Quinoa Chicken Salad with Garden Fresh Herbs

I love this time of year in the garden–well in the miraculous growth in my yard, really. I am not an avid gardener like other people are–I compost and stir the land and then scatter seeds and wait and hope the earth will allow it all to grow. I am not the organized boxed Gardner like I want to be–rather, I look and see the ripe rich green of the natural flora of my yard and hope the seeds I scatter will follow suit.  Some do–some do not. I do not mind that some do not grow because I get over joyed with the ones that DO!

Right now I have some wonderful sage, coriander, tarragon and oregano overflowing the garden edges and seducing the air with their textured leaves and sultry green life forces. I love to just pluck a leaf or two off each one and rub them together in my hand and just inhale the fragrance of them. They smell like nature, rain fall on a hot summer night, healing and sustenance–they smell like life.  The fresh herbs do not lose any flavor in the food you add it to, cooked or raw. They dance around the dish touching it all lightly with their own voice. How can I not cook with them?

I had some chicken breast in the fridge and some new quinoa in the cupboard and they each seem to go perfectly with the fresh herbs I grabbed from the garden. Even though the settings were off on the camera ( I really need to learn how to USE this camera of mine!) I had to share the images and the recipe is really a must try. If you do not have the herbs growing in your yard–hop the fence of the neighbors and see if they do. If they also do not, consider listing your house and relocating as well as checking your local farmer markets for samples of what other people may be growing. I would also ask for some sprouts to plant since you will fall in love with this combination  and will be in dire need for more.

Quinoa Chicken Salad with Garden Fresh Herbs

serves 4

1 pound raw boneless skinless chicken breast-cubed
1 cup rinsed raw quionoa
2 cups vegetable broth
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbls fresh lemon juice
2 whole fresh scallions
1 green bell pepper
1 handful each tarragon, sage, coriander, oregano

Place raw chicken in a bowl, add to it 2 teaspoons sea salt and cover with ice water–set aside.  Cook quinoa in the vegetable broth for about 15 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed into this magic little seed. Set quinoa in the fridge and allow to cool.  To prepare the herbs, rinse them with cold water and remove leaves from the stems. You easily remove the leaves by holding the stem upside down in your hand and then just pinch the stem between your thumb and pointer finger of your other hand and gently slide your pinched fingers down the stem–the leaves come right off.

Next heat a non-stick skillet on medium high heat–add in chicken and herbs. Cook chicken all the way through while stirring to prevent burning. Even with the raw meat, look how fantastic the herbs look–trying to restore life to the meat!

Once the chicken is cooked through add in the fresh lemon juice and remove from heat. While the chicken is still warm dice the peppers and scallion and stir into the chicken.  Stir in cooled quinoa and store in the fridge until the entire dish is chilled. Serve on a bed of cucumbers and enjoy!

Other Good Ideas:

–add different spices, anything you can think of!
–make extra and bring to a summer picnic
–add in some mango and use lime juice