In November, I stumbled upon Chicago Now’s blog Clean Convenient Cuisine and was immediately drawn to something it dubbed a “pre-marathon meal.” Make no mistake, I had no intention at the time to run a marathon, but the flavor combination of this dish drew me in. As is my habit, I emailed it to Jon and he made it for me that evening. In fact, he made enough to last me the entire weekend while I was out of town with friends. I’d never had Quinoa before, but I will certainly have it again, as often as I can. Apparently it is considered a “healthy carb.” And though difficult to find in our city, left to Jon, he can find anything, even if it takes him 7 stores to do so like the pomegranate molasses he needed for the Eggplant recipe I posted a few months ago.
I absolutely love the citrus/mint combination in this dish.
Chicken with Quinoa Salad
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced with skin on
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tbs. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbs. olive oil
- 1 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbs. red onion, minced
- 1 1/2 tbs. red wine vinegar
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, grilled and thinly sliced
Parsley Vinaigrette
- 2 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbs. water
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbs. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Combine quinoa, cucumber, bell pepper, parsley, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, red onion, and vinegar in a large bowl and toss to mix. For the vinaigrette, whisk together lemon juice and water in a small bowl. Add olive oil and fold in parsley. Divide the quinoa onto plates (and store the rest) and arrange chicken on top. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
**Jon coated the chicken with tempura and spices, baked it and then sliced it up. He also added cilantro, because we love it so much.
A Ginger in the Kitchen 