Quinoa with Chicken & Roasted Vegetable Medley
November 11, 2016
When I discovered quinoa in 2009 I became hooked on this healthy, ancient grain. Shortly after that I created this recipe which became one of my favorite meals & Signature Recipes!
Serves: 3
Ingredients
6 to 9 Brussels sprouts (depending on size), remove any browning outer leaves, trim bottoms & slice in half lengthwise (see Tip# 1)
Organic cauliflower florets, cut larger ones in half, 3rds or 4ths so the pieces are somewhat evenly sized & you end up with 1 1/2 cups
2 to 3 organic carrots (depending on size), peeled & diagonally sliced 1/3" thick at fat end, then 1/2" to 1" as you get to the thinner parts
1 cup quinoa (uncooked, any color)
1 - 15.5oz can organic pinto beans, drained, rinsed under cool water & set aside
1 cup cooked chicken meat, hand tear off the bone & set aside (see Tips# 2 & 3)
2 scallions, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1 tsp minced fresh garlic (ok to use store bought minced garlic in a jar)
1 Tblsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tblsp chopped fresh mint leaves, packed
For garnishing: 1/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds, divided (see Tip# 4)
Optional for garnishing each serving: crumbled up goat cheese and/or chia seeds
Directions
1 Move an oven rack to the lower middle position & preheat oven to 400°. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil & lightly grease with EVOO.
2 Put Brussels sprouts, cauliflower & carrots in a 2.5 quart bowl. Add 1 Tblsp EVOO & toss till well coated. Spread out on baking sheet, then sprinkle evenly with salt & pepper.
3 Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning them over 1/2 way through, till they're caramelized & are cooked fork tender. Remove from oven & let cool.
4 While waiting for the veggies; cook the quinoa according to pkg directions (or see Quinoa recipe in Rice & Grains category). Set aside till ready to serve.
5 For the medley; put pinto beans in a 4 quart bowl, sprinkle liberally with salt & a little pepper. Stir gently. Add roasted vegetables, chicken, scallions, garlic, rosemary, mint, 2 Tblsp EVOO & 1 Tblsp balsamic.
6 Toss gently till well combined.
7 Create 1 cup beds of cooked quinoa on each serving plate & make a well in the center. Spoon on desired amount of medley. Garnish with almonds. Add goat cheese & chia seeds, if using & serve. Best if served barely warm or at room temperature.
Tips & Suggestions
1 In place of any of the 3 vegetables, you can roast an equal amount of any vegetable you choose. Just keep in mind that they may cook at different lengths of time.
2 For the cooked chicken meat; pull the meat off a 1/4 of a rotisserie cooked grocery store chicken...this will yield the 1 cup needed. You can also use leftover chicken or turkey meat or cook up a boneless, skinless chicken breast.
3 Want to turn this into a vegetarian meal? Replace the chicken with a 4th roasted vegetable at step# 2 or just increase the amount of any of the 3 vegetables in the recipe.
4 A mortar & pestle works great to break up the almonds to a coarsely chopped consistency. You can replace the almonds with an equal amount of any nut (or combo of nuts) you choose.
yessssss to quinoa!!! I just love it with anything!!! I can’t wait to try this amazing recipe, looks soooo delicious….
And it’s so healthy too! Hope you enjoy this recipe 🙂
That looks so easy and yummy! I need to start adding quinoa to my diet.
Thanks Janice, it is quite easy and even better it’s seriously delicious!
Though I am not a cook, but the food that you created here sure looks delicious……hope this recipe will be in hot demand..:)
Thanks so much I appreciate your kind words!
I made this tonight and the flavors were much more complex than I expected. This dish was like a taste adventure. My husband and I both loved it and will be making it again. The only change we made was to use regular onion instead of shallots, parsley instead of mint, and doubled up on the balsamic vinegar. Thank for this dish!
Hi Misty & thanks for the compliments on this dish. I’m so glad you & your husband loved it! Good choices on the substitutions too, it’s always fun to customize recipes to your own taste.