Easy Quinoa and Veggie Dinner

I was home alone tonight...the husband took the boys out of town to visit the in-laws. I didn't go, having class on Friday night and just too many projects lined up. I can always get so much more done without the pitter-patter-crash of little feet...but I still have to eat. Dinner tonight was--as usual when it's just me--meatless. I wasn't in the mood for a big production really, as I was planning on finally watching Juno and making bread later that evening. What started out as one simple dish became one very delicious one.
I had picked up a new organic veggie blend at the store today--spinach, edamame, broccoli, asparagus, and green beans, all chopped up and frozen. Fabulously convenient. I cooked up some quinoa pilaf with a little bit of chicken stock and dehydrated onion, and while that was going, I sauteed my frozen veggies. A wee bit of shallot and olive oil went into the pan for a minute, then added my frozen veggie blend, along with an herb & garlic seasoning I like, halved cherry tomatoes and salt & pepper. A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, a must when cooking with spinach. After the veggies had absorbed the oil, I poured a few tablespoons of chicken stock in, and let it reduce a few minutes more. Then I served myself up some quinoa, topped it with my veggies and some fresh basil from the garden, and of course a bit of parmesan. Couldn't be more delicious--or more healthy.

Grilled Chicken with Chunky Pesto Gremolata

Dinner tonight was very fresh and summery--in my part of the world, I'm already harvesting zucchini and basil, and the boys are wearing shorts and sandals. I'm trying to enjoy the mild weather while it lasts, before the heat really comes on
I BBQ'd tonight, the charcoal grill. I really prefer it for flavor, although I am still a novice at controlling the temperature. You'll never learn unless you do it often...so I grill quite a bit over the summer.
Preparation was very simple. I just marinated some chicken breasts in lemon juice and olive oil with salt and pepper, then grilled them up. I topped them with a sort of deconstructed pesto-basil gremolata. I took fresh basil, minced garlic, toasted pine nuts, and olive oil, and chopped them all up together. It has all the flavors of pesto, with much less calories. It's sort of a chunky relish-style thing, and I loved the contrast with the crunchy pine nuts. (The husband wasn't home--he hates crunchy things and nuts. Good thing!) I decided to leave it rather rustic because my sophisticated palate wouldn't have it any other way....just kidding. I didn't want to have to wash my food processor...although you could certainly take it for a spin if you wanted a smoother texture!
There are so many beautiful colors in this dish...it made me hungry just looking at the ingredients! Then when the garlic and lemon hit the hot chicken, it made the most amazing aroma...mmmm. I added some chopped grape tomatoes, which really brightened it up, and added some moisture without adding extra olive oil. Plus it's another way to get some veggies into my kids without a fight.
Next time I think less lemon zest is in order. I put half of one whole lemon's worth of zest in, and I think the lemon overpowered the basil, as lemon will do. This is reflected in the recipe below, although you could certainly tailor this to your tastes.
I think next time I might chop things up just a little more, and I will certainly make more of it--I topped some toasted no-knead bread with a little bit of it and it was heavenly.

Chunky Pesto Gremolata
(c) copyright 2008 earthwatersunwind@yahoo.com
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp olive oil
handful grape tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste

Chop nuts, basil, garlic, and zest together on cutting board, working with knife to create a chunky but well-blended texture--chop as fine as you like. Transfer to small bowl, mix in olive oil, salt and pepper and tomatoes. Makes a wonderful topper for hot grilled chicken or fish or toasted bread. Or tossed into hot pasta...the possibilities are endless with this one.

BBQ Pulled Chicken

One of my favorite mock recipes is for slow-cooked BBQ. This mimics pulled pork, only it's much easer, much less fattening, and pretty darn easy. It's not really even a recipe--like so many of my recipes!
Take any amount of bone-in chicken thighs. Season them up with salt and pepper, or a BBQ seasoning if you like. Brown them in a skillet on both sides. Transfer to a Crock-Pot set on High. Deglaze pan with some apple cider vinegar, about half a cup of BBQ sauce, and enough chicken stock to cover the meat halfway. Bring to boil, pour over the chicken, and throw on the lid. In a few hours, you'll be able to pull them out, shred them up, and mix it with your favorite BBQ sauce (My personal favorite is NOH Hawaiian, if you can find it) for some really yummy sandwiches--no heating up the kitchen. It doesn't compare, of course, to a true slow-roasted BBQ...but it's a good knock-off, and it's cheap, and everyone likes it. Great served with some salad and baked beans.