Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa

This Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa is a healthy one dish meal the whole family will love.  Healthy doesn’t get much tastier than this turmeric chicken recipe!
I have a new obsession and luckily it is a healthy one.

I’m completely obsessed with tumeric.

Not only is it the lastest superfood but it makes your dishes both delicious and BEAUTIFUL! Doesn’t the color of this Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa look festive? Perfect to add to your buffet table for a healthy alternative!

If you are new to turmeric, you must try this bright yellow curry spice! It contains a powerful anti-inflammatory called curcumin. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits.

• A recent study suggest that 500mg twice a day can help with osteoarthritis, specifically in the knee. Bonus: take them with olive oil and black pepper to help with absorption. Apparently this combination leads to up to 2,000% more bioavailabiltiy of curcumin.
• It also can be considered nature’s prozac. In a study published in Phytotherapy Research, 1000mg of curcumin was shown to be just as effective as treating depression as prozac. Curcumin inhibits the production of monoamine oxidase, and enzyme that in high levels is linked to depression.
• May help prevent heart attacks
• May help delay diabetes

Now obviously, therapeutic levels require supplementation (I take this one every day), but that is no reason to miss out on cooking with this amazing spice.

This Chicken & Quinoa is simply amazing…and perfect for planned leftovers. It makes a lot so if you are just cooking for yourself you may want to just make a half recipe or plan on freezing some. To make this vegan, I would recommend using either Beyond Meat chicken strips or tempeh.

5 from 1 vote

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Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa

This Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa is a healthy one dish meal the whole family will love.  Healthy doesn't get much tastier than this turmeric chicken recipe!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 56 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 16 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 320 kcal

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken or tempeh
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 plum tomatoes chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups quinoa rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch Oven, heat the olive oil to medium and add turmeric. Stir and add chicken. Cook until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Allow to cool and then shred.
2. Add the onion and ginger and cook for 8 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, curry powder, cumin and quinoa. Cook, string constantly for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pot. Add bay leaves, fish sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Servings 8, Calories 414, Fat 13.2g, Carbohydrates 29.9g, Protein 41.8g, Cholesterol 101mg, Sodium 938mg, Potassium 673mg, Fiber 3.7g, Sugars 2.1g

Nutrition Facts

Turmeric Chicken & Quinoa

Amount Per Serving

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 72mg 24%

Sodium 987mg 41%

Potassium 808mg 23%

Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 1g

Protein 31g 62%

Vitamin A 3.3%

Vitamin C 12.9%

Calcium 4.1%

Iron 16.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sources:

Prevention Magazine, October, 2014, September, 2014, January 2014