Quinoa with Pistachio Pesto
February 14, 2014

Cooking with Quinoa!
A student of mine, Deb Hayes, said this recipe helped her family fall in love with this high- protein ancient grain. Adding the fiber, good- quality fat, and other nutrients in pistachios and olive oil makes this a powerfully energizing dish.
Makes 3–4 servings
Ingredient List:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 cups spring or filtered water
- Sea salt
Pistachio pesto
- 1½ cups fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup dry, shelled, unsalted pistachios
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons sweet white miso
- 1 teaspoon brown rice syrup
Step By Step Instructions:
Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a sauce pan over medium heat. When the quinoa boils, add a pinch of salt, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
While the quinoa cooks, make the pesto. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until a coarse, but creamy texture develops. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Set aside.
When the quinoa has cooked, fluff with a fork and allow to cool for 10 minutes before stirring in 1–2 tablespoons of pesto. You want the quinoa to turn a lovely light green, but at the same time, you do not want so much pesto that the grain becomes gooey.
You will have much more pesto than you need. It will keep, refrigerated in a sealed jar, for a couple of days. It’s great on pasta or salad.