Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is a healthy 30-minute meal made with chicken, lots of vegetables, and a light sweet and sour sauce.  It takes just minutes to prepare, making this Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken an ideal weeknight meal that is much healthier than its take-out counterpart.

Here the Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is served over the ever trendy super-seed, quinoa.  You can easily substitute brown rice, or another favorite grain, or eliminate it all together for a lower carb option.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken with Quinoa
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick coins
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk honey, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and 1 tablespoon water.  
3. Toss chicken in 3 tablespoons of honey mixture and place in prepared baking dish.  Toss peppers, carrots and scallions in remaining honey mixture and pour evenly over chicken.  
4. Loosely cover baking dish with foil, leaving one end open to vent.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender.
5. Meanwhile, put quinoa and broth in a medium sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Then cover, reduce to a simmer (medium-low) for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
6. Divide quinoa on plates and spoon chicken and vegetables over quinoa.  

Slightly adapted from Family Circle, June 2013