Spinach artichoke chicken quinoa

Confession: all the quinoa meals this week were made on the same night.  And then they were frozen(besides the turkey and quinoa stuffed peppers, those were devoured immediately). I have not even touched them for dinner yet. Weeeelllllll, I touched them. I tasted the crap out of them before freezing them. I couldn't figure out which was my favorite one...they're like my beloved children, from the creepy food freak corner of my brain, and I just can't pick one to favor.

I keep coming across these pasta recipes that I need to try. But I also need to fit in my wedding dress is  few weeks. Alterations are done, people...it's crunch time here, no weight gain allowed, no matter how good the pasta looks! My solution? Skinny up the ingredients list as well as subbing quinoa for pasta! This method hasn't failed me yet. If you don't love spinach artichoke dip, then this probably isn't for you...but if you're a spin dip freakazoid like this chick (pointing two thumbs at myself), then you're going to love this stuff! It's very rich so it tastes decadent which means you don't need to eat 5 lbs of it to be satisfied. It feels like you're being oh so bad but then you remember it's quinoa so it's oh so good for you. It's a taste bud conundrum if I've ever experienced one. See what your buds and buddettes think of this!

4 oz fat free cream cheese
1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 chicken breasts, seasoned, baked, and diced
1/2 bag fresh spinach
1 can artichoke hearts
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T crushed red pepper (or to taste)

Cook the quinoa like normal, boiling in the chicken broth until the liquid is absorbed. Add the artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic stirring the mixture continuously while it cooks for 5 minutes. Add the greek yogurt, cream cheese, milk, and crushed red pepper and cook another 5 minutes, until the mixture is thick, creamy, and warm throughout. Add your cooked chicken and stir. Serve immediately or freeze for later.

If freezing, thaw the 13x9 container before cooking. Cook until warmed throughout at 400 degrees. You may have to add some chicken broth or skim milk if the quinoa dries out a bit, but that won't hurt the taste at all. I'm telling you people, nothing can hurt the taste of this concoction. It's like spinach artichoke dip married it's opposite healthy counterpart that it met in college, it was never supposed to work between them because she's a partier who stays up late stuffing her face with crap and he's a healthy marathon runner who gets up early to work out, but they're so perfect together their marriage lasts forever and they can never be separated. They each bring out the best in each other, and that's what a real marriage is all about, am I right!? Put your face in this pile of love and tell me you're not impressed with their commitment to one another...