My family is always trying new recipes. We like to find meals that are not only easy to prepare, but healthy and tasty, too! I found this quinoa recipe online about a year ago and it quickly became one of our favorites!
First off, one of the nice things about this recipe is it can be adjusted to include whatever vegetables you have on hand. The quinoa provides protein and fiber and is a perfect balance to the veggies. Naturally, we changed the recipe a bit to suit our taste so I’ll share how we make it. To view the original recipe you can find it on Allrecipes.com under “Chicken with Quinoa and Veggies”.
Ingredients:
1 cup rinsed quinoa (we use Nature’s Earthly Choice which is organic)
2 cups Swanson’s chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 spring onions, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips or cubed
½ cup Swanson’s chicken broth
1 zucchini, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
4 cups mixed vegetables such as broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, carrots
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1-Bring the quinoa and chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to simmer and cover the pan. Next, simmer until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. (about 12 minutes) Finally, remove from burner and keep covered and warm.
2-Next, while the quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. (we use our large iron skillet) Cook the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and stir approximately 5 more minutes until chicken is almost done.
3-Then, add the chopped veggies (all but the tomatoes) to the pan with the chicken and add about ½ cup chicken broth. Stir well and cover. Then, steam the veggies until tender crisp and the chicken is done (about 5-10 minutes more). Next, add the cherry tomatoes and cook another minute or two until the tomatoes soften up a bit but are not mushy. Note: Cook times will vary depending on how crispy you like your vegetables and how thick the chicken is cut.
4-Last, serve the chicken and vegetables over hot quinoa. Sprinkle with feta cheese, basil leaves and lime juice. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Most noteworthy, not only is this dish healthy and delicious, but it is also so pretty and colorful! I bet your family will love it as well!
