Crockpot Quinoa Chicken Primavera

In the crockpot:
1½ cups quinoa, uncooked
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups + 3 cups chicken broth (SEE NOTES)
4-6 cloves garlic
salt and pepper, other dried herbs you like (I tossed in ½ teaspoon each dried parsley, thyme, and basil)

Before serving:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
6 ounces pesto (SEE NOTES)
2½ cups frozen peas
squeeze of lemon juice
watercress, fresh parsley, chives, or any other herbs for topping
Parmesan or Asiago cheese for topping

I would lessen the amount of broth to 3 cups to start - add more if necessary

Recipe from:

http://pinchofyum.com/crockpot-quinoa-chicken-primavera

Rinse the quinoa. Cut the chicken if you want - you can either cut it into small pieces (it will cook faster) or leave it whole and shred it after cooking.

Place the quinoa, chicken, 4 cups broth, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and seasonings in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

When the quinoa and chicken are done, the mixture should be very thick and sticky. Add the remaining 3 cups broth or water and stir to combine (see notes) - now the mixture should resemble a creamy risotto or casserole. Stir in the pesto, peas, and lemon juice and cover to heat through. While the peas are heating in the crockpot, heat the oil in a skillet - add the asparagus and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the asparagus is lightly browned and tender-crisp. Add the asparagus back to the crockpot and stir to combine.

Top each serving with fresh herbs, shredded cheese, watercress, olive oil, or anything else you want.

Serving Size: Roughly 8 - 1 cup portions

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user SPEKTRAH_RAE611.