Sambal Chicken & Quinoa “Fried Rice”

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the snow peas crosswise. Cut off and discard the stems of the peppers; remove the cores, then thinly slice into rings. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. In a bowl, combine the halved peas, sliced peppers, chopped garlic, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions.

Add the quinoa to the pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly. 

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, carefully transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop.

To the pan of reserved fond, add the prepared vegetables; season with salt and pepper (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil). Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly softened. Add the soy sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) and as much of the sambal oelek as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until combined and the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped chicken. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until combined. Turn off the heat. Transfer to a large bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

Crack the egg into a bowl; season with salt and pepper and beat until smooth. In the same pan, heat the sesame oil on medium-high until hot. Add the cooked quinoa in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly crispy. Using a spoon, move the quinoa to one side of the pan. Add the beaten egg to the other side. Cook, constantly  stirring the egg, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until cooked through. Stir the quinoa and egg to combine. Transfer to the bowl of cooked chicken and vegetables; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished chicken, vegetables, and quinoa garnished with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!