Thai Quinoa Salad with Chicken

Lately I've been attempting a new recipe every week.. mostly coming from Pinterest.
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One of my favorites, which I've made twice this month already, is the Thai Quinoa Salad!  It's filling, delicious and healthy.. perfect to eat after a great run, because you won't feel bad about eating it, and it's a quick fix dinner.    I added chicken to my recipe, just for some added protein.

Here is a link to the original recipe.

Now here are my preferred modifications:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 heaping cup shredded red cabbage 
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup edamame  - without the shells
½ cup cashew halves
½ cup chopped cilantro
For the dressing:
¼ cup peanut butter (smooth)
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
3 Tbsp soy sauce 
1 Tbsp honey 
1 Tbsp vinegar - I used white wine vinegar, bc that's what I had
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sriracha hot sauce 
For the chicken:2 chicken breasts - skinless boneless
salt & pepper
1 pinch Cayenne Pepper (For added spiciness - optional)

Cook quinoa according to package directions. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.

In a large bowl combine cabbage, carrots, edamame, cashews, and cilantro.  (See picture to left)

 

For the chicken:
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne powder (if you like it spicy).   Grill chicken, bake, or sauté until done.   Set aside to rest.

 

For the dressing:
Add peanut butter and honey to a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave for about 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar,  olive oil and sriracha and stir until smooth and creamy. If necessary, thin the dressing by adding a little more olive oil or some water.

Drizzle half of the dressing over the cooked quinoa.
Fold in the quinoa to your bowl of cabbage and other ingredients.  Add as much of the remaining dressing as you'd like (to taste).

Cut the chicken into strips and garnish on top of salad.

Chill until ready to eat or eat warm.

Here is my final results: