Quinoa with cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes and pesto

A friend I've mentioned several times before is currently training to become a holistic nutritionist, (well, actually, she's currently at a yoga retreat in Costa Rica), but you get the idea. I'm one of her case studies due to my problematic indigestion and ongoing insistence that the Atkins diet is good for you. Her goal is to help me on both counts while encouraging me to adopt a far more sensible whole foods diet comprising of grains, vegetables, fruits and proteins. Fine with me, I've always loved the idea of eating like this, but the meals themselves can be hard to swallow: bland and uninspiring. So, for the new year, I have a real goal to aspire to and lots of creation and experimentation in the kitchen. So, starting with something I've cooked once or twice before, we have wholefood number 1 : Quinoa.

A little info: Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America. It has a slightly nutty flavour and a little bite if you cook it just long enough. I suppose it's true that it's main virtue is that it can be mixed with almost anything to create a salad either hot or cold. I can't imagine eating a bowl of pure unadorned quinoa, but then again I haven't tried it, it may be delicious...

Recipe : Quinoa with lots of stuff

1/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup boiling chicken or vegetable stock or water

1 tsp butter

1 tbsp oil

1 bell pepper, sliced finely

a handful of kale, finely shredded

a handful of broccoslaw (packaged thinly shredded broccoli stalks and carrots - optional)

6 baby potatoes, boiled until tender

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp bottled artichoke hearts in oil

1 tbsp pesto

1/2 tsp butter

salt and pepper

Place the quinoa and stock or water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium - low, cover and let simmer until the quinoa is quite soft and almost 'sprouted' and the water evaporated. You may need to top up the water or stock now and then so keep checking as it cooks. Once it is ready, drain, add the butter, stir through to melt and set aside. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and stir fry the bell pepper, kale, broccoslaw (if using), potatoes, tomatoes and artichokes until softened and starting to brown and crisp a little. Add the quinoa and continue to stir fry until heated through. 

Add the pesto and butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to distribute the pesto and serve with maybe a little lemon juice squeezed over. This can be eaten either on it's own for lunch or a snack or as a accompaniment with some protein for dinner. Success.