Quinoa with Spicy Chicken Marinara

So I have a new found love for quinoa these days. It's light fluffy texture is similar to rice, but contains less carbohydrates, more protein, more iron, more fiber, and just a slew of vitamins and minerals. Is it something I should eat every day? No, probably not due to the carbohydrate content (about 29g in 1 cup when cooked) but I feel much healthier eating quinoa than something like rice or pasta. It tastes great too!

I decided to turn it into a mock-pasta Italian sort of dish tonight using chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic (of course!), and jalapenos to really give it a kick. I used a whole jalapeno and it was SUPER spicy, so you may want to tone it down to 1/2 jalapeno if you can't handle the heat. ;)

All in all, I'd say it was a success. My hubby ate his whole serving, even though he was complaining about it being too spicy throughout the meal. :-p

Lemon-Lime Chicken with Mushrooms and Onions

For some reason I have become slightly obsessed with lemons lately. Although I have been using them most often in desserts, and with my beloved avocados (of course!). I always tend to associate lemons with sweet things, but I thought why not try them out with a more savory dish instead?

Well, I had some chicken breasts on hand and I was trying to think of some new way to cook them. usually I just saute them up with some peppers, onions, and mushrooms...but that gets boring after a while. I had some extra lemons on hand so I thought, why not! I've heard of lemon chicken before, I've just never actually made it myself. I was sure it would be delicious, and while I was at it, I figured why not throw in some lime for good measure?

I am happy to announce it was a success! The chicken was actually really moist, and the sweet and sour tang from the lemons and limes went together really good with the mushrooms and onions. My husband loved it as well, which is a little rare when trying out new things. :)

Almond Flour Mushrooms with Chunky Marinara

I have always been a huge fan of Italian food, specifically pizza and pasta. I remember as a child spaghetti and meatballs was always my favorite dish (and still to this day is one of the best)!

But lately my husband and I have been trying to stay away from having too much gluten products, so spaghetti was a no-no. However, there's no gluten in the sauce! I've come to realize that most of my favorite Italian foods are based around the marinara anyway. I never did like Alfredo sauce, and I can't say I know a whole lot about the rest of the Italian cuisine...

So the question was, what could I serve with marinara?

Mushrooms of course! They are low fat, low in carbohydrates, high in vitamins B and D, and just so delicious and juicy when baked. Not to mention me and my husband are both big mushroom fans. They are just so versatile, and seem to go good with almost any dish.