Chicken and Quinoa, with Garlic and Spinach
My herby Chicken and Quinoa recipe made with Garlic and Spinach is a dish that combines New England practicality with lots of flavor! With fluffy quinoa and oven-baked chicken breasts, it's a healthy, from-scratch chicken recipe that can be made as a delicious family or as a home-cooked, make-ahead lunch.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 589kcal
Ingredients
- 3½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ pounds boneless chicken breast
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken stock (or use water instead)
- 1 cup baby spinach, washed
- 1¼ cups tri color or regular quinoa
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (you can keep them whole or slice them in half)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more if you'd like a more generous sprinkling on your dish)
Instructions
Make the chicken
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Have ready a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Whisk together 2½ tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil, the 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 teaspoon dried basil in a medium bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon of the salt and the ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Prepare the 1½ pounds boneless chicken breast: slice through the breasts horizontally to make two thinner halves. Place the chicken in the baking dish, spaced evenly. Pour the sauce over all of the chicken, and turn the pieces to coat them all on both sides.
- Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes until the breasts are cooked through with no pink remaining. Remove the pan from the oven and cover the chicken with foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
In the meantime make the quinoa
- Bring the 2½ cups low-sodium chicken stock (or use water instead) to a boil in a large saucepan.
- Place the 1 cup baby spinach, washed on cutting board and slice off any long stems. Run your knife through the leaves once or twice to cut them up just a little. Hold the spinach aside.
- Rinse the 1¼ cups tri color or regular quinoa under cold water in a mesh strainer. (This rinses away its natural, bitter-tasting coating.) When the stock or water comes to a boil add in the rinsed quinoa.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the quinoa for 10 minutes. Add in the spinach leaves, cover the pan and cook everything for 5 minutes more until the quinoa is cooked through. (Most or all of the liquid should be absorbed. If there's a lot of liquid left drain it off.) Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit covered until the chicken is done.
Assemble the meal
- Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Add in the 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Gently stir these through the quinoa.
- Slice the baked chicken into thin strips.
- Scoop the quinoa onto dinner plates. Lay slices of chicken over the quinoa and spoon a little of the pan juices over the top if you would like. Divide the 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (you can keep them whole or slice them in half) and the ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese over each plate. Enjoy!
OPTION: Make-Ahead Lunches
- Have ready 4 or 5 large, reheatable, covered containers that you can take to work. Let the chicken and quinoa-spinach mixture cool a bit.
- Divide the quinoa between the containers. Add sliced chicken to each container, laying it over the quinoa. Add in (or pack separately) the tomatoes and grated Parmesan. Cover the containers tightly and store them in the refrigerator.
- The meals can be warmed in a microwave.
- Store leftovers or the make-ahead portions in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Makes 4 to 5 servings.
Notes
- This recipe makes a wonderful dinner, and it also works great as a make-ahead lunch, giving 4 or 5 lunches ready to go for the week! In the recipe above there are directions for how to assemble the lunches.
- The quinoa can be cooked in water or in chicken stock for extra flavor. I used tricolor quinoa in my recipe, but regular quinoa works fine, too.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1319mg | Potassium: 1194mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1129IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 4mg
