I recently found a great Chicken, Cheese & Artichoke recipe; but for the Complicated Skinny Girl, who is trying to get lean & healthy, it needed some serious tweaking. So I played around with it; with weight loss and all of our complicated issues in mind, and I came up with a great alternative!! Check out my yummy recipe!
Chicken, Artichoke & Quinoa Casserole
2 cups chopped cooked Chicken Breast
1- 6 ounce jar of Artichoke Hearts, (not the marinated type) drained & finely chopped
3 Tablespoons of Organic Light Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon of Dijon or grainy mustard
2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon of Onion Powder (or if your tummy can handle onions, then 2 Tablespoons of finely chopped Red Onion)
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 cups of Cooked Quinoa
3/4 cup grated rice cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine Chicken, Artichokes Hearts, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Onions, and all spices. Mix well, set aside. Spray a small shallow glass baking dish with Pam Olive Oil spray. Spread the Quinoa evenly along the bottom of the pan. Spread the Chicken & Artichoke mixture evenly over the Quinoa. Sprinkle the top with 3/4 cup of grated rice cheese. Bake @ 350 until hot, and the cheese is melted. Serves 4. This dish contains protein, fat and carbs, making it a full meal, but you could add a side of sliced tomatoes with garlic powder, salt & pepper if you need a little more. A side of spiced up sliced cucumbers would also be acceptable.
I usually eat grains for Breakfast only; This is my guideline for weight loss success. However, today I have opted not to eat my grains for Breakfast, so that I can enjoy a serving of this casserole for lunch or dinner. This is not something I would do on a regular basis, but every now and again this is acceptable. I am going to eat 1 serving and freeze the rest, since this is NOT something I should eat day after day.
For those of you who are not familiar with Quinoa, it is a low carb, wheat & gluten free grain. You basically cook it like you would rice. You can find it at Trader Joe's.
Our eating may be complicated, but that doesn't mean our meals have to be bland or boring!!!
Healthy eating can be pretty yummy if you get creative.
Enjoy!!
Until next time,
Be well :)
