Last week I had the privilege of being a small group facilitator at the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) for the second time. If you're not familiar with this wonderful program check it out over at the NIC website. UIFI is always a powerful experience for me, and now that I don't work directly with Greek Life it was a great way to reconnect with the roots of my career in student affairs. My fraternity is where student affairs "happened" for me, and the work that I continue to do within the movement is really where my heart lies. It is incredible to watch the change that occurs in the students over five days of the conference; and I truly learn from each of them in addition to my fellow facilitators.
As excited as I was to return to UIFI, I was just as excited to return to the Alpha Xi Delta house at Indiana University where Jackie Howard reigns over a truly sublime kitchen. Jackie's food is always delicious and he personality makes eating in her kitchen a truly joyful experience. She was also recently profiled in an Indiana Public Media article for the great work she does to locally source food for the kitchen and her commitment to cooking organic when possible. This recipe is inspired by a dish she made the first night the facilitators arrived and it is delicious, creamy, and full of protein!
First roast the turkey tenderloins with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can feel free to substitute chicken breast for turkey, but definitely don't substitute ground turkey - that's not really what you're looking for. Jackie made it with turkey though, and I really wanted to switch up the usual chicken. After the turkey is cooked, let it cook and shred or roughly cube it.
The ratio for quinoa is the same as making rice and cous cous - 2 parts water to 1 part grain. The difference with quinoa is that you need to rinse it in a fine mesh sieve before you add it to the water. I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth, but you could also use salted water.
The sauce for this dish is a classic mornay sauce with parmesan and goat cheese. Start by making a roux of equal parts butter and flour. I add crushed garlic to the butter for this sauce. Let your roux turn lightly golden before whisking in 2 cups of milk (I used 2% because this sauce can get a little heavy). Bring the milk to a simmer before you add the parmesan and goat cheese. Once the cheese has melted add the spices and keep the sauce warm on low heat until the quinoa is cooked.
Add the cooked quinoa, turkey, tomatoes, and spinach to the saucepan and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 degree for 25 minutes, if its not brown enough after 25 minutes, pop on the broiler for a couple of minutes to get a nice, golden crust.
Ingredients
Instructions
First roast the turkey tenderloins with olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can feel free to substitute chicken breast for turkey, but definitely don't substitute ground turkey - that's not really what you're looking for. Jackie made it with turkey though, and I really wanted to switch up the usual chicken. After the turkey is cooked, let it cook and shred or roughly cube it.
The ratio for quinoa is the same as making rice and cous cous - 2 parts water to 1 part grain. The difference with quinoa is that you need to rinse it in a fine mesh sieve before you add it to the water. I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth, but you could also use salted water.
The sauce for this dish is a classic mornay sauce with parmesan and goat cheese. Start by making a roux of equal parts butter and flour. I add crushed garlic to the butter for this sauce. Let your roux turn lightly golden before whisking in 2 cups of milk (I used 2% because this sauce can get a little heavy). Bring the milk to a simmer before you add the parmesan and goat cheese. Once the cheese has melted add the spices and keep the sauce warm on low heat until the quinoa is cooked.
Add the cooked quinoa, turkey, tomatoes, and spinach to the saucepan and stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish and cover with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 degree for 25 minutes, if its not brown enough after 25 minutes, pop on the broiler for a couple of minutes to get a nice, golden crust.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups white quinoa
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 turkey breast tenderloins (about 1 and 1/4 lb)
- 2 cups of milk
- 3 oz. goat cheese (chèvre)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 box of chopped, frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
- 3-4 medium tomatoes, seeded
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- Oregano
- Parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cover turkey breast in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on a foil covered pan for 30 minutes.
- Add quinoa to a pot of water or broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes
- Shred or cube cooled turkey and dice tomatoes
- For the sauce, melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan with two crushed cloves of garlic. Whisk in two tablespoons of butter and keep whisking until it turns golden
- Add two cups of milk and whisk vigorously until it is combined and comes to a simmer
- When sauce begins to simmer add parmesan cheese and goat cheese, whisk in until smooth and combined
- Finally add oregano, parsley, cayenne pepper, and black pepper
- Add cooked quinoa, spinach, tomatoes, and turkey to the sauce, mix to combine
- Transfer quinoa mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish and top with breadcrumbs and a little more parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
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