This time of year, we begin spending more and more time outside at dinner. With the kids at various practices for softball, baseball and, soon, swimming, we seem to be always in search of a portable meal. We are still trying to have a meal together each day and so often this means that we bring our dinner to the baseball field and eat on the sidelines after practice.
On a side note, it seems so cumbersome to always say "baseball and softball." "Grab your baseball and softball gloves." "Let's practice throwing the baseball and softball." Yes, we really are that lazy that we feel the need to come up with a hybrid name: baftball? saseball? safeball?
But I digress. This dish fits the bill as one of those portable, room temperature, everything-in-one-bowl kind of meals that is perfect for a picnic. And it is tasty too. If you think quinoa is one of those wacky grains that only hippies eat I encourage you to give it a try. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, very easy to cook, and has a delicious nutty chewiness. The arugula adds a peppery flavor that tastes of spring. I added the green beans to boost the veggie content in the dish, and the radishes add texture as well as a burst of color. But you can substitute any other vegetables that suit you. Think of the pesto-quinoa mixture as a base on which to build. (Did I really just write "base"? First base? Third base? Sometimes I do not know where those puns come from.)
Arugula Pesto Quinoa
The dish can easily be made ahead. It stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just wait to add the nuts until immediately before serving.
Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a side dish
20 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup quinoa
6 cups arugula
1/4 cup parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onion
4 French radishes, sliced into rounds or half rounds
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, broken into medium-sized pieces
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the green beans in a large baking pan with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, a shake of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Roast, turning once or twice until the beans are tender, about 15 minutes.
To prepare the quinoa, heat a teaspoon or so of olive oil in a skillet. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the quinoa sit until it is soft and the round grains have opened up, 12 to 15 minutes.
While the quinoa is cooking, make the arugula pesto. Put the arugula, parmesan, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the food processor until the ingredients start to blend, then run the food processor until the mixture becomes a purée.
When the quinoa has finished cooking, mix in the pesto, green beans, radishes, and green onion. Sprinkle the nuts over the top.
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Mmmm my Andean soul wants to try this!
Posted by: Natalia | May 13, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Yummmmm! My African soul wants to try this too!
Will let you know how it goes.
Posted by: Fatou Coulibaly | May 13, 2010 at 01:24 PM
Natalia -- a touch of home? Did you make it in Bolivia?
Fatou -- let me know how you like it!
Posted by: Margy | May 13, 2010 at 09:29 PM
Hi Margy - A question. Do you have to rinse the quinoa first? I bought mine in a bag from Whole Foods and the rinsing process was a pain because our fine mesh strainer is not fine enough. We ended up putting a coffee filter in the strainer. But I am wondering if we can bypass the rinsing altogether. Your experience???
Posted by: Anita | May 14, 2010 at 11:34 AM
Hi, Anita,
I know exactly what you are talking about. I have stopped rinsing rice and small lentils for that same reason. And I did not rinse the quinoa. It cooked up well, and I count on the cooking process to purify the quinoa. Enjoy!
Posted by: Margy | May 14, 2010 at 02:27 PM
We love this recipe - we have alot of arugula right now and wanted to freeze the pesto - any thoughts on freezing the pesto?
Thanks!
Posted by: Noreen | June 13, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Hi, Noreen, I have not frozen this pesto, but I have frozen basil pesto many times. The color turns a bit darker, but the flavor is still great. I usually omit the cheese for freezing and add it after the pesto has thawed, but I have heard from others that they freeze it with the cheese too.
Posted by: Margy | June 17, 2010 at 10:57 AM