Protein packed dinner

Have you ever tried Quinoa?  If you haven't you should give it a shot in place of any recipe that calls for rice!  A perfect example of this was the dinner we made last night Chicken Fried Quinoa.  Chicken fried rice was always a go-to meal for the hubby and I back when we were in college.  We still like it now, but we've made a few minor changes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa (prepare according to package direction)
• 1lb. Shredded Chicken (you can used canned if you're feeling lazy, we do it all the time!)
• Assorted frozen veggies of your choice (we like peas, corn, bell peppers, onions)
• Low Sodium Soy sauce to taste & turn the quinoa brown
• Olive Oil
• Black Pepper
• Garlic

I precooked my chicken in the crockpot during the day and just chopped it up before adding to the mix.  Heat a large skillet on med-high with olive oil and add cooked quinoa, spreading evenly in the pan.  Add enough soy sauce to get a nice brown color throughout the quinoa.  I usually start with about 12-15 "shakes" and will add more later.  Stir in veggies and cover for a while so they cook and the bottom of the pan will start to crisp up.  Season liberally with black pepper and minced garlic.  Add chicken, more soy sauce (5 or so more shakes) and mix, being sure to turn the rice so everything gets the chance to crisp up.  Cover and let sit for a few  more minutes and it will be ready to serve.  Occasionally we will toss in some cream cheese and it adds a great flavor and dimension to the dish.

Quinoa is a great complete source of protein, it is actually a seed, but has a very similar texture to rice.  This dish stores really well and was a great leftover lunch today!  Give it a try sometime!