Quinoa Pesto Bowl {recipe}

So AR goes out for lunch at work pretty frequently. We often have the conversation "what did you have for dinner" in the evening, and he tells me about some of the places he tries.

When he told me he was eating a quinoa pesto bowl with veggies, I was a little surprised and proud of myself. I like to take credit for his health choices ;) But honestly, this is the guy who ate out every meal when I met him, and quinoa was not in sight. And now he self-selects a quinoa veggie bowl on a menu.

He has continued to order this from time to time, and recently suggested that we try to make it. We made this realllllyyyyy simple version for dinner on Tuesday night and loved it! I enjoyed it warm for dinner and cold the next day over mixed greens. Enjoy!

Quinoa Pesto Bowl
Ingredients
1 cup of quinoa, uncooked
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, thinly sliced
8 ounces of tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of pesto

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*
Bring quinoa and 1 and 1/3 cup of water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, covered. At 15 minutes, check to see if all of the water is absorbed and each grain appears to have "sprouted" open. If not, continue cooking for 5 additional minutes.**
Meanwhile, arrange veggies on a large baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix to coat evenly. Roast veggies for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, gently stir, increase heat to 400* and roast an additional 5 (or to desired softness!).
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, roasted veggies, and pesto. Gently fold together. Can be served warm or cold!

**I like to cooky quinoa with less water for a little bit longer time than you may be used to. I find that it prevents mushy grains and creates a fluffier, softer result. But cook it whatever way you like!!

Enjoy!

Who is the healthy eater in your family?

Hannah