This has become my go-to one-bowl-wonder meal. Chicken pesto quinoa is an easy 30-minute meal that will have your kids finishing their pasta-free meal faster than you can believe. Feel free to ad-lib with the ingredients to fit your veggie preferences. I chop my veggies in about 1/2 inch squares. However, chop them smaller and cook them less if you have a picky kid who you need to hide veggies from. This is the perfect recipe to add the left over chicken breast or roasted chicken. Want to make it vegetarian? Just swap the chicken for garbanzo beans.
My friend Allison, who’s a busy mom and a phenomenal blogger at No Time For Flash Cards, recently posted that she was in a food rut – “we are in a chicken, breakfast for dinner, pasta loop that needs to end”. We’ve all been there, we’re busy and don’t want to battle the kids over eating something new for dinner. We’re tired and craving our carbs, thus we bring out the pasta dish for the 5th time of week. Here’s a recipe that satisfies your need for speed, health and a well-fed family. It’s an easy jump to trade the pasta for the quinoa.
2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups water
2 chicken breasts
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium red onion
2 small zucchini
1 red pepper
1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup prepared pesto
grated parmesan
1. Wash quinoa at least 3 times in a strainer. Add quinoa and water to a rice cooker and turn on. If you’re cooking on the stove top add water and quinoa to a medium sauce pan on the stove, cover and bring it to a low simmer for about 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
2. Season the chicken breast liberally with garlic powder as well as salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry chicken until it’s cooked thoroughly. Chop chicken to bite size.
3. Chop onion, peppers and zucchini proportionally. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high until oil starts to shimmer. Add onion to the pan and saute it for 3 minutes, until they start to soften. Add peppers and zucchini and continue to cook about 5 more minutes (depends on what size you chop) until zucchini start to brown or the veggies are as tender as you prefer.
4. In a large bowl, combine hot quinoa and pesto until quinoa is evenly coated. Add the chicken, sautéed veggies and sun-dried tomatoes and mix. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups water
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium red onion
- 2 small zucchini
- 1 red pepper
- ½ cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup prepared pesto
- grated parmesan
- Wash quinoa at least 3 times in a strainer. Add quinoa and water to a rice cooker. If you're cooking on the stove top add water and quinoa to a medium sauce pan on the stove, cover and bring it to a low simmer for about 30 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
- Season the chicken breast liberally with garlic powder as well as salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry chicken until it's cooked thoroughly. Chop chicken to bite size.
- Chop onion, peppers and zucchini proportionally. Heat oil in a pan on medium-high until oil starts to shimmer. Add onion to the pan and saute it for 3 minutes, until they start to soften. Add peppers and zucchini and continue to cook about 5 more minutes (depends on what size you chop) until zucchini start to brown or the veggies are as tender as you prefer.
- In a large bowl, combine hot quinoa and pesto until quinoa is evenly coated. Add the chicken, sautéed veggies and sun-dried tomatoes and mix. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.
My inspiration for this recipe was Kristen’s Sun Dried Tomato Chicken and Pasta
