“Paella” Quinoa Style!
I recently discovered the awesomeness that is Quinoa. Quinoa is, in my opinion, a healthy alternative to using rice in any dish. It’s a tiny little grain that looks a little funny, but can be seasoned to pack a heck of a punch. I decided to turn it into a Paella dish because I loves me some Paella. A very easy dish that will require very little clean up! This won’t be a traditional Paella, the Beau can’t eat Seafood. 
Sadly, it’s really hard for me to remember how I made this, so bare with me. 
Quinoa Paella
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins
What you’ll need:
- 1 lb boneless chicken tenderloins* chunked
- Seasonings (Poultry Seasoning, Garlic Salt, pinch of Cumin, Pepper, Seasoning Salt, Saffron powder)
- 1 1/2 Cups sliced Turkey Kielbasa Sausage
- 1 Cup rinsed Quinoa (if you buy Ancient Harvest it’s already cleaned!)
- Sweet Green Peas
- 1 Cup diced Red Peppers
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- Splash Lime Juice
- 1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Preparation:
This is a one-pan dish. Prepare in a large pan with deep sides that can be covered.
*Whenever I make a dish that required the chicken to be diced or or cubed I always use tenderloins. It makes it so much easier.
Liberally season chicken and sausage with your seasonings. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO. Brown chicken first because it will take longer to cook. The sausage is already cooked, you just want it heated through. Cook chicken for about 8 minutes and then add the sausage and the red peppers.
Add chicken and Quinoa to the pan at the same time. It may seem like there’s not a lot of Quinoa, but trust me, it MULTIPLIES! Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium to allow to simmer. About 10 mins in, add the frozen peas and allow to finish cooking for another 5 minutes. Most of the liquid will absorb and you’ll know it’s done when the Quinoa looks translucent and you can see a white ring in the grain.
Add a few splashes of lime juice and you are done!
** Want to take it up a notch? Add Shrimp and Mussels to the broth while it cooks down. Yummo!
Enjoy!
Great idea. I love quinoa but my hubby hates it. I think he’ll love this!
Looks good! I’m going to try this. Do you have a recipe for Paella with the rice? I’ve never had it before!