Is it just me or is typing on a big keyboard really annoying? I guess my fingers are used to the keyboard on my phone ahahaha! Anyway, I have been eating a lot these days, yes you heard it right, starting from pizzas to fries to donuts and ice-creams, literally everything. I believe that you should eat everything & anything you want, but in moderation. I mean, yes of course, eating your greens is important, but indulging in a cheesy pizza once a month isn’t so bad in my book, hell I eat cake almost 5 times a week, but I always ensure that I take in enough proteins and fibers and all the good stuff for my body to function well. If I have to be honest, I am very particular about taste and flavour in my food so I always try to make anything I eat or create for the blog as delicious and as flavourful as I can. Be it something as healthy as a green smoothie or a death by chocolate cake.
So, since we’re on the subject of health. Let’s talk about Quinoa, recently Quinoa has been everywhere and I couldn’t really get what the hype was about, so of course I decided to do some research and then I bought it and tried it so here is my view/verdict on this so-called superfood. It is actually really delicious! Not that it has a very strong flavour but I would happily use it as a substitute for rice any day. Apparently, Quinoa is not a grain, it is a seed! And although it is a little bit on the expensive side at least where I live, I think it is totally worth the health benefits. You should try it at least once. This recipe here is like an empty canvas, I actually used whatever I had left in the fridge and it was a wonderful lunch. So, you can basically take this recipe as a blue print and make your own version of it. Although I would highly 100% recommend that you do not leave out the Mediterranean spice blend from Sprig cazzz that is a bombshell. I am a huge fan of aromatic, tangy and spicy flavours and this blend has everything that I just mentioned. I also added the smoked paprika from Sprig because who doesn’t love a little heat? The quinoa has a texture that is so interesting that I couldn’t stop eating it. You may use regular rice of choice instead of quinoa in this recipe and you can also substitute vegan chicken or tofu if you are vegetarian.
I was actually going to make this recipe one bowl and after testing it a few times I decided not to go ahead with it because one bowl makes it a little soggy, which isn’t bad, but I prefer a little texture in my fried rice. It’s an extremely easy recipe though and I’m sure you’re really going to like it.
One of the good things about this recipe is that you can pre-cook the quinoa and keep it ready and you can also precook your chicken and freeze it. So, it’s all a matter of putting it all together when you want to serve.
Let’s get cookin’
Ingredients:
450 grams cooked boneless chicken (I cooked it in a pressure cooker with 2 tbsp. of Sprig’s Tangier
Mediterranean Spice blend and ½ tsp salt)
1 cup of Cooked Quinoa (Instructions for cooking can be found in the notes)
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
½ cup diced beans
½ cup diced carrots
1 tsp garlic paste (or 3-4 cloves of minced garlic)
2 tsp white sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp. Tangier (Mediterranean Seasoning by Sprig)
1-2 tsp Smoked Paprika by Sprig (according to your preference of spice)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a medium-large saucepan, add your oil, let it heat up and then add the onion and garlic and let it cook in the oil till it is just starting to brown. Then immediately add the carrots, beans and sesame seeds. Put on the lid and let the vegetables cook. Approximately 5-10 minutes
2. Add the cooked chicken and mix it well, then add the cooked quinoa and all the seasonings, taste and go ahead. Now, put the lid on and let it sit for about a minute. Turn off the heat and serve with your preferred garnishes. I used a few cilantro leaves. Enjoy!!
Notes:
1. Cook the chicken first and save the stock.
2. To cook quinoa: First, rinse 1 cup quinoa thoroughly for a minute under running water. Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, add the quinoa and let it dry and become a little toasted (keep stirring) Now, 1 ½ cups of chicken stock or water and let it come to a boil, after it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover the saucepan with the lid and let the quinoa cook for 15-20 minutes. The water will be absorbed and the quinoa will look nice and fluffy. Keep the lid on for another 5-10 minutes and then let it come to room temperature if you want to transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it to use the next day. Or else you can continue with the making of the fried rice.
This is a tasty and healthy meal, full of nutrients and protein and fiber all good for your body. Give it a go and tell me how it works. Also, if you’re from Ahmedabad, you can order the baked goods you can see here. Hit me up!
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Love,
Bakesalotlady <3
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