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.
Pesto Quinoa
Ingredients
- Quinoa bulk or boxed
- Jarred pesto or your own recipe
- Small container of prepared bruschetta or your own recipe
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa according to box or preferred directions. Always rinse your quinoa well before cooking - until water is no longer foamy.
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
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