Remember a few weeks ago when I talked about the healthy changes I’m making? One of those changes involves cooking healthier dinners. One of the ways I do this is by creating healthier versions of my favorite meals.
For this Healthy Italian Chicken & Quinoa recipe, I was wanting something “italian” but didn’t want a sauce and pasta dish. This recipe uses quinoa instead of pasta and has lots of fresh ingredients!
Of course, we used our favorite Cast Iron Grill Skillet to “grill” the chicken. You can use one if you’ve got it. If not, a regular skillet will work just fine (or you could use a real grill!).
Here’s the Recipe:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 large onion, diced
Cilantro to taste (fresh or dried)
Basil to taste (fresh or dried)
Onion Powder to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
1. Cook the quinoa and water according to the directions on the package.
2. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the garlic on medium high.
3. Brown the garlic and onions in the skillet. Add tomato and spices and lower to a simmer.
4. In a large skillet (I used a Cast Iron Grill Pan) heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
5. Season the chicken with all spices. Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
6. Serve immediately.
Ana Amelio says
Interesting! I have heard a lot about quinoa but I’ve never tried it. If I can find it at the store I’ll be giving this a try!
Jenna Brussee says
I use quinoa all the time! It’s usually in the same isle as the rice and pastas.
NaughteeBits says
LOVE quinoa! Pinning this for later! 🙂
Fiberartsy says
I used to cook with quinoa all the time! Thanks for the reminder… this dish looks great!
TheAdventuresofBugandBoo says
I love quinoa – never tried it with an ‘Italian’ flavor, gotta experiment more!
Jenna Brussee says
I’ve used it as a substitute for pasta in several italian dishes. You should try it!
Kim Daniels Lewis says
This looks so yummy! Pinned. It is always a pleasure to have you be a part of our party! Please join us tonight at 7 pm. http://loulougirls.blogspot.com
Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls