Indian Spiced Chicken and Curried Quinoa with Chickpeas

My love for Indian spices is pretty well known; I have invested in quite a few "staples" in the Indian food cuisine, including some I picked up at an Indian market in NYC a few weeks ago, so whenever I find a recipe that uses any of them I have to give it a try.

This entire meal comes from Erin's Food Files. The chicken is originally from Cook.com and the quinoa is actually a Weight Watchers recipe! All in all, it's a pretty healthy and easy meal to make and is VERY flavorful and delicious. We loved it!

Indian Spiced Chicken
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
4 lemon wedges

In small bowl, stir together oil and garlic. Stir in water, paprika, ginger, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

Spoon 1 tbsp into another small bowl; stir in lemon juice and set aside. Arrange chicken in single layer in shallow glass dish; brush with remaining spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate chicken for at least 1 hour.

Place chicken on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Turn and brush with reserved lemon mixture. Close lid and cook, turning often, until chicken is no longer pink inside and juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Curried Quinoa with Chickpeas
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup cooked frozen peas and carrots, thawed
5 oz canned chickpeas, (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted (we left out)
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup golden seedless raisins
2 medium scallions, chopped (we left out)
1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tsp orange zest, grated

Combine the quinoa, orange juice, water, curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin, and allspice in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, 12–15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and peas and carrots; cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and almonds; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes longer. Remove the skillet from the heat, then stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

Transfer the quinoa mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the raisins, scallions, cilantro, and orange zest; toss well. Stir in the chickpea mixture and serve at once or let the mixture cool to room temperature before serving. Yields 1 1/3 cup per serving.