Quinoa with Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

As you can see from my past few posts, I've been doing a lot of dining out and not so much cooking. Although I love a good restaurant, I don't always choose the healthiest options. I'm starting this week off with this super healthy protein-packed creation.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed, roughly chopped
2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
4 t parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 C quinoa
1 C water

Directions:
cook quinoa according to package directions.
while quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan.
add onions and sauté until they start to change color (about 5 minutes).
add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender (about 5 minutes).
add chard and mix until it wilts.
season with salt & pepper to taste.
turn off heat.
add quinoa to pan and stir.
sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

found rainbow chard - so beautiful

remove the thick red stems

trim the stem down the middle of each leaf

remove stem

stems & stems 

saute onions in olive oil 

add mushrooms

it wilts to almost nothing!

tips & extras

Quinoa - You can use other grains here. Pasta, rice, or barley would all work.

Garlic - You can omit the garlic if you aren't dining alone.

Mushrooms - I used baby bellas, but whatever is available will work.

Swiss chard - Although the stems look really nice, they don't really get tender (especially the thicker parts). You need to remove the center stem and use just the leaves. You can substitute spinach for the chard if it isn't available at your grocer. It might seem like you are using a lot of chard, but it wilts away to almost nothing.

Quinoa with Chicken and Veggies

I picked up a bunch of veggies at the farmer's market this weekend and wanted to make a simple healthy dinner with quinoa as a base. Quinoa is full of protein & fiber. It coats the veggies in this dish, so you get your carb fix without feeling like you ate a bowl of pasta. This recipe makes about 4 servings, so I have a nice lunch to bring to work this week!

quinoa with chicken and veggies

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 zucchini, halved and sliced

1 yellow squash, halved and sliced

1 green pepper, cut intro strips and then cut in half

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1 C quinoa (tri-color if you have it)
2 C water

1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 t cumin
salt & pepper

Directions:

quinoa
in a saucepan, mix 1 C quinoa with 2 C water.
bring to a boil.
once boiling, lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 10 - 15 minutes until quinoa is done.

stir-fry
while quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat.
add onion and sauté until soft and turning clear. add garlic and cumin and stir (about 1 minute).
add chicken, salt & pepper.
turn chicken over a few times so that it browns and cooks through (about 5 - 8 minutes).
add zucchini, squash, and peppers and sauté until vegetables start to brown.
add cooked quinoa and cherry tomatoes. stir quickly and turn off heat.
sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
add parmesan on top before serving.

tips & extras

quinoa - I used tri-color quinoa because it has bit more texture and color. Regular quinoa also works well.

veggies - You can use any veggies you like. Mushrooms and eggplant would also work.

seasoning -  Fresh herbs are a nice addition to this dish. You can add parsley or basil.