Twice Cooked Quinoa with Chipotle and Lime Chicken

Last month we were given the opportunity to review the cookbook, Fresh and Light, by Donna Hay. As a huge fan of Donna’s cookbooks for some time now, I was thrilled to get a look at her newest work which recently went on sale in the U.S., and it didn’t disappoint in the least!

Donna is Australia’s leading food editor and cookbook author who is probably best known for simple, seasonal recipes that are beautifully assembled and photographed. Her recipes are easy to prepare but your dinner guests will think they are dining at an elegant restaurant!

Fresh and Light follows in the same footsteps of her prior cookbooks (the photos in this book are stunning!) and the recipes have a strong emphasis on healthy vegetables, grains and proteins which so many of us are trying to incorporate more of in our diets! Here’s a look at just a few of the delicious recipes you’ll find in the book:

We had a difficult time selecting which recipe to feature here – each recipe looks so fantastic!  But we decided on this Twice Cooked Quinoa with Chipotle and Lime Chicken!  Every ingredient in this dish (chicken, lime, mint, peppers) packs a ton of flavor and it’s light and healthy!  We also loved how Donna paired this chicken with twice cooked quinoa – taking inspiration from a fried rice in its approach – only a far healthier version!  This dish is served with a delicious Lime and Coriander Tofu Mayonnaise on the side.

Here is Donna’s photo that inspired our recipe selection:

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Twice Cooked Quinoa with Chipotle and Lime Chicken

Note: This recipe uses 3 cups of cooked quinoa. This can be cooked a day ahead or the same day, however we found that using cooled quinoa worked best when cooking it a second time. Also, this recipe is served with a Lime and Coriander Tofu Mayonnaise (see that recipe here) and lemon poached chicken (see that recipe here.) Prep time listed does not include time to cook quinoa or poach the chicken

Yield: 4 servings 1x

Prep: 20 minsCook: 5 minsTotal: 25 minutes

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Units: USM

Scale: 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 dried chipotle chili (If you prefer a more mild chili, we recommend Pasilla chili which can be found at many supermarkets)
• 3 6–ounce lemon poached chicken breasts (see recipe here), sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, leaves left whole
• 1 1/2 cups fresh mint, leaves left whole
• 2 scallions, tops and bottoms, sliced on the bias
• Juice from four limes, about 1/2 cup
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Lime and Coriander Tofu Mayonnaise, for serving (see recipe here)

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Instructions

1. If you have not already cooked the quinoa, do it now by bringing two cups of chicken or vegetable stock to a boil and add one cup of quinoa. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes covered. Uncover, fluff and cool to room temperature. We poured it out onto a platter to cool quickly.
2. Boil water and pour over dried chili in a heat proof bowl and let sit for two minutes. Remove pepper and discard liquid. Using a fork, shred chili into pieces (depending on the heat factor, you may need to wear latex gloves and separate meat from seeds). Place in a medium bowl.
3. Add the cilantro, mint and scallions to bowl with the chilis and toss. Mix the lime juice and honey in a small container and hold.
4. In a medium nonstick sauté pan, over high heat, place vegetable oil and when oil is hot, toss in cooked quinoa. Using a wooden spoon, move the quinoa around frequently and cook for 12 – 15 minutes. Any moisture in the quinoa will evaporate and the quinoa will begin to toast and brown. Again, toss and stir frequently until lightly browned and toasted. Remove from heat.
5. Add the cooked chicken and lime juice and honey mixture to the bowl with the cilantro mixture and toss.
6. Serve the chipotle lime chicken salad with the twice cooked quinoa and lime and coriander tofu mayonnaise on the side.

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Recipe adapted from Fresh and Light with permission from Harper Collins Publishing.  Disclosure: I was given a copy of Fresh and Light for review purposes only.  All opinions are 100% mine. This post contains affiliate links.

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Lime and Coriander Tofu Mayonnaise