"Chicken" & Quinoa with Green Pipian Sauce

One of my favorite shows on Food Network is Mexican Made Easy with Marcela Valladolid.  I have tried a bunch of her recipes with great results....and this is another example of a great recipe.  I changed mine up a bit from the original recipe to make it vegetarian.  I used Quorn Chick'n Cutlets, but this could easily be made vegan by substituting grilled or roasted vegetables, such as mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers.  Enjoy!

For the Quinoa:

1 C quinoa, rinsed
2 C vegetable broth
1 garlic glove, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Dash of salt & pepper

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, cover & reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.  Removed from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and gently stir in the cilantro.

Cook the Quorn chicken according to package instructions (I roasted in the oven) if using.  If you prefer grilled veggies, cook until just tender.

For the Pepian Sauce:

1 1/4 C green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 pound tomatillos, husked & rinsed
1 serrano chile, stemmed (removed seeds if less spice is desired)
1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
1 1/2 C chicken broth, warmed
1/4 C fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1 tsp sugar
Salt & Pepper to tasted
1 avocado, slided (for garnish)

In a preheated skilled over medium heat, place pumpkin seeds, stirring frequently until they expand and begin to pop.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel and set aside.  Reserve 2 tbsp of the pepitas for garnish later on.

In a medium sized sauce pan, place tomatillos, onion, and serrano.  Fill with water until the tomatillos are just covered.  Add some salt and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the tomatillos have darkened.  With a slotted spoon, transfer tomatillos, onions, and serrano to a blender.  Add the broth,  remaining pepitas, sugar, cilantro, salt and pepper and blend until pureed.  Spoon the sauce over the chick'n cutlets and quinoa and garnish with avocado slices and the remaining pepitas.