Super easy and delicious salad which can be eaten hot, cold or anything in between. The pomegranate seeds add burst of freshness, and along with the dates, provide great sweet pops of flavour. If you can’t find quinoa, you can easily use cous cous or bulgur wheat instead.
Serves 1
Prep time 5 mins
Cook time 25 – 30 mins
Ingredients
+ 60g (2oz, 1 ⁄3 cup) quinoa
+ 2 tbsp olive oil
+ 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, weighing 175g (6oz), cut into 2cm (3/4in) cubes
+ 1 tbsp runny honey
+ 4 dates, pitted and chopped
+ handful of baby spinach
+ 1 tbsp roughly chopped pistachios
+ 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
+ salt and ground black pepper
Method
Rinse the quinoa under running water, drain, and place in a lidded saucepan. Cover with 250ml (8fl oz, 1 cup) water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes. Drain the quinoa in a sieve, then return it to the pan, fluff up the grains with a fork, and set aside.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) and when hot, add the chicken and cook over a moderate heat for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat, drizzle over the honey, and cook for a further 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through and golden brown.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the quinoa with the dates, spinach, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and pepper and mix well until thoroughly combined.
To serve cold, spoon into a Stainless Steel Lunch Box and leave to cool. Seal then refrigerate until ready to eat.
To serve warm, spoon into a Glass Lunch Bowl to transport, remove the stainless steel lid and reheat in the microwave, until piping hot.