Tag: lunch

olive chicken quinoa salad

Amanja1 Comment

Olive and Chicken Quinoa Salad

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There are two secret flavor weapons in this olive and chicken quinoa salad. First is the olives. You probably didn’t even think about adding this bonus flavor burster to your phase one elimination diet plan! Any olive will add a briney flavor that you won’t get from many other ingredients. Use whatever olives are in your price bracket. If you can afford more high quality olives, by all means, do. However, if you’re like me and trying to cook on a budget, just get a can of pitted black olives.

If you don’t have a food processor to make the olive paste you can finely chop the olives and mince the parsley by hand, then sitr together with the other seasonings. There is always a workaround when you don’t have some equipment available to you!

The second secret flavor weapon is the pickled red onions. I love making these for salads, wraps, tacos, or even to put on pizza! The vinegar and sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the red onions and cooking them a little in the boiling pickling liquid takes the edge off them so you don’t have the lingering bad taste in your mouth they can sometimes leave. I like to leave them in fairly large strips to add a burst of color and flavor to any dish.

If you have moved on from phase one of your elimination diet this salad would go great in a wrap. Simply roll it up in a tortilla and you have a whole new meal! However, if you’re still not touching wheat the quinoa in this olive and chicken quinoa salad keeps it very filling and serves as a full lunch.

Use the affiliate links in the following sections to stock your kitchen!

this is the food processor I use at home

What are olives anyway?

Fruit! Olives are small tree fruits related to mangoes and cherries.

affordable olives

Okay, so what is quinoa?

Seeds! Quinoa is treated like a grain but it is actually the seeds of a flowering plant.

regular quinoa

Ingredients

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
  • 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)
  • ½ red onion, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 6 oz black olives, drained of liquid
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • drizzle honey
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa

Instructions

  1. bring white vinegar, sugar, and black pepper to a boil in a small sauce pan
  2. remove from heat and stir in the sliced red onions, set aside
  3. place the olives, parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and honey in a food processor and pulse until a choppy paste texture is reached
  4. after the onion has quick pickled for at least 10 minutes (the longer it sits the stronger the flavor) drain the vinegar from the onions
  5. toss chicken, cooked quinoa, carrots, and olive paste together
  6. top with pickled red onions and serve chilled or room temperature
olive chicken quinoa salad

olive and chicken quinoa salad

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

    1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)

      ½ red onion, sliced thin

        1/4 cup white vinegar

          1 1/2 tbsp sugar

            1/4 tsp black pepper

              6 oz black olives, drained of liquid

                1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed

                  1/4 cup olive oil

                    ¼ cup red wine vinegar

                      ½ tsp salt

                        drizzle honey

                          3 cups cooked quinoa

                            Instructions
                             

                            bring white vinegar, sugar, and black pepper to a boil in a small sauce pan

                              remove from heat and stir in the sliced red onions, set aside

                                place the olives, parsley, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and honey in a food processor and pulse until a choppy paste texture is reached

                                  after the onion has quick pickled for at least 10 minutes (the longer it sits the stronger the flavor) drain the vinegar from the onions

                                    Keyword corn free, gluten free, soy free recipes
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                                    Quinoa salad with crispy sesame tofu

                                    Amanja1 Comment

                                    Quinoa Salad with Crispy Sesame Tofu

                                    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

                                    This vegan quinoa salad with crispy sesame tofu has the best tofu I’ve ever made. I always have had a problem with getting tofu to that successful level of crispy. It’s usually too soft, and one time I accidentally made tofu croutons, way too crispy! But this tofu is coated in a sesame seed crust that makes it crispy on the outside and just a little soft on the inside. Exactly how I want it!

                                    This elimination diet recipe utilizes two different forms of soy and is a great way to reintroduce soy into your diet on an elimination diet. I missed being able to use soy sauce as the base for many marinades and dressings so the flavor profile of this salad was absolutely delightful to me. I like to buy soy sauce at the korean market down the street from me. They have way more options than the local grocery store and they’re much much cheaper. Try various ones from different regions and you’ll see how varied the flavor of soy sauce can actually be. 

                                    It’s important to use untoasted sesame seeds for the crust of the crispy sesame tofu. They’ll be toasting while they’re being baked on the tofu. If you start with toasted they’ll likely end up charred and will leave your tofu bitter and unpleasant. Buying sesame seeds, or any seeds and nuts, in bulk is really the best, most cost effective way to go.

                                    Do you have to peel cucumbers?

                                    No! In fact, the peel is one of the most nutritious parts of the cucumber! Instead of peeling your cucumbers you should wash them. I’ve started washing and sanitizing my fresh produce in a solution of water, vinegar and salt.

                                    Use about 8 cups of room temperature water, 1/2 cup plain white vinegar, and 2 tbsp of plain table salt. Stir it until the salt is dissolved and then place produce in the bath for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any contaminents. I’ve noticed that this also cuts down on the waxiness that can be found in fruits and vegetables like cucumbers and apples. Rinse the produce just a bit and dry thoroughly after the soak.

                                    Ingredients

                                    For the Tofu

                                    • 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
                                    • 4 tbsp soy sauce
                                    • 1 tsp sesame oil
                                    • 2 tsp rice vinegar
                                    • 4 tbsp sesame seeds (not toasted!)
                                    • 4 tbsp arrowroot powder

                                    For the Salad

                                    • 3 cups cooked quinoa
                                    • 1 large cucumber, diced
                                    • 1 large carrot, shaved
                                    • ½ red onion, sliced
                                    • ¼ cup white vinegar
                                    • 2 tbsp white sugar
                                    • ½ tsp black pepper
                                    • 2 tbsp sesame oil
                                    • 2 tbsp honey
                                    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
                                    • ½ tsp ground ginger
                                    • 2 tsp rice vinegar

                                    Instructions

                                    For the Tofu

                                    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
                                    2. line a baking tray with foil
                                    3. chop the pressed tofu into ½ inch cubes
                                    4. mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a bowl
                                    5. marinate the tofu in the sauce mixture for about 20 mins, nearly all liquid should be absorbed
                                    6. mix the sesame seeds and arrowroot powder in a separate bowl
                                    7. dip the marinated tofu in the seed mixture, coat well on all sides
                                    8. place the coated tofu on the lined baking tray
                                    9. bake for 11-13 minutes on the top rack, until browned and slightly crispy

                                    For the Salad

                                    1. in a small saucepan heat the white vinegar, sugar, and black pepper
                                    2. once the sugar is melted and the mixture just begins to boil, add the red onion and carrots, remove from heat
                                    3. in a separate bowl combine the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, ginger and rice vinegar
                                    4. in a large container combine the quinoa and cucumber, toss with the dressing
                                    5. add the quick pickled red onion and carrots
                                    6. top with crispy tofu and serve
                                    Quinoa salad with crispy sesame tofu

                                    Quinoa Salad with Crispy Sesame Tofu

                                    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
                                    Prep Time 40 minutes
                                    Cook Time 15 minutes
                                    Course Salad
                                    Cuisine American, Chinese
                                    Servings 4 servings

                                    Ingredients
                                      

                                    For the Tofu

                                    • 1 block extra firm tofu pressed
                                    • 4 tbsp soy sauce
                                    • 1 tsp sesame oil
                                    • 2 tsp rice vinegar
                                    • 4 tbsp sesame seeds not toasted!
                                    • 4 tbsp arrowroot powder

                                    For the Salad

                                    • 3 cups cooked quinoa
                                    • 1 large cucumber diced
                                    • 1 large carrot shaved
                                    • ½ red onion sliced
                                    • ¼ cup white vinegar
                                    • 2 tbsp white sugar
                                    • ½ tsp black pepper
                                    • 2 tbsp sesame oil
                                    • 2 tbsp honey
                                    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
                                    • ½ tsp ground ginger
                                    • 2 tsp rice vinegar

                                    Instructions
                                     

                                    For the Tofu

                                    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
                                    • line a baking tray with foil
                                    • chop the pressed tofu into ½ inch cubes
                                    • mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar in a bowl
                                    • marinate the tofu in the sauce mixture for about 20 mins, nearly all liquid should be absorbed
                                    • mix the sesame seeds and arrowroot powder in a separate bowl
                                    • dip the marinated tofu in the seed mixture, coat well on all sides
                                    • place the coated tofu on the lined baking tray
                                    • bake for 11-13 minutes on top rack, until browned and slightly crispy

                                    For the Salad

                                    • in a small saucepan heat the white vinegar, sugar, and black pepper
                                    • once the sugar is melted and the mixture just begins to boil, add the red onion and carrots, remove from heat
                                    • in a separate bowl combine the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, ginger and rice vinegar
                                    • in a large container combine the quinoa and cucumber, toss with the dressing
                                    • add the quick pickled red onion and carrots
                                    • top with crispy tofu and serve
                                    Keyword corn free, gluten free, nightshade free recipes
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                                    chicken and fruit quinoa salad

                                    Amanja1 Comment

                                    Chicken and Fruit Quinoa Salad

                                    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

                                    I love the way that fruit can compliment any meal of the day. This chicken and fruit quinoa salad pairs the tartness of green apples with the sweetness of raisins to liven up this perfect summer lunch. I also love that quinoa salads travel much better than lettuce salads. This lunch can easily be packed away for a meal at work or school.

                                    I like to use avocado oil for this salad dressing because it has such a mild and light flavor. If you don’t have any you can always use olive oil or any other oil that you prefer. I just like having avocado oil around for the few times you need a nice lightweight oil. It’s also very healthy, so there’s always that.

                                    I used golden raisins for this recipe because I had some leftover from this Slow Cooker Moroccon Chicken. But feel free to just use normal raisins. They all taste pretty much the same and the golden ones are quite a bit more expensive so don’t feel like you need to make a special trip to the store for golden raisins. You could really use any dried fruit that you like for this chicken and fruit quinoa salad.

                                    You can cook the chicken in whatever way is easiest for you. I typically just use the stovetop. Lightly oil a pan over medium heat, and sear one side of a salt and peppered chicken breast for 7-9 minutes, flip, cover, cook another 10 minutes and check the internal temperature. This ensures a nice browning on the outside without losing too much moisture on the inside. Let it rest a few minutes before cubing it. You’ll also want to get the chicken and quinoa down to room temperature before combining with the other ingredients for the best results. This chicken and fruit quinoa salad will taste best after its chilled for a bit to let the flavors blend.

                                    Is quinoa hard to digest?

                                    Short answer, yes. The outer shell of the quinoa seed contains a component called saponins which is very difficult for our stomaches to process. Combined with the high fiber found in quinoa you may find that eating it causes you some stomach upset.

                                    The best way to avoid this is to rinse your quinoa well before cooking. You may also pre-soak your quinoa to help break down the tough outer shell. Quinoa can be a very healthy addition to any elimination diet and since it is naturally gluten free it’s a good way to mix up your grains from rice alone. Just take the extra precautions and eat in moderation.

                                    Ingredients

                                    For the dressing

                                    • 3 tbsp avocado oil
                                    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
                                    • 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
                                    • 2 tbsp real maple syrup
                                    • ¼ tsp black pepper
                                    • salt to taste

                                    For the Salad

                                    • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
                                    • 2 cups cooked quinoa
                                    • 2 green apples, diced
                                    • 4 green onions, chopped, white parts included
                                    • 1 carrot, shredded
                                    • ¼ cup raisins

                                    Instructions

                                    1. combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl
                                    2. add the salad ingredients to the bowl and toss well
                                    3. chill for an hour
                                    4. serve cold
                                    chicken and fruit quinoa salad

                                    Chicken and Fruit Quinoa Salad

                                    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
                                    Prep Time 20 minutes
                                    chill time 1 hour
                                    Course Salad
                                    Cuisine American
                                    Servings 5 servings

                                    Ingredients
                                      

                                    For the dressing

                                    • 3 tbsp avocado oil
                                    • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
                                    • 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
                                    • 2 tbsp real maple syrup
                                    • ¼ tsp black pepper
                                    • salt to taste

                                    For the Salad

                                    • 2 chicken breasts cooked and cubed
                                    • 2 cups cooked quinoa
                                    • 2 green apples diced
                                    • 4 green onions chopped, white parts included
                                    • 1 carrot shredded
                                    • ¼ cup raisins

                                    Instructions
                                     

                                    • combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl
                                    • add the salad ingredients to the bowl and toss well
                                    • chill for an hour
                                    • serve cold
                                    Keyword citrus free, gluten free, nut free
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