This recipe was inspired by a recipe from William Sonoma but I changed everything, naturally.
Chicken Quinoa with Dried Fruit
2 lemons, zested and juiced to make ~1/4 – 1/3 c
4 T olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small head of green garlic, minced
1-1/2 t ground cumin (or more to taste)
3/4 t ground cinnamon
2 c shredded roast chicken
1 c mixed dried fruits (I used raisins primarily and dried blueberries, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes)
2 large King trumpet mushrooms, diced (~1 c)
Baby carrots, sliced into chunks (~1 c)
3 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c quinoa, rinsed
1/4 c minced fresh chives
1/2 c whole almonds, toasted & chopped
(Salt, to taste)
Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat and add olive oil. then add the onion, green garlic, mushrooms and carrots and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add cumin and cinnamon, and then add chicken, lemon zest and juice, dried fruits and stock, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the quinoa, re-cover the pan and simmer on low covered for 10-15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the chives and nuts and blend well. Add a touch more lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
Serves 4.
Heather in SF 
