Looking for a green recipe this St. Patrick’s Day that’s actually healthy? Then check out this pesto quinoa. It takes only 3 ingredients to make this delicious side dish that is tasty hot or cold. It’s a great accompaniment to any meal – I usually serve it with chicken breast prepared however I’m in the mood for and a vegetable. It’s also a great dish to make for a party – simply double the recipe. Since it tastes good at any temperature, you don’t have to worry about it getting warm or cold when it is sat out on a table at a party. Another perk to this dish is that Miss O loooooooves it. She will eat it every meal of the day if there are leftovers kicking around. If she sees me eating a bowl as a snack, she will walk up to me, peek into the bowl and say, “mmmmmmMMMMMM!!!!!!” and remain standing there until I feed her some. Adults tend to have the same reaction – including men who think quinoa is a girly food. Any man (or woman for that matter) I have convinced to try it has fallen in love. Simple and delicious, it’s guaranteed to be a hit.

Print

Pesto Quinoa

Pesto Quinoa is a delicious side dish that tastes great hot or cold. It's simple to make and takes only 3 ingredients.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Quinoa bulk or boxed
• Jarred pesto or your own recipe
• Small container of prepared bruschetta or your own recipe

Instructions

1. Prepare the quinoa according to box or preferred directions. Always rinse your quinoa well before cooking - until water is no longer foamy.
2. Once quinoa is finished cooking, put in a bowl and add the container of bruschetta; mix well. Next, add about 2 tbsp of pesto. Taste and adjust according to your preference level. I add upwards of 4-5 tbsp as I love pesto and I use boxed which tends to make quite a bit.
3. Serve hot or cold. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Recipe Notes

The boxed quinoa I buy is about 1 cup of dry quinoa. I add the rinsed quinoa to 2 cups of boiling water. I cover and let simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
I'm very picky about pesto (2 weeks travelling around Italy will do that to you!). I have found non-brand name pesto to be tastier. Also look for Genovese or Ligurian pesto (it should be the name on the jar). Minimal ingredients make for a better pesto - look for basil to be the first ingredient, followed by olive oil, pine nuts and/or cashews, parmesan and garlic. Good pesto doesn't require much more than this.

Want more great ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Check out our Pinterest board!
Follow The Inspired Home's board St. Patrick's Day on Pinterest.



Andrea

Andrea can always be found with a new craft in front of her, a form of technology on her right and a coffee on her left. This is how she survives suburbia with her two crazy toddlers in tow.

www.theinspiredhome.org