Warm Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Grilled Chicken

By lorik

Ingredients

• 6 ounces red or black quinoa (1 cup)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into half-moons
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons small mint leaves

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 35mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

Put the quinoa in a small saucepan and cover with 2 cups of water. Add a large pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cumin, cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Light a grill. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and thread onto 4 skewers. Season with salt and pepper and grill over moderately high heat, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes total.

Mound the quinoa salad on plates. Garnish with the toasted pine nuts and mint leaves and serve the chicken skewers alongside.

Note: Quinoa must be rinsed before using. If your quinoa is not pre-rinsed, place in a colander and rinse with water until water runs relatively clear. Allow quinoa to drain before proceeding with recipe.