Focus on Quinoa

Have you ever tried Quinoa? It's a lovely grain that is a vegetarian's best friend (it's a complete protein). I paired the quinoa with mango and chicken, which is one of my favorite meals. This time I put some leftover bacon in the dish too, which added a nice crunch to the dish.

Mango Chicken Quinoa
courtesy of Can I Get the Recipe?

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup quinoa

1 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1¼ cups diced zucchini

1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 pepper)

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 ripe mango, diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded aged cheddar cheese

½ cup light sour cream

Directions:

• Bring the stock and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes (or until most liquid is gone). Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 6 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring the chicken to lightly brown on all sides. Add the zucchini and red pepper and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the orange juice and stir to coat all the ingredients.(Note: I don't cook the chicken in the pan on the stove as I just am not a fan of pan-fried chicken. Instead I cooked the chicken (whole, not diced) in orange juice in the oven for 30 minutes.)

• Continue cooking until the mixture is warm throughout. Fold in the mango and cilantro and allow to heat slightly.

• Serve chicken and vegetables over the quinoa, garnish with sour cream and cheese and enjoy!