Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf

This is a delicious vegetarian dish or add diced grilled chicken breast for a protein packed meal. Try it with sage pesto (instead of the traditional basil pesto) for a nice twist.

(Our remake of a similar dish served at the Grand Canyon North Rim Lodge)

Serves 6

• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 1 cup red pepper, ½ inch dice (1 medium pepper)
• 1 cup zucchini, ½ inch dice (1 small zucchini)
• 1 cup summer squash, ½ inch dice (1 small squash)
• ½ cup red onion, ½ inch dice (1/2 onion)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto (basil or sage based)
• 1 ½ pounds diced grilled chicken breast (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan; add quinoa. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; fluff with fork. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

Place red pepper, zucchini, summer squash and red onion in a single layer on a large foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and dust with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables in oven for 20 minutes, stirring at the 10 minute mark.

In a large bowl, add cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, baby spinach and pesto. Toss to combine well. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Top with diced grilled chicken breast if using.

Nutritional Info/Serving (without chicken): Calories 175, Fat 6 g, Protein 6 g, Carbs 26 g

21 Day Fix Container Equivalents/Serving:  1 Yellow, 0.5 Green, 1.5 tsp

Nutritional Info (With 4 ounces grilled chicken breast): Calories 305, Fat 9 g, Protein 30 g, Carbs 26 g

21 Day Fix Container Equivalents/Serving with chicken:  1 Red, 1 Yellow, 0.5 Green, 1.5 tsp