Quinoa Salad

Had a version of this a few weeks ago at a friend's cookout. Delicious! Made up my own last night. You can really added any vegi you've got, but this was a huge hit. One of my son's friends even had seconds!

1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/3 c. chopped red onion
4 oz muenster or swiss, diced
1/4 c. fresh herbs, rinsed, dried and chopped (I used oregano)
2-4 Tbs. vinaigrette

1. Prepare the quinoa according to package directions. Make this a few hours ahead of time so it can cool.
2. Mix in vegetables, cheese and herbs.
3. Toss with dressing and serve.

Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Chili

A friend told me about a recipe for chicken chili that included a maple chipotle sauce. I don't have any maple chipotle sauce, but I do have a bottle of raspberry chipotle sauce, so I thought I would give it a try with this substitution. We had it the other night and it was fabulous -- the spicy sweetness of the raspberry chipotle is wonderful. Not a huge hit with the kids, but at least they ate it.

2 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used a mix of boneless, skinless breasts and thighs)
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
32 oz chicken broth
1/3 cup chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups Raspberry Chipotle sauce (Kirkland brand)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the chicken in olive oil until done. Shred into bite-sized pieces
2. Saute the onion in olive oil until starting to caramelize. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds.
3. Add the chicken, chicken broth, chili powder, cayenne and Raspberry Chipotle sauce. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Salt and/or pepper to taste.
4. Serve over rice.