Indian Spiced Quinoa

Indian Spiced Quinoa

Just arrived home from our Annual Spring Break Trip to St. George Island Florida and started rummaging around the pantry for something to whip up (detox).

All those jars of healthy goodness!

  

What's she talkin about???

We have hops and barley, that's healthy!

All that pre-planning in my pantry is paying off!  This super tasty and quick recipe was perfect!

Indian Spiced Quinoa

The Chef In My Head, adapted from All recipes

Makes approx. 2 cups

 1 tablespoon olive oil

 1 lagre shallot, chopped

 1 large clove garlic, minced

 3/4 cup quinoa

 2 teaspoons curry powder

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

 1 teaspoon cumin

 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

 1 dash cayenne pepper

 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

 1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water and drained

 1/4 cup dried cranberries,  soaked in hot water and drained

Directions

1. Stir together the olive oil, onion, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the shallot has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa, curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes until the quinoa is tender.

2. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, stir in the drained garbanzo beans, toasted pine nuts, raisins, and cranberries.  Serve warm or cold.

Surprisingly filling!  Can be served over a bed of rocket/arugula.  I molded mine in rings just to make it pretty!

Enjoy!

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Salsa Verde Chicken with Seasoned Cornbread Dumplings

Salsa Verde Chicken with Seasoned Cornbread Dumplings
The Chef In My Head, adapted from Perfect One-Dish Dinners

For the Chicken:  
18 oz (about 4.5 cups) cooked, chopped chicken

Note:
You can use leftover cooked chicken, turkey, a rotisserie chicken from the market, or bake your own chicken breast (my favorite).  If baking your own:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rub chicken breast with olive oil, season with freshly ground pepper, sea salt and cumin.  Bake for 40 minutes or until done.  Allow chicken to cool slightly, chop in about 1-1/2" chunks and set aside.

For the Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 jar (16 ounces) salsa verde (2 cups) I like HEB Brand "That Green Sauce"
2 roasted, peeled and diced Hatch Chiles (or one small can diced hot chiles)

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk (or 2/3 cup half and half)

For the cornbread:

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 – 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

1. Sauce: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Whisk in the flour to make a paste. Add broth, salsa verde, and evaporated milk (or half and half) and whisk vigorously until thick and bubbly. Stir in chicken and turn heat to low to keep warm.

2. Cornbread: Meanwhile, heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until melted and steamy. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and scallions in a separate bowl with a fork. Pour in milk mixture and stir to form a dough. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the skillet with chicken mixture.

3. Transfer skillet to oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, until cornbread is cooked through, and the edges are crisp and golden brown. Enjoy!!

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