fresh tomato + basil sauce

What I can say about this is that it’s a really delicious, light tomato sauce that’s so simple to make yet kinda looks and tastes gourmet.

I think that about covers it. A few fresh ingredients and you have yourself a great meal.

I made this with my mother on a Sunday and we loosely followed Ina Garten’s recipe. We chose to use Fusilli pasta and smashed the baby tomatoes verses leaving them whole, which I strongly suggest- gives much more flavor to the sauce. The pasta topped with some freshly grated parmesan was the ideal summer dish after a day at the beach. Enjoyed al fresco with a crisp glass of wine- even more ideal!

watermelon, feta + basil quinoa

Happy Monday! Not- it’s rainy and dreary once again.

Maybe this dish can lighten up your day for lunch or dinner. It is simple, colorful and basically screams summer in a bowl.

I knew from previous experiences that watermelon and feta taste great together- and basil is delicious anyway you use it- and quinoa (pronounced “KEEN-wah”, yes that took some time for me) is the perfect base for anything sooo before I even started to make this I knew it would be fool-proof delicious.

How cute is this little basil plant from Whole Foods?

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups watermelon, chopped
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta
• 15-20 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 lime, juiced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Anddd one more shot because I thought the color combination was pretty!

First, cook quinoa as per directions on package. Usually is a 1:2 quinoa to water ratio. Let quinoa cool and season with salt and pepper.

{cooked quinoa cooling}

Toss chopped watermelon with salt and drizzle with the honey. Then combine cool (can even be cold) quinoa, watermelon, feta and chopped basil. Toss and squeeze in lime juice.

{pretty, isn’t it?!}

Sweet, salty and refreshing.

As quinoa cooks, the seed (or grain as most call it) spirals and twists out and that’s where the pleasant crunch comes from.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, perfect for lunch or a side with dinner.