If You Make Only One of My Recipes, Make This One

This recipe is amazing. No kidding. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's delicious. Unfortunately, my camera phone doesn't do it justice.

It's perfect for dinner, lunch, or a snack. My version calls for chicken, but you can easily replace it with pork, beef, shrimp, fish, or tofu.

Here's how I did it: I try to buy quinoa in bulk (they sell it this way at Costco), and I like to buy frozen chicken breasts in bulk at Trader Joe's. They also have all kinds of frozen fish and shrimp in case you want to throw it in your freezer and keep it for later. I love it, because then I always have chicken and can just pull it out and defrost it whenever I need it.

This recipe is an alteration of SELF magazine's recipe for Quinoa Stir-Fry with Vegetables and Chicken. Instead of using chicken breasts that are already cooked, I cook it in the same spices that are used in the dish. I think it gives everything more flavor and makes it really delicious.



Quinoa Stir Fry
3/4 cup Quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 tbsp. coarse Salt, divided
2 tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
1 tbsp. Ginger Root, grated and divided
4 cloves Garlic, minced and divided
1 tbsp. Chili Flakes or 1 Red Chili, chopped and divided
1 tsp. Black Pepper, divided
2 tbsp. Wheat Free Soy Sauce
1 bunch Green Onions or 1 Shallot, chopped
2 Carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 an Onion, chopped
2 Broccoli Florets, stems removed and broken into small pieces
1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Almonds, coarsely chopped
8 oz. raw Chicken, cubed (or a few pieces of chicken)
2 Eggs, beaten

Prepare vegetables and chicken. Rinse quinoa in a strainer and place in a medium saucepan with 3/4 cup of water and 1/4 tsp. coarse salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and let cook for about 15 minutes. When it is cooked but still moist, remove the saucepan from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let sit until you need it.

In a large skillet, drizzle about 1 tbsp. olive oil and add all of the vegetables and almonds. Add about 1/2 tsp. coarse salt and pepper each, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp. wheat free soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp. grated ginger root, and 1/2 tbsp. chili flakes or half of the pepper. Cook over medium-high heat about five minutes or until vegetables are just starting to get soft. Remove from skillet.

Add the rest of the olive oil to the skillet, along with the rest of the ginger root, garlic, chili pepper, wheat free soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Add in the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes, or until pieces are cooked all the way through. Remove from skillet. (I put it on the same plate as the vegetables.)

Beat two eggs in a small bowl together. Feel free to sprinkle in more tamari, salt, pepper, or chili flakes for additional flavor. Cook in skillet for a couple minutes or until egg starts to solidify, then add the quinoa. Stir together until egg is fully cooked, then add the vegetables and chicken. Season to taste. Let cook a few minutes, then serve. Enjoy!