Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Found this recipe on Pinterest and loved it! It's a keeper for sure. Aaron loved it and wanted more (unfortunately I only made the recipe's 2-3 portions). Next time I'll be doubling the recipe. Thank you Stefanie at Sarcastic Cooking for sharing this delicious meal! Enjoy!

Blackened Chicken and Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ Teaspoon of Paprika
¼ Teaspoon of Salt
¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1 Cup of Quinoa
Juice and Zest from Two Limes
A Dash of Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

Directions:

• Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.
• Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.
• Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.
• After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.
• Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.
• Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down. (I made some avocado cream sauce using an avocado, some sour cream, lime juice and salt - blenderize it and enjoy!)