Veggie Quinoa, Teriyaki Chicken & Kale Salad

As a college student, eating healthy and often takes some effort. I don't own a car (by choice really, so I can't complain), have a limited grocery budget and live at least a 30 minute bike ride from the closest health food store. I have had to make do with Safeway, which has made me a pro at deciphering food labels.

Anyway, I try and eat as well as I can, and I stay away ALWAYS from the processed, artificial, etc, but I still get really excited when I get to eat a wholesome, healthy, balanced meal. Enter my delicious Thursday night dinner.

Here we have enough fiber, protein, vitamins (largest concentrations: A, B, B2, and K) iron, etc etc etc to transform any old gal into a supergirl (and guys too, yeah yeah). It is very low in fat, almost all organic, and uber yummy. This is my go-to dinner: I've made it so many times and with such varied ingredients that I can whip it up in like 35 minutes (approximately 25 minutes cooking time, 10 minutes prep). I'd say that's pretty good. Oh, the recipe? Right here.

So if this was a baked good, I would give you very specific instructions. However, I believe that cooking should be done a little more by feel. I mean, how do I know if you want carrots in your stir-fry? So instead of a traditional recipe, I've written general guidelines. Enjoy!

For the quinoa:
1. Tri-color quinoa is the one I buy. You can get it almost anywhere. To cook it, the proportions are 1:2; 1 cup of quinoa to 2 cups of water. For fluffier, moister quinoa, go by 1:3.
2. One thing you have to know about quinoa is that it absorbs EVERY flavor of what you cook it with. After bringing the water to a boil and adding the quinoa, I add lots of salt and pepper. Then, when it has just nearly absorbed all the water, I add 1 cup of diced tomatoes (with juice). This achieves the same moist, fluffy quinoa as 3 cups of water, but infuses it with tomato. Yum!
3. While it's absorbing the tomato-y goodness (in a medium saucepan), I add stir-fried veggies. These are often leftovers for me, and this is a great way to re-use them. To make stir-fried veggies, heat a few teaspoons of oil in a sautee pan. Always add onions, garlic, and mushrooms first. When the onions begin to soften, add any other veggies you'd like: carrots, bell peppers, etc. Keep on medium to medium-low heat and DO NOT LEAVE ALONE. Stir often.
4. After adding the veggies, I wait for the quinoa to fully absorb the tomato juice. Then I turn off the burner and remove the pan from heat.
5. You can add anything you like to this--herbs, veggies, leafy greens, etc. It all depends on what you like. It can be a bit tricky monitoring two pans at once, so if time is not an issue, keep both on medium-low heat to avoid burning.

For the chicken:
1. This recipe works well for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs. These are also the leanest parts of the chicken (thigh slightly leaner than breast).
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and dump in about a half cup of diced onions and at least a clove of garlic. This will serve as a bed for the chicken. (how cute)
3. Choose your favorite Teriyaki sauce. Cut chicken into pieces about the size of your palm and smother with the sauce. Lay on top of slightly carmelized onions, and pour another 1/2 cup or so of teriyaki into the pan (enough to cover the bottom).
4. Cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes, turning the chicken every 5. After 20 minutes, leave the lid off and cook for another 5-10 minutes. To check if it's ready, cut into one of the pieces. White, fall-apart meat on the inside is what you want. It's done!

For the kale salad:
As this is a salad, you can put together the ingredients in any order you'd like. This one has:
-raw kale
-pumpkin seeds
-sesame seeds
-sunflower seeds
-sunflower greens
-red onion
-lemon juice
-olive oil
And it is delicious! I'll let you experiment.

Note: this IS a lot to make in one night, at least for me. Leftovers are your friend! Also, buy organic whenever possible (or harvest organic! Gardens are also your friend).