Easy Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

We like to pack our lunch 4, if not 5, days a week.  It's better on our budget and our waistlines.  It's easy to get stuck in a lunchtime rut, and I've never been mentally satisfied by lunch meant sandwiches or basic salads, so we have to get creative sometimes.  While this recipe is not the most creative, it hits all of our criteria--it's quick, flavorful, filling, healthy, and has repeat potential.  It utilizes one of our favorite shortcuts, which is buying a grocery store rotisserie chicken, pulling off all the meat--discarding all the skin--and using throughout the week.  I hope you'll enjoy this as much as we do!

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad, serves 4 

1.5 cups dry quinoa
3 cups water/chicken stock
12oz rotisserie chicken, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
8 baby carrots cut into thin circles
2 TB chopped cilantro
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped(or baby spinach)
3 TB yogurt-based Ranch dressing
1.5 TB water
Frank's Red Hot sauce


Rinse/drain quinoa in mesh collander and add to small saucepan with lid. Add 3 cups water or chicken stock (we add chicken base to water). Bring to a boil while covered, then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Check the moisture content of the quinoa with a fork. If quinoa is still wet, close lid and let sit for 10 minutes off the heat. If quinoa is dry, transfer to bowl and let cool.

Chop 12oz of rotisserie chicken and add to bowl with Frank's Red Hot sauce--the amount is your preferred heat level. Let sit.

Once quinoa has cooled, add chopped spinach, carrots, onion, cilantro. Salt & pepper lightly. Add more Frank's to taste. Mix in chicken.

Put ranch dressing and water in small bowl to thin out. Separate into 4 1TB servings to add to salad--you could do this now or when serving. **I can't stand thick dressing.  I also don't want to waste calories on it.  Thankfully, brands are now selling Greek yogurt based ranch dressings with less than half the calories of original ranch.  Because I find that still too thick for my liking, we add water.  It still packs big flavor and coats salads much more evenly.  Bonus: even less calories!**

We always prepare this the night before and pack into containers. This can be eaten cold or hot, and I do it both ways!  Warming in the microwave with a lid helps the spinach to wilt, and I like that variation.  For more texture, eat cold and keep your spinach crunchy.  If you like more veggies (or less, the pictured version is missing carrots--I ate those on the side), get creative and add what you like!