Basil Chicken with Quinoa

My husband has not been a fan of quinoa.  I usually sneak it in with my brown rice like in my Yellow Coconut Chicken Curry so he doesn’t even know he’s eating it.  However, I don’t give up easily.  My Balsamic Quinoa Salad was my first success.  He loved it!  So, I just kept experimenting until I found another winner (meaning my husband cleaned his plate).  This juicy, grilled chicken coupled with flavorful quinoa and accents of tomato and avocado is to die for!

I’ve cooked chicken a million different ways… boiled, baked, fried, roasted, slow cooked, etc.  My most favorite is grilled.  The grill cooks chicken quickly but keeps the inside juicy and the outside a little crispy.  Oooh yum!  Since it’s hard to shovel snow off my grill during the winter, I purchased a George Foreman and use it all. the. time.  Especially with this basil chicken recipe, the grill makes its flavor pop!  I highly recommend it.

Let’s talk quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah).  It’s full of protein, fiber, amino acids, antioxidants, gluten-free, and lots and lots of nutritious yumminess.  I use truRoots Organic Quinoa and have really like the texture and taste.  I’ve tried other brands which turn out a little soggy.  Seriously, I can’t wait for you to try it in this recipe!

Grilled Chicken and Basil Avocado Quinoa

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Ingredients

  

• 10 chicken tenders thawed
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 3 cups organic chicken broth
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ cups quinoa rinsed well and drained
• 1 large ripe avocado slice in half lengthwise, pitted, scored into small squares, and scooped out with spoon
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved

Instructions

 

• In a large airtight container, place chicken tenders. Combine olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate until ready to grill.
• Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a large sauce pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Cook until slightly tender for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
• Add quinoa to boiling broth. Cover and reduce to low-medium heat. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked and tender (about 15-20 minutes).
• While quinoa is cooking, prepare avocado and tomatoes. Once quinoa is cooked, remove pan from heat and fold in avocado and tomatoes.
• Grill chicken tenders over medium heat until center no longer pink (about 3 to 4 minutes). In order to keep chicken juicy, remove chicken from heat as soon as the center is no longer pink and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap aluminum foil around chicken tenders until completely covered. Allow chicken to finishing fully cooking in the aluminum foil for about 5 more minutes.
• Serve quinoa and chicken tenders together.