Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

I have been looking for a good recipe to use Quinoa, and I think I have found it!  I was excited about using Quinoa (pronounced "kee-noa") for the first time.  Quinoa is a gluten-free grain, high in essential amino acids and a complete protein source - making it an excellent choice for vegetarian's as well as health-conscious folks looking to make the best choices in their food selections.

My inspiration for this recipe was a Bon Appetit recipe, that I altered in a few ways.  I first reduced the amount of white wine, and replaced 1/2 of the quantity with chicken broth.  Also, shitake mushrooms are hard to come by, so I substituted white button mushrooms for them.  Finally, I added chicken breasts to pair with the risotto to make it a more complete "dinner".

Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Here's what I used:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
S&P

1 cup dried, rinsed quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dry thyme
1 med onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic (1 clove)
6-8 button mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
6-8 oz package bella (crimini) mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
shredded parmesan (topping, optional)

Here's what I did:

First I added olive oil to a non-stick skillet and set to medium heat.  Meanwhile I rinsed, patted dry, and seasoned the chicken breasts with thyme, salt and pepper.  Once oil is heated, add chicken (should sear) for 3-4 minutes per side.  Once a light browning has been achieved, add the white wine and chicken broth, and let cook for another 6-8 minutes, flipping 1-2 times.

Meanwhile, set a medium pan to boil with water and salt for quinoa.  Add rinsed quinoa and cook for 13 minutes at a simmer, covered, or until all liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

Once chicken is well-cooked, or has reached an internal temperature of 160, remove from heat and set aside.  Add olive oil to same pan with juices from chicken remaining.  Saute onions for 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add mushrooms and thyme, and saute until mushrooms are heated through.  At this point, add white wine and chicken broth, and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until liquid becomes slightly thicker. 

Add mushroom mixture to quinoa pan, and incorporate all ingredients.

Plate mushroom quinoa with chicken.  The original recipe suggests topping this with grated parmesan, however we did not really like that combination.  So I would suggest trying it out to see if you like it, otherwise omit.