So I had some produce just past the point of eating fresh; still highly sweet, juicy and tasty but a little soft for mouth feel appeal. Peaches, bing cherries, celery and grape tomatoes... I had some precooked chicken as well and wanted to find a way to integrate quinoa to the recipe.
So with some out of the garden zucchinni and crook-neck squash sliced into the bottom of a casserole dish, I rinsed and cooked up a bit of quinoa (remember a little goes a long way) sliced in some celery, thought about adding onions, I didn't but you could, cubed chicken next, then sliced almonds, grape tomatoes whole (you will realize why when you eat them.) Now the cooked quinoa, a can of slightly thinned cream of mushroom soup with more almonds mixed in over the top. This isn't too wet of a casserole which makes it lovely I think. After cooking in a 400degree oven for about 45 minutes I scooped some out and crumbled some fritos over the top. Soooo good. Give this 1 a try....
Now to the fruit. I sliced the cherries off the pit and the peaches as well, I took off part of the peaches skin but not all, it is not really necessary, added a little sugar (remember these are fully ripe ones), some cornstarch to thicken and nutmeg grated over then mixed. Pour in the bottom a oven safe dish. Then if you have cookies left over, like I did, crumble them up in a bowl, add some oats and butter that is softened, brown sugar but not too much and I added some grated orange peel and some almonds here as well. After your crisp topping is mixed, crumble it over your fruit and bake in a 400degree oven until your crisp is slightly crunchy, and your fruit is bubbling. Sweet summer bliss...
