Lemon Chicken with Quinoa

  This one took a few pans to complete but was worth washing the dishes.  The sauce is mainly from Cooking Light magazine, with some slight modifications, and the rest is based on flavors I like personally.

Ingredients:

chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

tbs brown sugar

3 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp cornstarch – gluten-free

1 tbs cooking sherry

juice of 1 lemon – divided

olive oil

broccolini florets

1/2 cup quinoa

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 400.

Cook the quinoa according to the package.  When finished cooking, add the juice of half the lemon, 1 tbs soy sauce and pepper, as desired.

While your quinoa cooks, you can start on the other elements.  Make sure you use an oven proof skillet for your chicken.

In a small baking dish, place the broccolini and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, as desired. I used a garlic sea salt, which is delicious on these.  Place in the oven, giving them about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the stalks.  Mine were small so I put them in with the chicken and gave them an additional couple minutes as I sliced the chicken

In a small skillet, combine 2 tbs soy sauce, the juice from the other half of the lemon, 1 tsp cornstarch and the sherry.  Whisk until combined.  Allow to cook on low heat until simmering, then add the brown sugar.  Whisk again and allow to simmer on very low heat until chicken is cooked.  If it begins to get too thick, turn off heat.

In your oven proof skillet, coat the bottom with olive oil and cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Cover with the soy sauce mixture and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until fully cooked.  Remove from the oven, allow to stand for a minute or two, then slice and place over the quinoa.  Arrange the broccolini on the side and done!

I had a nice glass of organic red wine with these, a leftover from a previous dinner.  Most dryer red wines will go well with this dish.