Double Broccoli Quinoa

Double Broccoli Quinoa is from 101 Cookbooks and the pictures there are far more beautiful than mine. It was OK and healthy enough to make me feel good about eating it, but much as I love cream, I wouldn't bother with it here if I made it again. It didn't seem to add anything and using more olive oil instead would have been healthier.

But I don't think I would make it again. With its barely boiling the broccoli and food-processoring the pesto, it was too fussy for such an ordinary dish and left me with more dirty dishes than it was worth. I could have simply sauteed broccoli in olive oil, tossed it with quinoa and garlic (while hot, to take the raw edge off the garlic), and sprinkled it with lemon, toasted almonds, and Parmesan, and enjoyed it more for far less effort.

Healthy eating aside, vegetables sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper, garlic, and maybe some lemon has become one of my favorite things just because it tastes so good. Here I sauteed mushrooms as I just described and ate them over romaine lettuce with shaved Parmesan on top. It was both better and quicker than the broccoli quinoa.