14 Sep Quinoa, Chicken & Zucchini Salad
After my 100th cheeseburger of the summer, I thought a salad for dinner night was in order. I was supremely inspired when I saw @smittenkitchen last post of summer squash with crispy chickpeas and I thought I would play around with those flavors. I love a composed salad that you could make some components in advance, and quite frankly you could make the entire thing earlier in the day. There are SO many complex flavors, cool yogurt, bitey arugula, nutty quinoa, and smokey chickpeas. I added some chopped pepperoncinis for spice, don’t skip it! You could use any grilled vegetables in this and leave out the chicken to make it vegetarian friendly. Excited to have the leftovers tomorrow!
Serves 4-6
For the Salad
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained, and patted dry
Paprika & Cumin
1 cup Quinoa, cooked according to package, cooled
2 big handfuls of arugula
2 cooked chicken breasts diced (or use a rotisserie chicken)
3 zucchini, grilled or roasted, diced
1 small red onion, small dice
1/4 cup diced peppercinis or banana peppers
For the Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
Salt and pepper
Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl. Place the chicken in a dish or ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it, covering it well. Refrigerate for an hour up to the day before.
Preheat oven to 375 oven
Place a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, brown the chicken on both sides for a minute of two in two batches, removing the chicken to a plate. Turn off the heat, and place the tomatoes in the bottom of the pan. Season well with salt and pepper. Nestle the chicken in the tomatoes and place the pan back in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the cheese to the top of the tomatoes and chicken, place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the pan with the basil and serve with pasta, mashed potatoes, polenta, or rice to enjoy all that delicious sauce.