Blackened Chicken with Cilantro/Lime Quinoa and Avocado Cream Sauce

we had a delish dinner tonight...i mean it was the best healthy dinner we have had yet.

the recipe called for

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

½ Teaspoon of Paprika

¼ Teaspoon of Salt

¼ Teaspoon of Pepper

¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder

¼ Teaspoon of Cumin

1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil

2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock

1 Cup of Quinoa

Juice and Zest from One Lime

A Dash of Salt and Pepper

2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

1. Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.
2. Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.
3. Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.
4. After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.
5. Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.
6. Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down.
7. Just place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

 we decided to pair ours with brussel sprouts baked and lightly tossed in a balsamic vingarette.  For dessert, we had a combination of fruit which included apples, oranges, blueberries and a banana.

why is it?

in the words of carrie, my favorite tv/movie character...why is it...when you are sick or facing a life threatening illness or a major change in your life, {you} are the one comforting others?

when updating friends and family of illnesses in our family, i often {feel} the need to omit words and feelings because {someone} may get offended or upset.  i try to sugarcoat things to calm {them} so {they} don't in turn upset us. 

and why is it...when people say "i don't know what to say" or "i wish i had words of comfort" that they just can't leave it at that?  the moment some people say those words, they immediately vomit the worst possible thing a person could say.  why does there have to be {something} to say?  in an effort to say the {right} thing, all the wrong things comes out. 
 
in {your} time of need, you hear often "if you need anything, let me know".  i used to be {super} guilty of this.  i mean the last thing on anyone's mind when facing an illness, a death or catastrophy is what can {you} do for them?  but what if you did something for someone without them asking?  what if you could recognize a need and act on it.  could it be that there are people who do not need the recognition, the thanks?  just simply knowing you did something nice for someone else would be enought to put a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. 

here is a hint when you don't know what to say or do in someone's dark times:  keep quiet.  if you really want to help, be there to listen when we finally let loose all that we have bottled up from the many times {we} have had to comfort {others} in {our} time of need.  don't wait to be asked.  put yourself in the shoes of your friend or family member.  what would be something that would be helpful to you?  what would put a smile on your face.  then do it.  and don't make it about you...don't expect a thank you.  remember why you are doing it in the first place...because they probably have so much on their plate, they aren't thinking clearly. 

oh, and it doesn't always have to be a time when someone is hurting, it can be any time.