Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls for a Party of Two

Julie Wampler, © 2015 Julie Wampler (Table for Two)
Happy New Year! It’s a brand-new year and a chance to change something in your life that you may think needs a positivity boost. For many, the start of a new year means the start of eating more mindfully and getting in the kitchen to cook at home more and eat out less.
If that’s what you and your other half have resolved to try, this month’s Party of Two recipe — easy, satisfying quinoa bowls — is for you.
Overflowing with sauteed chicken and sweet roasted veggies, like butternut squash and carrots, these bowls are chock-full of protein — chicken and quinoa — to keep you full. (You will be surprised at how satiated you feel after eating a bowl of this!) When it comes to the Greek vinaigrette, that’s optional; you can drizzle it on top of these bowls or save it for a hearty salad later. Perhaps best of all is that this recipe is ideally portioned for two people. Check out more recipes like this one by browsing past Party of Two how-tos.

Julie Wampler, © 2015 Julie Wampler (Table for Two)
Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
Prep time: 20 min; Cook time: 30 min; Total time: 50 min
Ingredients
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cubed butternut squash
1/2 cup carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large zucchini, diced, about 1 cup
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup uncooked tricolor quinoa, rinsed
1 large chicken breast, about 1 cup diced
For the Greek vinaigrette
1/3 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables along with the olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Pour the vegetables onto a large baking sheet and make sure they’re in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and have a nice brown color to them.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring 2 cups chicken stock to a boil and add the quinoa. Follow the cooking instructions on the quinoa package.
In a small skillet, brown the chicken on both sides and season with additional salt and pepper. Set aside once it’s cooked through.
For the dressing: Add all the ingredients into a small Mason jar, tightly close the lid, then shake!
To assemble the quinoa bowls: Evenly distribute quinoa into bowls, then evenly distribute vegetables and chicken into each bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top, if desired.
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