I recently made a quinoa salad with chicken sausage and it was a hit. It was so popular, a week later, I was requested to repeat the meal. However, since I didn't plan for it, I had to use what we already have in the fridge/pantry. Luckily, quinoa and frozen veggies, as well as majority of the basics (chicken broth, s&p, chili powder...etc.) are staples in our household. However, I did not have any zucchinis. What can we do? The good thing about this recipe is that it's so easy to substitute and change it to what fits for YOU. Click on the above link for the recipe, and see what I used this time around. This is also a great recipe for vegetarians - see below for vegetarian options.
So this time:
- I've used 1 pack (about 8 oz) of frozen edamames instead of zucchinis for the 'crunch' and green.
- For the chicken sausage, I used a sweeter, instead of a spiced chicken sausage, so I added more chili powder for the 'kick'.
And this is how it came out:
Still pretty yummy, but the sweetness is more so. I might need a little more acid (lemon juice) to counter that a little more in the future.
For a great vegetarian option, follow the original recipe and substitute as follows:
- To cook the quinoa, use vegetable stock or I like Imagine's Organic Vegetarian No-Chicken broth.
- You can use any "crunchy" vegetable for the texture and green aspect, such as zucchinis, edamame or hot-house cucumbers (aka english cucumbers - remove seeds with tablespoon.)
- As to the main protein, instead of sausage, I recommend tempeh, a healthy soy alternative that's high in protein and fiber. Same procedure, diced and pan fried, but add in a dash of onion, garlic, pepper, paprika, cayenne and thyme and stir.
- I would add 1/2 more of the dressing for a "wetter" consistency overall.
Enjoy!
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