Quinoa Spaghetti with Chicken and Yam Sauce

It was 9:00 at night. I had just finished removing the labels from some empty wine bottles so I could reuse them to bottle my home made prickly pear mead. I was standing by the stove. A back burner was rendering the fat from two pounds of bacon so I could use it to make soap this weekend. A front burner was simmering ketchup on the stove. I was lamenting the fact I'd accidentally turned the ketchup into BBQ sauce by adding too much molasses. I was trying to work out a way to de-BBQ the sauce when it occurred to me I haven't been blogging much about my kitchen adventures.

I think I'll start with what I made for dinner tonight. Sadly I have no pictures handy, having neglected to take some at dinner. Perhaps I'll take one if I have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Dinner consisted of quinoa spaghetti with chicken and yam sauce.

Serves 3 to 4.

Total cook time: 20 to 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 package quinoa or other spaghetti
1 chicken breast
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
1.5 cups frozen yam, yellow squash, butternut squash or cauliflower puree
2 tsp chicken seasoning of your choice
1/4 tsp salt if the seasoning contains none

1. Slice the chicken breast into slightly smaller than bight sized pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with salt and the seasoning. Set aside.
2. Heat the water for cooking the spaghetti. The goal is to have the spaghetti finish around the time the sauce is ready.
3. Dice the onion.
4. Core the bell pepper and slice it into bite sized pieces.
5. Put the diced onion in a 12 inch skillet with 2 tsp olive or vegetable oil. Cook on medium-high heat until it starts to turn golden.
6. Add the chicken. Cook until the largest chicken pieces show no pink when sliced.
7. Add the bell pepper. Cook until it begins to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Add the spaghetti to the pot and the frozen puree to the skillet. The spaghetti should take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook, which should be just enough time for the frozen puree to melt and heat.
9. Stir the sauce periodically.
10. When the pasta is cooked, drain and mix with the sauce. Serve hot, with a few grates of pepper and some grated hard cheese.

Enjoy!