Italian Green Pepper Chicken and Quinoa

I love to cook, but I'll tell you what I don't love to do...grocery shop. And then load the car, unload the car, put it all away and then wash dishes when it's all said and done. Really, all that extra just takes the fun out of a wonderful hobby of mine.

Since clean-up is necessary, and cooking is fun, I try really hard to at least get out of going to the grocery store unless I MUST.

So, tonight's dinner was the creative expression of my head/heart/hands as I concocted a recipe with ingredients I had on hand. NO GROCERY STORE TRIP necessary!

I had boneless, skinless chicken strips. I had green peppers and onions. I had Good Season' Italian seasoning mix (and you should keep it on hand too because it makes EVERYTHING taste better!)

 I had boxed Quinoa, (I LOVE quinoa! ) If you've never tried it, it can be used in place of rice, but it is healthier and has a slight, nutty flavor.

I had chicken bouillon, garlic and seasonings and butter and I knew I could throw those things together and make a good meal. And I was right. I love when that happens.


SO, here's the new recipe created just so I wouldn't have to go to the grocery store.

You will need:

1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken strips (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, sliced
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 pkg. Good Season' Italian Dressing mix
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 box Quinoa
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 T. butter
1/2 pkg. of a small bag of sliced almonds.

 I cooked the chopped onion and green pepper in some olive oil and butter (about 2 T. each.). I sprinkled in some minced garlic (about 1 tsp.), added 1 pkg. of Good Season's Italian dressing mix and continue cooking over med. heat.When the veggies were tender, I added the chicken and cooked until browned and no longer pink in the middle.

I prepared the box of Quinoa according to pkg. directions, adding bouillon cubes to the water (makes it taste so much better). I boiled it for 10 minutes.s. I added a little butter to it before I served it. Then I saw a small pkg of sliced almonds, and I added about 1/2 of that. Raw.


To serve, I placed chicken and veggies on top of Quinoa, with a side salad and glazed carrots. It was wonderful! Give it a try!




*Take a pic of your meal if you do. I'd love to see and hear how it turned out for others.