I have a serious love affair with quinoa. Apparntly our dog Jack does as well. Or maybe just anything that is just within reach. After making a lovely pesto, chopping up cucumber and peppers from our garden and making this salad; I had it on our table getting ready to take a picture and within 2.2 seconds Jack almost had the whole bowl off the table and on him and the floor. It was that quick. Thanks to quick reflexes I saved the salad, my favorite small bowl that has an adorable hand painted eggplant, and having to wash the floors and Jack.
After my heart settled down to it’s appropriate resting heart beat I laughed about it. But life with a 14 week old puppy is just plain crazy. I feel like I say the word NO about a million times a day!
This salad is the epitome of late summer. Fresh basil, olive oil, cheese and pine nuts come together for pesto. Add in cucumber, red pepper, quinoa and some shaved Parmesan and you have one heck of dish. I don’t know why I never thought to combine these before. Hello delicious!
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 small cucumber, diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- Shaved Parmesan
- Salt/Pepper
- Combine quinoa, pesto, cucumber, red pepper and chickpeas in a bowl.
- Stir to combine.
- Season to taste and top with shaved Parmesan.
