Blackened Chicken with Avocado Cream Sauce and Avocado Tomato SalsaDon't be intimidated by all the components of this recipe. It's actually very easy. The sides whip up really quick while your chicken and quinoa are cooking. I usually make extra chicken so I can have this again for lunch the next day.
(If you have an endomorph body type and are looking to lose weight, plan to eat this meal soon after a hard and sweaty workout or simply leave out the quinoa.) |
Ingredients |
For the chicken:
1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp sea salt 4 chicken breasts For the quinoa: 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 2 cups chicken stock Juice from half a lime For the avocado cream sauce: 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 1/2 avocado 1 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp garlic powder Pinch of salt For the salsa: 2 avocados, diced 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, diced 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped Juice from half lime |
Instructions |
In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning for the chicken. Rub the seasoning all over the chicken breasts and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
While the chicken is baking, make the quinoa by placing the quinoa and chicken stock in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and the juice from half a lime. If you have leftover chopped cilantro, add it to the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking, make the avocado cream sauce by blending all the ingredients together in a food processor or blender. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and another small pinch of salt. Serve the chicken alongside a cupped-handful portion of quinoa with the avocado salsa on top. Add a couple dollops of avocado cream sauce on top of the chicken. Makes about 5 servings. |