This meal is one of my top 5 meals EVER!!! I’m not kidding – I seriously love it!
And before I even get started with describing how mouth watering this dish is, I also have a version that doesn’t use chicken. It uses chick peas for the protein source, and it’s just as delicious, so if you aren’t in a “meaty” mood, you can easily substitute for the chicken with beans of your choice!
This week, I had both versions on two different evenings, and both evenings, I was completely satisfied!
This plate is really fun to make, because you can add or take out ingredients to your liking. This particular combination that I am going to share with you is my favorite. I will give you the recipe with the chicken in it, but the meat-free version is exactly the same except that I used chick peas in place of the chicken. Some health benefits of this particular combination of ingredients include:
- High in Vitamin A, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin making it fantastic for eye health
- High levels of Vitamin K promote healthy tissue growth including cartilage, bone, stomach and lung tissue.
- The arugula and spinach are cruciferous vegetables making this plate high in antioxidants which fights free radical activity, boosts the immune system, and aids in cancer prevention.
- The avocado on this plate provides vitamin E, oleic acid, beta-sitosterol, folate, and glutathione. All these nutrients are great for oral and breast cancer prevention, heart and eye health, lowering cholesterol, and aiding in better nutrient absorption.
- The zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers all together help to prevent cancer, are anti-inflammatory, aid in balancing blood sugar, are good for hair, skin, and bones, help to prevent heart attacks and strokes, and help to prevent kidney and gallstones.
- Quinoa is a power food that is a high quality protein, a great source of riboflavin, aids in stamina, gluten free and alkaline forming.
Basically, this dish is jam-packed with nutrients that can really provide some amazing health benefits. The best part? The taste…oh my gosh! This is ABSOLUTELY delicious and incredibly filling! I guarantee you will LOVE it!
CHICKEN QUINOA VEGGIE PLATE
Ingredients: Amounts of each ingredient are completely up to you
- Baby Spinach
- Arugula
- red peppers
- cherry tomatoes
- Zucchini
- avocado
- Fresh basil
- crumbled goat cheese
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- Quinoa
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Garlic power
Directions:
1.) Prepare the quinoa as directed on the package. Set aside
2.) Preheat the oven to 405 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop your peppers and zucchini. Place your peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
3.) While the veggies are baking, Heat a bit of olive oil in a frying pan (you can also use coconut oil if you prefer). Chop your chicken into bite size pieces, then sprinkle with garlic powder. Place the chicken pieces in the pan, and cook on one side for about 7 minutes. Flip the pieces over and cook on the other side an additional 7 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and browned on the outside.
4.) Chop your avocado and your basil. Now you are ready to assemble your plate. Start with a “base of spinach.
5.) Arrange your other ingredients around and on top of the spinach as desired. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with lemon juice and sea salt and serve!
Like I said, you can use different ingredients (different fresh herbs, different veggies, fruit, different cheeses, etc). I this meal so much that I always want to tell everyone about it! Plus, the presentation looks so pretty! Enjoy!
Loving and Laughing 