Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Stew

Originally posted on May 18, 2013

Do you know the days when you just feel like you want to stay at home?  Well, this afternoon was one of those days.  Nate & I went to the Church Under the Bridge this morning, which was an amazing experience.  It is literally a church service under the main highway, I-35, in Austin, which serves the homeless population downtown.  My brother-in-law and his wife lead the worship team and play christian music while the group is being fed, which is then followed by a sermon by a local pastor.  I have a HUGE heart for the homeless, so this event was a really uplifting morning for me.

However, when we got home, I did NOT want to go to the grocery store and get anything to make lunch.  I decided I would go through the pantry and fridge, and try to scrounge something up – and I ended up making the best stew ever!  It was such an awesome experience taking the first bite of this meal, and I was very pleasantly surprised with how it turned out.  Nate loved it too!  I also made a side dish of breaded asparagus, which I’ll post later. :-)

This stew reminded me alot of a warm, comforting bowl of chili – it was thick and hearty, and one bowl filled both of us up – this recipe makes about 4 large servings of the stew, so it would be perfect as a family dinner.

I hope you all enjoy the first bite of this as much as I did!!! :D

- Britt

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup buffalo sauce ( I used Frank’s Red Hot Wing sauce)
• 15 ounces water
• 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, undrained
• 1 can (29 oz.) cut sweet potatoes, drained
• 2 orange bell peppers, cut into thin slices
• 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash Tomato Basil Garlic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1) Add the quinoa and 1 cup chicken stock to a sauce pan.  Bring to boil, then turn heat on low.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  Place the chicken in a bowl and add the desired amount of buffalo sauce.  Simmer the chicken mixture in a deep skillet until fully cooked; set aside to cool.

3) In a large pot, add the remaining 3 cups chicken stock, water, black beans, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, mixed vegetables, and spices and stir thoroughly.

4) Simmer stew on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.

5)Add the cooked quinoa & cornstarch (to thicken the stew); simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

6) Cool and serve.