Curried Chickpea Quinoa

Last night we had baked salmon in a soy and maple syrup glaze, as well as a leaf salad.  I needed a quick and nutritious side dish that would appeal to my kids as well as the adults.  Upon surfing www.allrecipes.com, I came upon this recipe which is excellent warm or cold!

CURRIED CHICKPEA QUINOA

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup orange juice

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium red onion, diced

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 cup of raisins

1 teaspoon of curry powder

Salt and black pepper to taste.

• In a large saucepan, bring the water and orange juice to a boil.  
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, and stir.   Bring back to the boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (or until the liquid is absorbed).
• Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for another 5 minutes.  Remove the lid, fluff quinoa with a fork, season with salt and pepper, and serve
• ENJOY!

Moroccan Chicken & Quinoa

I can hardly believe it has been an entire month since I last made an entry!  I hope everyone had a great holiday season and isn't getting too frozen with the punishing weather we've been experiencing this January.  Two weeks ago Greg and I went to the Mayan Riviera to check on our vacation villa that is being constructed in the gated community of Grand Sirenis Resort....+32C every day and lovely sunshine...sigh!

Anyway, upon our return I took India to see a naturopath due to some health issues she's been experiencing and it was suggested that she go on a diet that excludes wheat, yeast, dairy and nightshade vegetables...a little bit of a challenge for a girl who lives on carbs and dairy!!  Not so for me!  I borrowed a book that I bought my girlfriend Kathy for Christmas, "Quinoa:  The Everyday Super Food" and found this incredible recipe.  Reminds me when Greg and I were in Morocco!  YUM!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN & QUINOA

Chicken:

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp ground coriander

2 tbsp butter or EVOO

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup diced onion

1 cup water

2 tsp orange juice

pinch salt

Quinoa:

2/3 cup quinoa

1 1/3 cups water

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• To prepare the chicken, combine the cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and coriander in a small bowl and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat and place the chicken breasts in the pan.  Fry for about 5 minutes, until they are nicely browned.  Flip the chicken over and add the onion, water, garlic, orange juice and salt.  Toss in the spices.
• Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink.
• While the chicken is simmering, prepare the quinoa by bringing the quinoa and water to a boil in a small saucepan.  Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 7 minutes.  Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
• Remove the quinoa from the heat and toss with the butter, honey and salt.  Stir in the cinnamon.
• To serve, divide the quinoa among 4 plates and top each with a piece of chicken.  Pour the sauce over top.  Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days.

**Prior to placing the quinoa in the pot with water, thoroughly rinse it in a sieve to remove the bitter saponin which coats the exterior of each grain**

**Identified as one of the world's healthiest foods, quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH) has a complete combination of all life-supporting nutrients, making it an ideal whole food to incorporate into your daily lifestyle!  It is very easy to prepare, regardless of your cooking ability and is a nutritionally superior source of non-animal protein with optimal amino acid content, gluten-free and is a complex carbohydrate to help regulate blood sugar levels!!  WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?!**