Vegan Balsamic Quinoa Chicken

     If you want to be Vegan but still love Chicken, I found a "chick" on Pinterest that is a genius.  Her name is Sam, and her blog is itdoesn'ttastelikechicken.com, check her out!  Her "Vegan Seitan Tenders" is what I used here.  This new discovery is great for salads, sandwiches, or ground into recipes...(and what your husband doesn't know ladies won't hurt him)...I digress.  Each of my 12 cup servings are only 235 calories, 23g carbs, 3.4g fiber, 19.6g net carbs, 17g protein and 8g fat.  I silently laugh when people think Vegan recipes can't be high protein....ok ok, not silently, ...completely in their face.

Ingredients for 12 one cup servings~
4 Vegan Seitan Tenders or sub with 4 six ounce Chicken Breasts (I will type the recipe for the Tenders at the end of this recipe for those without Pinterest)
10oz cubed Butternut Squash, approximately 1.5 cups
2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Water
12oz cooked Edamame
3 sliced Green Onions
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4oz Vegan Cheese Crumbles, or sub with Feta if not Vegan
1/4 cup Walnut pieces
1/4 cup Cranraisins

     Add Chicken to food processor til crumbles form.  Rub Butternut with 1 teaspoon Oil, season with Salt, Pepper and Garlic, bake at 400 for 45 minutes, stir half way thru.  Meanwhile, add Quinoa and water to saucepan, bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or til water is absorbed, and add to large mixing bowl along with Chicken crumbles, Edamame, Onions,roasted Butternut, remaining Oil and Vinegar,stir to combine, top with Cheese, Walnuts and Cranraisins.   Enjoy  :)

Vegan Seitan Tenders~
1 1/2 cups Vital Wheat Gluten
397g extra firm Tofu (she calls for 300g soft Tofu)
2 Tablespoons Water
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

     Add all ingredients to food processor til dough forms a ball, or add to bowl and work dough to ball with hands.  Divide dough into 6 equal parts, pat each into Chicken Breast oval shape, about 5" X 6".  Add to a Pam coated steamer basket, cover pot and simmer 25 minutes, turning half way thru.  Cool, chill for one hour in fridge, remove 4 (use the other 2 for another purpose as you would Chicken), add back to cleaned food processor and pulse til crumbled.  This all sounds harder than it looks, once you have done it a time or two, it's easy peasy and a great Chicken sub.