Finished product! |
Yet another great recipe on Pinterest...
This is a super easy recipe with lots of flavor! A few tips I'd like to add:
1. Some toasted pine nuts can add a lot of flavor to the quinoa. I used about 1/4 cup and toasted them in a dry frying pan. A note about toasting these nuts - DO NOT walk away from the pan! They can burn quite easily. In fact, I'm sad to say that I burned my whole first batch. For those of you who have never purchased them before, they can be quite pricey so definitely not something you want to risk wasting. Many thanks to a dear friend (AS) for the wonderful pine nuts!
Toasting the pine nuts. Second ("un-burned") batch. |
Veggies (before the oven). Fresh basil and some mozz. |
2. Although we do own a grill I am TOTALLY inept at using it so I broiled the veggies in the oven. 500 degrees for about 6-7 minutes did the trick. I coated the pan with some cooking spray ahead of time. I also opted to add the pearlini mozzarella (upper right of the photo) in order to get in some additional protein.
Some tips not directly related to the recipe....
Shocking, I know, but there are many days when I just don't feel like cooking. What helps?
First, a glass of wine always seems to make the cooking process much more enjoyable and for some reason the "treat" of having a glass of wine helps prevent me from picking at things around the kitchen while I'm cooking! Some good music goes a long way as well - helps to relieve the stress of a long day. Huge fan of Pandora Radio
but I find that putting on some good music helps get me motivated! I'm a huge fan of Pandora Radio!
Italian table wine glasses. Love these! Got the whole set from Fishs Eddy in NYC one of my favorite stores! |