Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Quick and Easy (Healthy Dinner Idea)


(Not my picture but this is what it all looked like essentially. I am usually to busy eating my food to think about taking a photo, will try and get better! props go to electricrecipes.com)

When I lived on my own I used to make A LOT of greek salads. Let's face it, the salad is delicious, the colors boom out of the bowl, and it's healthy to boot. I mess around with a lot of different salad dressings but sometimes I get lazy and just put on some low calorie kraft greek feta.

Peter went away on an ice climbing trip, so naturally, I turn back into that living solo person and get into my old ways. This dinner is fast to make, easy to prepare, and unreal to eat. The flavours are just MMM.

Greek Salad with Quinoa and Chicken (serves 2-3)

1 green pepper, roughly chopped
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (I actually didnt have them in this salad because I had a bunch of them the day before and was olived out but I would highly recommend you out them in)
1/2 large cucumber, roughly chopped
2-3 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Feta cheese or more to your liking
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 chicken breasts,

I have an awesome rice cooker that I won at a silent auction last summer and I always end up cooking my quinoa in that. 1 cup quinoa:2 cups water, turn it on and your in business. If you have to use a pot, bring water and quinoa to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

After this, put in your chicken. I like to use about 1-2 tbsp olive oil to brush over(coat) the chicken, sprinkle with dried basil, and salt and pepper each side.

In the meantime, roughly chop your peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, add the olives and sprinkle the feta.

Let the quinoa cool and slice up your chicken. Because I was eating solo, I added about 1/4 of the quinoa into a bowl and 1 chicken breast but could easily just eat a 1/2 breast. You are getting protein from the quinoa as well and the feta! Then I added about 1/3 of the greek salad, added my kraft dressing and voila...an easy...healthy...delicious dinner. This meal has left me with about 3 meal servings for leftovers!

* Other dressing ideas- When I had it the next day for lunch I simply used 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and it was delicious. You can also go with a more traditional greek dressing which uses olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.

Time to go play!!!! There is snow on the ground and sun in the sky.

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