As I mentioned yesterday, quinoa is my new favorite food. This dish can be used as a side dish/salad or it can be a stand-alone for a light dinner. The flavors in this salad are particularly fabulous because the herbs and veggies are fresh. The quinoa showcases the lingering taste of summer.
I must admit that this particular recipe came to be because I was trying to use up leftover chicken and some other fresh ingredients that needed to be used before they went bad. It was a happy success of great flavors.
Balsamic Chicken Quinoa
- quinoa (cook 1.5 c. of quinoa)*
- 1 pound grill chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch strips
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 3/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
- 2 T. fresh oregano
- 2 T. olive oil
- 3 T. balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
- freshly grated Asiago cheese
Mix all the ingredients together except for the Asiago cheese. Adjust vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve with freshly grated Asiago cheese sprinkled over the top of the salad and crusty sourdough bread on the side.
*If you missed the instructions how to cook quinoa, here are the simple instructions: Put 1 part quinoa and two parts water into a heavy saucepan. For instance, for my family of six, including 4 grown sons, I use 3 c. of quinoa and 6 c. water.) Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. After it boils, turn down and simmer just under boiling point for 15 minutes. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat. Let the cooked quinoa sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and then figure out what you’re going to do with it!
If you missed yesterday’s recipe for Lime Cilantro Shrimp, be sure to check it out!
Barb
recipes for quinoa