Tastey Tuesday

I will be the first to admit my culinary skills are less than par! I have serious problems with being creative when it comes to cooking and I wish I could be that girl that could just grab whatever from the fridge or shelves, throw it in a bowl, and voilà out pops a gourmet delicacy...but I'm not! I'm tired of the same old blah meals and stressing everyday what the heck to make for dinner, so I've decided if I want to learn how to cook then I've got to practice till I get it.

So every Tuesday I will share with you a recipe I've tried during the week, in a sense I will be your personal recipe taste tester (feel free to make suggestions).  I'll be going for inexpensive family friendly yet still healthy meals, oh and quick and easy (I don't have high standards....right!?!)

This weeks dinner was Quinoa Broccoli Chicken Casserole (which I got from my amazing "Quinoa 365" cook book). It was super easy and bonus I didn't have to go shopping, I already had everything!

Shopping List:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
3 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp minced fresh basil (or a pinch of dried basil)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare your oven to 350F (180C) and lightly grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil. Cover, and reduce to a simmer cooking for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off but leave covered on burner for 6 more minutes. Fluff it up with a fork and set aside to cool.

Cook the broccoli until just tender or al dente.

Heat the oil in pan over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts until cooked and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Cool the chicken a bit before cutting into 2 inch wide strips.

In a small bowl mix well together the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, mustard, curry powder, and basil.

Now that you have everything ready...
first spread the quinoa out evenly in the bottom of your casserole dish, then the broccoli, chicken, sauce, and finally spread the cheese over the top of it all. Bake on the center rack for about 25 minutes or until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

There you have it ...super simple. And it passed the picky husband and baby test! I wouldn't serve it if I was trying to impress someone but if needed a "homey" kind of meal I'd make this. As for flavour it was a bit of different taste with the curry sauce, it was almost spicy sweet if that make sense at all, but the sauce definitely livened up the bland quinoa.