Monday, April 12, 2010

Double Broccoli Quinoa with Parmesan Chicken

There's a blog I love called 101cookbooks.com. She has posted some delicious recipes and I've had good luck with the ones I've tried. Tonight I'm making her double broccoli quinoa, one of Abigail's favorites. Mike and I love it too. You use half of the broccoli to make a pesto. Yummy!
Here's the link to her recipe:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/double-broccoli-quinoa-recipe.html

Abigail likes it with goat or feta cheese, tofu or avocado. It's great leftover at room temperature. She usually gets up from the table and immediately puts some in a container to take to school the next day. I think she's afraid we might eat it all.

I'm from NC and most people from the South like mayonnaise except me (Abigail doesn't like it either). Mike, who's from TN loves it so I usually I have some around. One day when I was looking for a new and different chicken recipe I found this one from Best Foods. Even someone as mayo-phobic as me likes this recipe. It keeps the chicken very moist.
Here's a link for their recipe:
http://www.bestfoods.com/recipe_detail.aspx?RecipeID=8366&Version=1

This is the way I make the double broccoli quinoa:

2 cups quinoa cooked per instructions on package
~5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
3 medium garlic cloves, split and any sprouting removed
2/3 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup half and half

Cook quinoa and set aside.

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer. Set aside.

Add approximately half of the cooked broccoli to a food processor with the garlic, the almonds or pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, and lemon juice. Process amd then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and half and half. Scrape down the sides and process until smooth.

Toss together the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with the broccoli pesto in a large serving bowl. Taste and add a bit more salt or a squeeze of lemon juice if needed. You can garnish with more almonds, avocado or goat or feta cheese.

This is my version of Parmesan chicken:

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Note: Use your favorite herbs or Herbes de Provence.

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine mayonnaise with cheese, garlic and herbs in medium bowl. Dip chicken in bowl and coat with mayo mixture. Put chicken in baking dish coated with vegetable spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the bread crumbs.

Bake 15 minutes and turn over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle with the other 1/2 of the bread crumbs. Bake 15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and top of the chicken is golden brown.

This dinner comes together pretty quickly. If you like one dish dinners add cooked chopped chicken to the quinoa mixture or keep it vegetarian by adding avocado or cheese or tofu.

Enjoy!

1 comment:

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