pinkapronpreview.com

So…this week…I discovered two things about my current food regimen: 1) I’m bored with rice, 2) I love caramelized onions and peppers.

Last week, I wanted a little kick to my weekly chicken quesadilla for my “Biggest Loser” dinner party, so, I pulled out a sweet onion, my goggles to protect my way too sensitive eyes for a foodie, a red pepper and a green pepper, and my trusty paring knife. I decided to try my hand at true…all the way… caramelized onions and peppers. They were AMAZING! They take some time…but are TOTALLY worth it! This week, I made a big batch to use on lots of things – including today’s fabulous main dish – Pepper Jack Chicken w/ Caramelized Onion and Pepper Relish – it was a-ma-zing!

Now back to my #1 – I. Am. Sooooo. Over. RICE!!! So, as I browsed my grain section at my local Trader Joe’s – I began to reach for some multi-colored organic cous cous to change it up a bit and my eyes caught a new little something I’ve never seen before – Quinoa. Ever heard of it? I hadn’t…not even in a fancy restaurant. So, I went for it and did my research on the back end – and I have unwittingly stumbled upon something dubbed “the mother grain”…a veritable “supergrain of the future” – yay!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) contains more protein than any other grain – an average of 16.2 %, compared with 7.5 & for rice, 9.9 % for millet, and 14 % for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 % protein. It’s also a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal, not unlike the balance found in milk.

Besides its unique protein, quinoa also provides starch, sugars, oil (high in essential linoleic acid), fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Quinoa is also very easy on the digestive system; it’s not sticky or heavy like most other grains, and has a delicious flavor all its own.

Plus – here’s the great part – it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and can be subbed for almost any grain in any recipe – good news! Hope you enjoy our adventure into the unknown territory of substitute grains and the indulgence of caramelized veggies!

Happy Cooking!

Miss K.

PEPPER JACK CHICKEN w/ CARAMELIZED ONION & PEPPER RELISH

UTENSILS: Small Skillet, Large Skillet

INGREDIENTS: 4 Boneless, Skinless chicken Breasts, ½ Large Sweet Yellow Onion, very thinly sliced, 1 Red Bell Pepper, very thinly sliced, 1 Green Bell Pepper, very thinly sliced, 1 TBSP Olive Oil or Butter, 1 tsp Brown Sugar, 2 Sandwich Slices Low Fat Yogurt Pepper Jack Cheese, halved, Darn Good Seasoning

Relish: (begin an hour ahead of time or the day before) Wash, dry, and slice the peppers and onion. Toss with olive oil and brown sugar and place in the small skillet. Cover, whistle open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, stir and replace the lid, leaving it cocked to the side a bit to allow oxygen in. Reduce the temperature to between low and medium low (around a 2) and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

Chicken: When the relish is almost done, preheat the large skillet on Medium heat. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Season one side with Darn Good Seasoning. When the skillet is preheated, add the seasoned side of the chicken down into the skillet and then season the other side. Cover, whistle, open, and cook on medium heat. When the whistle sounds, uncover and flip the chicken. Add ¼ of the onion and pepper relish to each chicken breast and recover, whistle closed. Reduce the temperature to low and allow to cook for 10-12 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Uncover and add ½ slice of Low Fat Yogurt Pepper Jack Cheese to each chicken breast. Recover and allow to stand for 1-2 minutes to melt.

VEGETABLE MEDLEY QUINOA

UTENSIL: 2 quart Saucepan

INGREDIENTS: 1 Cup Quinoa, 2 Cups Chicken Broth, 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced, Zest and Juice of 1 Orange, 2 Small Zucchini, finely diced, 1 Small Sweet Potato, scrubbed and finely diced, 2 Carrots, finely diced, ¼ Cup sweet onion, minced, ¼ Cup Celery, minced, ¼ tsp Cumin, 2 tsp Olive Oil (optional, for flavor only), Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, sweet potato, cumin, and salt & pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add all other ingredients and cover, whistle open. Cook until the whistle sounds and then close the whistle. Turn the burner off and allow to stand covered for 10-12 minutes or until Quinoa is cooked through.

Tweet This Post