Healthy! Quinoa Stir-Fry with Grilled Chicken and Vegetables

I'm working out of Vancouver for the next few days (with the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay!) and am staying with my sister and her husband. We've had two dinners together now and both have had more then a few similarities. They've both been extraordinarily healthy (a good thing), they've been "one dish" dinners (making it easy to clean-up) and they've both had avocado and cilantro (mmmm).

Now I must say at the onset of both these dinners I didn't think it was going to be enough to fill me up, and both times I was wrong and left pleasantly full. The grilled chicken really makes this a well-rounded and hearty meal. And the quinoa is a good source of iron and amino acids.

Quinoa Stir-Fry with Grilled Chicken and Vegetables (serves 3-4)

Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small carrot, diced

1 medium red pepper, cored, seeded and thinly chopped

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small red chili, diced

1 cup snow peas

1 cup green beans, cut into half inch pieces

3 small chicken breasts, grilled

2 green onions, thinly chopped

1/2 cup cilantro

1 avocado

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place one cup quinoa and one and a half cups water in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook undisturbed until the quinoa absorbs all the water, about 15 minutes.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat, add oil and grill the chicken until cooked, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over a medium heat heat. Add carrot, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about one minute. Add red pepper, ginger, garlic and chili. Stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add peas and green beans and salt and pepper to taste, continue to stir and cook for a few more minutes.

Add quinoa, stir, and then add green onions, avocado, soy sauce, lime juice, cilantro. Divide stir-fry onto plates and top with sliced grilled chicken. Enjoy.

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