A super easy and healthy home-cooked meal. Swiss chard and quinoa with garlic tahini sauce and grilled chicken breasts.
Garlic tahini Swiss chard and quinoa
We found this recipe on Culinate and it is originally from the book Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy.
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 lb. Swiss chard, rinsed, dried and chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/3 cup tahini
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (1 to 2 teaspoons)
1. Make the quinoa: Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook without stirring, 15 to 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
2. Make the chard: Meanwhile, in a large pan, combine the chard with ⅓ cup water and ¼ tsp. salt. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook 4 minutes, or until the chard is tender.
3. Make the tahini sauce: Put the tahini in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt. Gradually stir in 2 to 3 Tbsp. water to yield a sauce that’s creamy but not runny. (The tahini I used was fairly thick so instead I mixed the sauce in a blender rather than by hand)
4. Serve the dish: Divide the quinoa into 4 mounds on individual plates. Using tongs, arrange the hot chard over the quinoa, then top with the tahini sauce. (Instead of serving it like that, I just mixed the quinoa, chard and tahini together in a bowl and then served directly from the bowl. Made a dinner and a packed lunch for two.)
Note- Make it the main course instead: I've made this recipe a bunch of times now as a quick, easy vegetarian main-course that is really filling. To have it as a main course instead of a side-dish, try adding other things to make it more hearty. We usually use some kind of bean (white beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.) and vegetables (zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc.). With a small bit of oil in a large skillet I heat up the vegetables and beans. Often I'll wilt the greens right in with the other veggies rather than boiling them as above. I've also made the recipe with kale, turnip greens and spinach and all were great. It's really a choose-your-own-adventure kind of thing. Once the quinoa, veggies and sauce are all ready, mix them together in the skillet before serving in a big bowl. Yum!
For the grilled chicken breasts
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Smoked paprika (or seasoning of your choice)
Herbamare (or seasoning of your choice)
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with smoked paprika and Herbamare on both sides. Grill them on a counter-top grill or BBQ until cooked all the way through and slightly crispy on the outside. To be sure they're done, check that the internal temperature has reached 74°C (165°F) with a meat thermometer.
