I think most of y’all know by now, I’m not a huge fan of chicken. Generally I find it to be dry and boring. Every once in a while, a recipe comes along, that well, is a game changer. This recipe for Chicken and quinoa salad, is just that! It changed my opinion of chicken. At least for this recipe. I was looking for something special, and boy did I find it. This is one of the most original flavored recipes, I’ve tried in some time…actually, a LONG time. It has a lime dressing, that is just to DIE FOR! In fact, I’m going to make it, for my other salads.

Quinoa is this really unique little grain/pasta thing…that is packed full of nutrients…read up on it. It just adds the neatest texture to this little salad.

Next week, the soup in the picture, guacamole soup, will be my recipe on Friday! I absolutely can’t wait to show that to you too! It’s another winner!

Keep in mind, this salad, is not a quickie. It takes a really long time to make, so plan accordingly. You need to start this AT LEAST 45 min. before you plan on serving it. So so you know! But, OH BABY, is it ever worth it!

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz of fresh chile peppers roasted and peeled. This can include, anaheim, poblano, banana and or sweet red chile peppers. You have a ton of choices at the store. (I have to say: I did this, and I really can’t say that replacing this step with the jarred store bought roasted red peppers…wouldn’t work…just as well. This is a pain, pain, big ole pain. When I make this recipe again, I GUARANTEE you, I WILL be using the jarred peppers! NUFF SAID.

1 cup quinoa

1 cup of water

8 ounces of shredded cooked chicken or cooked pork

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/3 cup pine nuts or almond slivers toasted

1 recipe of Lime Dressing

Bibb or Boston lettuce (I couldn’t find either at my grocery store, so I used romaine hearts. Generally, you just need them to be boat shaped)

INSTRUCTIONS:

(This step can be skipped if you plan to use jarred peppers) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. Halve peppers lengthwise. Remove stems, seeds, and membranes. Roast peppers for 20-25 minutes or until skins are blistered and dark. Carefully fold foil around pepper halves to enclose; let stand for 15 minutes. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the skins; gently pull off skins and discard. Cut peppers into bite-size strips. Set aside.
In a fine-mess sieve thoroughly rinse the quinoa with cold water. In a medium saucepan combine quinoa and the 1 cup of water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Uncover and let stand about 30 minutes.
In a large bowl combine roasted pepper pieces, quinoa, chicken, cilantro, green onions, and nuts. Drizzle with Lime dressing and toss to combine. Line serving plates with lettuce. Top with quinoa mixture.