Quinoa with Balsamic Chicken, Pine Nuts, Currants and Basil
By Rustic Measures
I was seeking comfort food today but needed something that was summer figure friendly. After all, you can't exactly come off the beach and down a bowl of mashed potatoes. Well I guess you could. It's a free country. But if you want to fit back into your bathing suit tomorrow, I suggest quinoa as a better choice for a carb fix. You can literally mix anything you want into quinoa and it tastes good. I was feeling uberlazy and didn't want to go to the market, so I made this creation with stuff I had on hand.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
½ cup currant
½ cup toasted pine nut
¼ cup fresh basil, julienned
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 clove of garlic, minced
4 skinless chicken breast (hormone-free, antibiotic-free & organic)
Directions:
2-3 hours ahead, marinate chicken in 1 cup of balsamic, 1 cup of water, and 1 of the minced garlic cloves.
Make quinoa (prepare according to the box).
When done, transfer to a bowl and mix in currants and toasted pine nuts.
Grill marinated chicken – doesn't matter how to you do it. You can even bake it if it's easier.
After baking or grilling, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes to seal in the juicy juices. Girlfriend, there is nothing worse than dry chicken and cutting into it as soon as it's done is the fastest way to dryville there is. Believe me, I've been there.
OK, once the chicken has rested cut it up into bite sized chunks.
Add to the quinoa mixture.
Make a quick dressing of 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 clove of minced garlic.
Pour dressing over quinoa.
Add fresh basil.
Stir and eat. It's a highly satisfying, one bowl wonder.
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