In my search for ways to use more healthy grains in our diet, I stumbled upon a recipe claiming that if you loved Alfredo, this would be a hit. The ingredients sounded like they would taste similar to Alfredo sauce, and I was intrigued. We had it for lunch the other day.

Creamy Chicken Quinoa (adapted from All About Fasting)

1 1/2 T. butter or coconut oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced and cooked
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 T. chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 – 1 1/2 cups full-fat, plain yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté the pepper and onion in coconut oil until tender, adding some salt midway. Add garlic, chicken, basil, and thyme, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. Add quinoa, broth, and cheese, stirring to heat evenly. Turn heat to low. Wait a few minutes for pan to cool a bit, and then stir in the yogurt. Don’t let the yogurt cook too much, just heat enough to warm it, and then remove pan from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Thoughts:

This was pretty tasty. I added quite a bit of salt and pepper. Next time I will add more Parmesan cheese, because it needed something to counteract the tang of the yogurt. It made a healthy meal that filled us up and made me feel proud to serve. I am really enjoying trying new recipes. Being able to weed through and find things that people might actually make, is fun. I like the challenge of finding things with ingredients that aren’t too tricky or fancy. This recipe originally called for shrimp, which we love, but I didn’t have any on hand. My husband loved it. The red pepper added a great flavor and some crunch. I served this alongside some sweet potato fries, and it was delicious. I wouldn’t say this tasted much like Alfredo, but it will be a dish I make again.