"Health" in 15 minutes

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Yesterday kind of blew. Just one of those days, dealing with a lot of those things, yada yada. Between the weird weather, the killer work screw up and other things, I was less than in the mood for anything all day. Until J and I had to, ahem, run an errand to the local microbrewery The Livery . Where I had a beer. Which helped.

After the porkapalooza eating fest in Chicago this week, I had intended to make something healthy and easy for dinner. Until J got a beer in him, and decided he wanted pizza. I did not. I could not. Couldn't happen. So I started thinking of the easiest option in the kitchen (yes, in the car) and really really knew that I did not want a salad. Anyway, here's what I knew I had in the house: quinoa, chicken stock, chicken sausage, broccoli rabe and feta cheese. (And balsamic vinegar, which I always have.) I figured, that sounds like a good meal? Slightly comforting while still being healthy, and fast enough that I could make it while J's pizza stayed warm in the oven and he cleaned out the litter boxes.

15 minutes later, I had something that resembled mac and cheese in terms of comfort food but wouldn't make me feel like total crap after eating it. Filling and flavorful, it made a crappy day a little less crappy, instead of giving into the instinct of mowing down on half of J's pepperoni pie.

And of course, left room for some very necessary dessert.


Quinoa with Chicken Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Feta
2 servings (one for dinner, one for lunch!)
1 C Quinoa
2 C chicken stock
1 link chicken sausage, sliced
1 C broccoli rabe, chopped
1/4 C crumbled or chopped feta
Balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, to taste

Bring quinoa and chicken stock to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Once boiling, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook approximately 10-15 minutes. 
Meanwhile, sear up chicken sausage in a skillet, remove.
Bring a small pot of water to a simmer, and cook broccoli rabe for about 5 minutes, to take out the bitterness. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
When quinoa is almost done, add broccoli rabe to pot of cooking quinoa, and cook until done.
Remove from heat, add feta and stir. Add in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

I also added in a bit of garlic at the end, because I was in a garlicky mood. But the trick with this, I think, is that the possibilities are endless. No chicken sausage but a leftover rotisserie chicken? Throw that in. No feta but goat cheese? Done. Don't like broccoli rabe? Throw in peas or whatever other veggie you have. This dish LOOKED pretty and tasted insane--no reason not to feed it to your mother-in-law, neighbor, or boss.