On these cold winter days I look for reasons to keep moving just to stay warm. I also gravitate toward comfort food. I've been enjoying my foray into the world of winter salads but at 27 degrees I want a hot meal.
This is one of those dishes that's versatile enough to handle most left-overs, so feel free to change up the veggies, take out the meat or change the spices. I took stock of what I had and decided that curry seasoning was the way to go. If you have to cook meat or veggies, start there, otherwise make your quinoa first because the rest goes together quickly.
A word about Quinoa: My friends know that I don't make rice. That is to say that I don't make edible rice. It's taken me 20 years to walk away from the prospect of perfecting it and find other options. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is my favorite. It looks like a grain but it's actually the seeds that we eat. It's full of fiber and protein but the texture is the best part of it to me. When you bite it there's a gentle pop. If you're trying it for the first time, I encourage you to visit the bulk food aisle and buy just what you need. Try the white and the red varieties. I got this at Market of Choice and was glad to see that it comes from Eugene's own Hummingbird Wholesale.
I served this with Honey-Ginger Glazed Acorn Squash and apple slices.
Time: 1 hour (if the chicken is cooked, otherwise adjust for additional cooking time)
Yield: Serves 4
Level: Average
Curried Chicken & Vegetables
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 apple diced
1/2 cup walnuts rough chopped
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
8 oz cooked chicken, diced
1 rutabaga, diced and roasted
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cooking the rutabaga: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and dice the rutabaga. Roast for 50 minutes.
Tip: Recently I've been cooking a lot of root vegetables at once so I have plenty left over for salads or to add to soups. I hesitate to recommend heating the oven for a single rutabaga. As much as I like the nutty flavor that it adds, I would probably skip it.
Cooking the chicken: Dice and cook the chicken in a frying pan until just opaque. It will brown in the pan later, so be careful not to over-cook it.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shitakes and cook 1
minute. Then add green onions, garlic, curry and walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir after 2 minutes, then check every minute so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the
cooked chicken, apples and rutabaga. Stir occasionally and heat the chicken thoroughly. This will take
approximately 5 minutes.
Serve immediately over quinoa.
Quinoa
Ingredients:
1 cup red quinoa
2 cups organic apple juice
1 cup freshly chopped beet greens (or another green of your choice)
Directions:
Rinse the quinoa and remove any bits of plant matter that might be apparent. Drain and put in a saucepan. Add apple juice. Bring to boil and immediately decrease the heat to low. Let it simmer until the juice is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add chopped greens (I used beet greens). Cover tightly until they wilt (approximately 5 minutes). Stir to mix.
If you're looking for a different way to serve quinoa, you can push the cooked quinoa into a cup and turn it over onto a plate. It holds it shape well and stays hot a little longer.
LOVE it! Love Quinoa - - this is a must try in my household!!! Well done
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