Mediterranean Quinoa and Chicken

Hello from the land of wedded bliss!  On June 8, Superman and I got married.  He became my husband and I became his wife.  We are the newlywed parents of five children, ranging from 19 years old to 5 years old.  I am truly, ecstatically happy.

Workouts haven't been as consistent while we've been renovating our house, but we're getting back in the swing of things.  I was happy to blast through my old PR for deadlift last night!  Look at this:

Sep 3 2011 -- 145 lbs
Dec 17 2011 -- 160 lbs
July 10 2012 -- 185 lbs




I cook lovely Paleo meals every night, and Superman says they're all delicious.  I love cooking for him.

Tonight, I modified a recipe I found in a Family Circle magazine (it's a mystery to us how we got a subscription to that one).  It was part of an article about "No-Cook Weeknight Dinners".  Sounds good -- except it's only no-cook if you already have cooked chopped chicken on hand.  Plus, I wasn't sure I could cook quinoa in the microwave.  An experiment for another day, I guess.

Mediterranean Quinoa and Chicken

1 c. quinoa
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. dried cranberries
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 T. chopped fresh mint leaves
diced cooked chicken

VERY IMPORTANT -- BLANCH THE QUINOA!  If you don't, you'll end up with slimy bitter quinoa.  Ew.  Don't do that to yourself.

1.  In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the quinoa for 4 minutes.  Drain.

2.  Bring the lime juice and water to a boil.  Add blanched quinoa and dried cranberries.  Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and cover, 10 minutes.

3.  Stir in chopped pecans and fresh mint leaves (I whirred mine in a coffee grinder).  Serve on a dinner plate and top with chicken.

4.  Serve alongside seasonal fruit and veggies (we used plums, zucchini, and mushrooms).