Chicken Quinoa Caprese with Extra Veggies!

 

 

For my second #HealthyInUnder30 meal I decided to make an adaption of the classic summer caprese pasta. Instead of using wheat pasta noodles I opted for quinoa because of it’s great nutty flavor, plus it holds up well in the fridge for multiple days if you end up with leftovers. It’s a recipe that you can eat hot or cold, so if you don’t feel like reheating your leftovers the next day, then simply eat them straight out of the fridge! In following with the hashtag requirement, this meal is super healthy and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. If you already have your chicken or quinoa cooked then you could cut the meal prep time in half! I used my George Foreman grill to make the chicken, and this fluffy quinoa recipe for my grain. To use my time efficiently I chopped vegetables while my quinoa cooked, and tossed the chicken on the grill as the quinoa finished up.

 

You definitely won’t have any problem reaching the goal of making half your plate veggies with this meal either. In addition to the tomatoes traditionally used in caprese pasta I also added avocado, green pepper, and cucumber. I think the pepper and cucumber add a nice crunch!

 

 

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{Chicken Quinoa Caprese}

Using quinoa instead of pasta adds a nutty flavor to classic caprese pasta. The extra vegetable really beef up the nutrition, and even with cooking the chicken and quinoa this dish comes together in 30 minutes. You can save time by cooking several lbs of chicken in advance on the grill. 

 

Adapted from: Caprese Quinoa Salad

Servings: 5

 

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water

1 lb chicken breast**

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 cucumber

1 green pepper

1 avocado

4 oz fresh mozzarella (I bought the kind already in little balls)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil of 3 tsp dried

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

 

**For a vegetarian version you can omit chicken and use black beans, edamame, or chickpeas!

 

Directions

In a medium-sized pot bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 8-12 minutes until water is absorbed.

While quinoa cooks, grill chicken on a George Foreman grill for 8-10 minutes until cooked through (I sliced my chicken in half so it would cook faster), or cut into 1-inch pieces and cook over the stop top. I prefer the speed and taste of the grill. 

Slice the grape tomatoes into halves, and then chop the cucumber, pepper, avocado into pieces (doesn’t really matter what size). Combine sliced tomatoes, chopped vegetables, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl. Stir in balsamic vinegar and oil. Toss in cooked chicken and quinoa with vegetable mixture and stir until combined.

 

 

Nutrition info per serving: 415 cal, 19 g fat, 30 g carb, 31 g protein, 6 g fiber

 

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