Quinoa with Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Quinoa - a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such

as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.

The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as chisaya mama or 'mother of all grains', and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. During the European conquest of South America, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as 'food for Indians', and even actively suppressed its cultivation, due to its status within indigenous non-Christian ceremonies. In fact, the conquistadores forbade quinoa cultivation for a time and the Incas were forced to grow wheat instead. (From Wikipedia)

A tasty pesto sauce with very nutritious ingredients, this recipe is a twist on classic Italian cuisine.

Quinoa with Pesto and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (packed) sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cups (packed) chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup hemp seeds
• 2⁄3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freeze-dried wheatgrass powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (packed) baby spinach, cut into chiffonade (aka extra thin)

Directions:

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in some hot water for 30 minutes or until soft. Slice thinly.
2. Use a food processor to blend the basil, hemp seeds, both oils, wheatgrass powder, nutritional yeast, sea salt and garlic into a pesto sauce. In a large bowl, toss some of the pesto (use as much as desired) with the quinoa, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Serve cold or gently heat.

Recipe modified from Julie Morris, Superfood Cuisine: Cooking with Nature’s Most Amazing Food

Makes 4-6 servings