Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa!

So as ya'll know... I'm not a big fan of cooking... One of the major benefits of living with the parents is my mom is an excellent cook, and unless it's a special occasion (or every other Thursday and Rubio's & Costco night) she has a home cooked meal on the table (have I mentioned how amazing my mother is...? Well- she is!). I decided to step up to the plate on Monday evening and cook up something I've been dreaming about ever since I pinned it a couple months ago! Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa! Let me tell you it was just as delicious as it looked! 

I adapted the recipe from SARCASTIC COOKING - she has some amazing recipes on her blog- I highly recommend only checking it out if you have enough time to droll over all the deliciousness! 

Since we eat as a community most nights, I adapted for five people so we'd have left overs... HA! There were no leftovers in sight! 

The dish:

• 5 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 TBS of Paprika
• 2 TBS of Garlic Salt
• 2 TBS of Chili Powder
• 2 TBS of Onion Powder
• 2 TBS of Cumin
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (enough to coat your pan)
• 3 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice of Two Limes
• 1 bunch Cilantro 

Combine all spices together (I used a shallow plate), and dredge chicken in mixture so you have it nicely coated.  Heat up a non-stick pan, add olive oil, add chicken. Cook for 5-8 minutes  (depending on how thick your chicken is), flip and cook for the same amount on the other side. Once chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from pan and chop on cutting board.

Rinse quinoa thoroughly using a strainer, add quinoa and chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cover- letting cook for 10-15 minutes or until it soaks up all the moisture (really similar to cooking rice, don't let it intimidate you!). Once the quinoa is done, remove from heat and add the lime juice and chopped up cilantro, you can also add a dash of salt if you'd like. 

Once everything is prepared, place chicken over quinoa and enjoy! Mr P. even went back for seconds!