Pineapple Chicken Kabobs with Quinoa

This recipe is from Whole Foods Market, though slightly tweaked!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
sea salt
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
ground black pepper
1 pound organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 cherry tomatoes
8 (12-inch) metal or wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Toast pine nuts on stove in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Shake the skillet frequently to ensure even browning until the nuts are fragrant and browned.
2. Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear, then drain and transfer to medium pot. Add 1 cup water and salt lightly; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until water is absorbed, 15-20 min. Remove from heat for 5 min, then uncover and fluff with fork. Stir in parsley, pine nuts, lemon zest, and salt.
3. Prepare grill for medium heat. In small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Thread chicken, pineapple, pepper and tomatoes onto skewers. Grill, turning occasionally, until meat is cooked through and veggies tender, about 15 min. Serve with quinoa, and use any remaining honey mustard for dipping sauce.

Caveat: if you have wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for at least 20 min before using. For those who are gluten free: read the dijon mustard label!