Green Goddess Quinoa Risotto

Incorporating greens and vegetables into my everyday diet can sometimes be challenging considering I’m making everything from desserts to steaks. However, I’ve made a much more conscious effort on incorporating these things into my daily diet along with whole grains. One thing that can also fall by the wayside is clean protein. It’s not always affordable to be eating wild caught fish and free range organic chicken, so it’s beneficial to me and my family to seek protein elsewhere. Enter in quinoa! Quinoa is a complete protein containing all 20 amino acids and is a heck of a lot cheaper than many other sources. I usually use quinoa in greens salads or as a base in salads like tabbouleh, and sometimes just as a side to something else. Hands down one of my favorite foods of all time is risotto, maybe it’s because I’m Italian. I thought it would be interesting to “risotto” some quinoa. Risotto traditionally is used with a short grain rice known as Arborio, but the technique is all the same. It starts by caramelizing some onions and garlic and then adding in the rice, or quinoa in this instance. From there it’s all about adding in about 6 to 8 ounces of liquid at a time while continuing to stir until the quinoa has finished cooking. I would say it takes close to 20 minutes for the quinoa to “pop” which can seem like a lot of stirring but I promise it will be well worth it. I was always told when making risotto that it is a necessity to use a wooden spoon when stirring and that you must always stir the same way. Must be some old Italian folklore 😊. Once the quinoa is cooked, you then want to finish it off with Parmesan cheese and a touch of cream. This will help making the quinoa a little richer and a lot thicker. While the quinoa is staying warm you’ll want to quickly blanch your green vegetables in some salted boiling water. The vegetables are completely up to you, just as long as they are green. I used a combo of asparagus, peas, fresh Lima beans, edamame, spinach, and arugula. I served the quinoa up alongside of the raw spinach and arugula since the heat of quinoa risotto will simply cause it to wilt on its own. Toss the veggies in a small amount of butter, salt, and pepper and keep warm before serving. The last thing to make is the pesto. Of course, I did it the traditional way using a mortar and pestle, but you can absolutely use a food processor to make this an extremely quick process. To make this even easier, you can simply buy a pre-made store bought version as well, no judging I promise! Once the pesto is done, you can either mix it into the creamy quinoa risotto or you can add a few dabs onto the top of it. I served this quinoa up with a rotisserie chicken, but if you want to keep this recipe a little more on the clean side then simply do away with it. I’m back in the gym so I’m trying to get as much protein as possible in me, but if you want this to be vegan you could do away with the chicken, chicken stock, and simply finish the quinoa off with some coconut milk and do away with the cheese. This Green Goddess Quinoa Risotto with Pesto and Roasted Chicken is really tasty and came together in under an hour, so if you are looking to get something great onto the table this week, then this is it! Happy cooking.

Green Goddess Quinoa Risotto with Pesto and Roasted Chicken

For the Quinoa:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, peeled and small diced
• 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
• 64 oz Chicken Stock
• ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Toppings:

• 1 cup each boiled Edamame, Lima Beans, Peas, and Asparagus Tips
• 1 tsp Unsalted Butter, melted
• 2 cups Baby Spinach, packed
• 2 cups Arugula, packed
• 2 cups Basil Leaves, packed
• Juice of ½ Lemon
• 1 Tbsp Pine Nuts
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 carved and sliced Rotisserie Chicken
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Serves 4 to 6 Quinoa: Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat and add in the onions and garlic and caramelize, about 10-15 minutes. Once brown add in the quinoa and toast for 1 to 2 minutes. Next, slowly add in the chicken stock one ladle at a time while continuing to stir until the quinoa is completely cooked, about 20 minutes. Finish the quinoa with cheese, cream, salt, and pepper. Keep warm. Toppings: Coat the boiled vegetables in melted butter, salt, and pepper and set aside to keep warm. In a food processor add in the basil, lemon juice, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese and process on high speed until the basil is finely minced, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until combined. Serve the quinoa alongside the boiled vegetables, baby spinach, arugula, pesto, and sliced rotisserie chicken.

Hello, I’m Billy Parisi, but to some I’m known as “Chef Billy Parisi.” I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but for the most part I’m a Food & Content Creator, Sometimes TV Host, Digital and Social Strategist, Influencer, Picture Taker, Coffee Drinker, Daddy, Husband, College Sports Enthusiast, Fashionisto, Film & Music Lover!

I’ve been in the kitchen since I started washing dishes in a restaurant at the age of 13, and during that time I knew immediately that I wanted to be a chef. I graduated from Arizona’s Scottsdale Culinary Institute and the University of Missouri, and have logged several years as line cook, sous chef, and executive in some of the Midwest’s finest restaurants. I currently live in the city of Chicago with my wife Lindsay and daughter Olivia and cook up new inventions, mash-ups, fusions, and twists on old classics. I’m incredibly spontaneous and outgoing, and run two small businesses, BPMVC, and my latest venture, 5 Loaves 2 Fish!