Quinoa Artichoke Skillet

Quinoa Artichoke Skillet (vegetarian version with red and white quinoa)

"Keen-wah" is how you pronounce it. For a first-timer to cooking with quinoa this is your dish. It is a favorite of ours. Often I leave out the chicken and make it vegetarian. Ounce for ounce, quinoa is the highest in protein of all the grains. I appreciate that. You can use red, black or white quinoa. Actually I think the presentation is prettiest as shown in the vegetarian above with the white and red combined.

Chicken Version, with white quinoa

But to be honest my kids much prefer it with the chicken. As do most of you meat-loving people out there. My children are already corrupted! It is a holiday in our house now when they get chicken or meat....they are so excited they can hardly contain themselves.

Quinoa Artichoke Skillet

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, chopped fine
1/2-1 c toasted slivered almonds
3 T + olive oil

Let quinoa soak for 20 minutes immersed in water. Rinse well, until water is clear. Cook as you would white rice on stove top. 1:2 ratio quinoa:water. Add a little olive oil and salt. I use my rice cooker on the white rice setting,
it makes it that much more brainless, which I need.

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Toast almonds. Add cooked quinoa and almonds. Cook until desired crispiness. We like ours crispy.
If it gets too dry, add some artichoke juice or olive oil.

Chicken Artichoke with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 T olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes
(in a pinch canned chicken works if you are into it)
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1 c sundried tomatoes, chopped

Saute garlic in olive oil. Add chicken and artichoke juice. When chicken is almost done, add artichokes. Cook until done. Add tomatoes when you serve.
Serve hot over quinoa skillet.
You can combine the two, as seen in the vegetarian picture.

Serve with Scrumptious Whole Grain Honey Cornbread and a yummy salad, like the Anti-Oxidant packed Spinach Salad.