Things Aren’t Always What They Seem: Southwest Chicken-LESS Quinoa Salad
I do not believe in lying to ones spouse. Honesty is the key ingredient in the recipe for a healthy, happy relationship. Trust is something that must be earned and never taken for granted. So shame on me for letting Courtney lick his plate clean before telling him that what he’d just devoured wasn’t actually chicken.
It looks like chicken. It tastes like chicken (well, at least it does when smothered in barbecue sauce!). But things aren’t always what they seem.
No poultry here. It’s Trader Joe’s soy-based Chicken-Less strips and had I not told him, he never would have known. But I’d hate to have something like that on my conscience.
Southwest Chicken-Less Quinoa Salad
Adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup corn
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 package Trader Joe’s Chicken-Less strips (you could, of course, use chicken)
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 2-4 tbsp BBQ sauce
Instructions:
- Allow Chicken-less strips to marinate in 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce for several hours (this step is optional- you can also coat just before cooking).
- Cook quinoa according to package. Meanwhile, cook onion over medium heat in a large skillet that has been coated in cooking spray for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add Chicken-less strips and cook for another 5-7 minutes, flipping several times.
- In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, chicken, avocado and remaining barbecue sauce.
- Transfer mixture into bowls and serve!
Serves 2
