criper top.
4. Garnish with some optional yogurt, parsley, pepper and salt and give another good squeeze or splash of lime juice on top. Serve and enjoy!