Mexican Quinoa And Chicken Salad Recipes

MEXICAN CHICKEN QUINOA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water, quinoa, and 1/2 of the taco seasoning mix to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Mix chicken and remaining taco seasoning mix together in a bowl; let sit for chicken to season, about 10 minutes.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chicken until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 10 minutes. Place chicken and quinoa in a bowl and place in freezer until cooled, about 5 minutes.
• Combine avocado, red onion, celery, spinach, carrot, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl; add chicken-quinoa mixture and salsa and mix well.

WARM QUINOA AND CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites; cook, stirring constantly, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add quinoa, chicken, lemon zest, and the water; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 11 minutes. Add asparagus and peas, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed and vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes. Shred chicken and fluff quinoa. Add lemon juice and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with scallion greens and drizzle with oil.

MEXICAN QUINOA AND CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, covered, over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, still covered, for 12 minutes.
• Stir in the corn. Simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the water is absorbed, the quinoa is translucent and tender, and the corn is crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, oil, cumin, pepper, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
• In a salad bowl, toss together the chicken, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeño. Add the quinoa mixture, tossing to combine. Drizzle with the lime juice mixture, tossing to combine.
• Place the lettuce leaves on plates. Spoon the salad onto the lettuce.
• Cook's Tip on Quinoa
• Mildly flavored and high in protein, quinoa is nutritious and cooks quickly. Try it in place of rice or couscous in recipes or as a side dish. Often called a supergrain, quinoa is covered with a bitter-tasting coating of saponin, a harmless naturally occurring substance. If the quinoa is not prerinsed, put it in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold running water to be sure to get rid of the coating.
• Nutrition Information
• (Per serving)
• Calories: 277
• Total fat: 4.5g
• Saturated: 1.0g
• Trans: 0.0g
• Polyunsaturated: 1.5g
• Monounsaturated: 1.5g
• Cholesterol: 66mg
• Sodium: 91mg
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugars: 5g
• Protein: 31g
• Calcium: 38mg
• Potassium: 732mg
• Dietary Exchanges
• 1 1/2 starch
• 1 vegetable
• 3 very lean meat