Recipe Of The Week: Sun Dried Tomato Chicken With Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
This recipe makes it easy to give chicken big flavor in a snap.
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This recipe makes it easy to give chicken big flavor in a snap. Pair it with this quinoa salad piled high with fresh veggies and herbs.
Ingredients
Chicken
1 ¼-1 ½ lbs chicken breast
1 cup julienned cut sun dried tomatoes, not in oil
1/3 cup basil leaves
3 Tbsp slivered toasted almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
¼ cup vegetable or chicken stock
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Quinoa
1 ½ cups quinoa, uncooked
½ yellow pepper, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
½ English cucumber, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
1 ½ Tbsp finely chopped mint
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 red or white wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4-6 cups leafy greens (baby lettuce, spinach, etc)
Note: couscous may be used to replace the quinoa
Preparation
Chicken
1. Heat grill to medium.
2. In a food processor combine all the ingredients except for the stock and the chicken. Pulse until very smooth. Reserve 1/3 cup.
3. Add the stock to what is left in the food processor and pulse until combined.
4. Massage the chicken with the mixture from the food processor. Let marinate 20 minutes to overnight.
5. Grill chicken for 8-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. If the marinade starts to burn, lower the heat. Or bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
6. Slice and sprinkle the reserved mixture over the top.
Quinoa
1. The trick to quinoa is not to over cook it into mush. The nutty flavor comes out the most when it still has a bite to it. Add 2 ¼ cups water to a small pot with the quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10-12 minutes until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
2. In a large bowl, add all of the other ingredients, except the leafy greens. Toss until well combined.
3. Serve the quinoa over the leafy greens with the chicken on the side.
More recipes from Jessica Cerra.
Jessica Cerra is the owner of Fit Food by Jess, a private chef and catering company in Encinitas, Calif. She is also a professional Xterra triathlete and mountain biker. Follow Jess’ recipes on her “Fit Food by Jess” Facebook page.