Tomato Pesto Quinoa

Quinoa is a regular in our house. I buy large bags at Costco so we always have some on hand. We have made it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We are always finding new ways to flavor up this whole grain. We had just harvested a bunch of fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden. I wanted to make some pesto but we didn't want pasta AGAIN. So I decided to wing it with quinoa. I started the quinoa on the stove and whipped up my pesto while my daughter cut up tomatoes. Everything came together in a snap and everyone enjoyed this dish!

Pesto Recipe adapted from Color me Vegan

2 Cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves (2 handfuls)

1/3 cup pinenuts

3 cloves garlic (peeled)

3 to 4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions

Combine basil, pinenuts and garlic in a food processor and blend until all ingredients are finely chopped. You may have to scrap the sides to be sure everything gets blended. Add oil a little at a time and process until smooth. (You don't have to use a lot of oil). Mix in the lemon juice and salt. 

The Quinoa is prepared according to the package and normally takes about 15-20 minutes.

When your quinoa has finished add a couple spoonfuls of pesto at a time and blend together. Continue adding pesto until coated. (You may have to sample a spoonful to be sure you have enough pesto! Yummy!!) Toss in your tomatoes, give it a couple spins and serve!! Great for a fast dinner or lunch. Serve warm or take leftovers cold. This dish is BOMB!!