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Chicken Edamame Quinoa Pot
Return with me to the wee hours before an early morning flight in London, when, hungry and exhausted, I was ever so grateful to stumble upon a most delectable, protein- and flavor-packed CHICKEN EDAMAME QUINOA POT. Yes, it was an airport meal that I found so delicious, so inspiring, and so travel-ready, I knew I had to come home and recreate it for easy lunches on the go (though obviously, I have also eaten it for breakfast and for dinner, and I feel absolutely great about that!). I swapped the original pesto for a zingy gremolata, vibrant with fresh herbs, chiles, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice, plus the juiciest grilled citrus chicken on top…and the giggles are what happens when I film with my mom - enjoy!
Chicken Edamame Quinoa Pot
Prep time: 30 minutes plus marinating time
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Citrus-Marinated Chicken:
1 navel orange, zested and juiced (if you want more moderate orange flavor here, zest just ½ of one orange)
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 lemons, 1 zested plus 2 juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
½ teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 ounces each)*
Olive oil cooking spray, for greasing
Gremolata Sauce:
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
1/3 cup parsley leaves, moderately packed
1/3 cup basil leaves, moderately packed
1/3 cup scallions, roughly chopped
1 lemon zested and juiced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 4 tablespoons water, depending on consistency
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Protein Bowls:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
4 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped or green of choice
*Smaller/thinner chicken breasts take less time to cook and it is easier to keep them juicy after grilling. If you buy large chicken breasts at the store, the key here is to cut them in half horizontally into thinner chicken breasts, then marinate and grill.
Instructions
Citrus-Marinated Chicken:
•In a large bowl or ziptop bag add the orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, chili flakes, onion powder, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and add the chicken breasts.
•Stir to coat the chicken breasts in the marinade and allow to marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. You want to be careful of marinating chicken too long in citrus, it will begin to break down the protein and create a rubbery texture.
•Before grilling, be sure to remove the chicken from the refrigerator to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes—this helps the chicken cook more evenly on the grill for a juicier end result.
•When ready to grill, spray the grill or grill pan with olive oil cooking spray. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and allow to grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until a meat thermometer registers 165ºF.
One additional chef tip for grilling indoors: If you are using a grill pan indoors and don’t want to smoke up the house for too long, try this method. Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
•Grease the grill pan with olive oil cooking spray then preheat to medium high heat. Grill the chicken for about 3 minutes per side until nice char marks appear on both sides of the chicken.
•Then transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and pop into the oven. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until a meat thermometer registers 165ºF (this may take longer or shorter depending on the size of your chicken breasts). This is a great method for getting the charred flavor on the outside with a juicy breast on the inside without smoking up the house for too long.
Gremolata Sauce:
•In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the garlic and jalapeno, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the parsley, basil, scallions and pulse a few more times until all roughly chopped. Add the zest and juice of the lemon and olive oil and pulse once or twice to combine. If you prefer to skip the food processor and chop by hand with a sharp knife, you can! But pulsing all together in the food processor creates a sauce that nicely coats the chicken for maximum flavor.
•Add the water to the food processor a tablespoon at a time and continue to pulse until a sauce begins to form. This will take between 2 to 4 tablespoons. (If doing by hand, simply whisk the water in a tablespoon at a time.) The sauce will be fairly smooth but still with a little bit of texture that resembles a classic gremolata. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
•Store the sauce in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap touching the surface of the sauce to prevent it from oxidizing. The sauce should be stored in the refrigerator and keeps for up to 3 days.
Base of the protein bowls:
•Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve then add to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the quinoa to cook for 11 to 12 minutes until it has absorbed the water and plumped.
•About halfway through cooking the quinoa, add the frozen edamame to the pot and continue to simmer.
•Remove the quinoa and edamame from the heat, place the lid on top of the pot and allow the quinoa to steam for 5 minutes or so. Then fluff the quinoa mixture with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
To assemble the bowls immediately:
In a large bowl, toss the quinoa and edamame with the gremolata sauce and the chopped arugula. Divide between four bowls. Slice the chicken breasts and place on top of each quinoa bowl. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon and serve.
To assemble the bowls for meal prep:
•Place the quinoa and edamame mixture into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Refrigerate sauce according to instructions above.
•When ready to serve, mix 1 cup of quinoa edamame mixture with a quarter of the gremolata sauce and 1 cup chopped baby arugula and toss to combine. Place into a bowl, slice the grilled chicken and place on top. Season with salt and pepper and additional squeeze of lemon. The grilled chicken can be served warm or cold on top.
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