Blackened Chicken and San Fran Quinoa Salad: A Fertility-Boosting Meal

Jamie Oliver is tired of your complaining.

“I hear it all the time: I don’t have the time to make meals at home. It’s an excuse—plain and simple,” he says.

The celebrity chef, cookbook author, and founder of Food Revolution Day (May 17) believes you can prepare healthy, tasty, and inexpensive meals at home faster than grabbing greasy fast food from the drive-thru. The key is using prime proteins, quality grains, and fresh vegetables.

Why This Recipe Supports Male Fertility

This blackened chicken and quinoa salad is not only packed with flavor, but it's also loaded with nutrients that can boost male fertility. Here's how:

• Chicken: A rich source of lean protein, chicken provides the amino acids needed to support sperm health and production.
• Quinoa: This whole grain is high in zinc, which plays a key role in testosterone production and sperm quality.
• Spinach: Packed with folate, spinach supports healthy sperm development and motility.
• Avocado: Rich in healthy fats and vitamin E, avocado helps maintain sperm vitality and motility.
• Pepper and Lime: The vitamin C in peppers and lime juice helps protect sperm from oxidative stress and improves overall sperm function.

Blackened Chicken and San Fran Quinoa Salad Recipe

Recipe adapted from Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals

What You’ll Need:

• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 jalapeno
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 4 scallions, trimmed
• 1 cup cilantro
• ½ cup mint
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 rounded tsp ground allspice
• 1 rounded tsp smoked paprika
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 bell peppers, each deseeded and cut into 8 strips
• 1 large mango, cut into chunks
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 avocado
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup watercress
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• Salt and pepper, to taste

How to Make It:

1. Cook the quinoa: Follow the package instructions for cooking the quinoa.
2. Prepare the veggie mixture: As the quinoa cooks, combine the jalapeno, spinach, scallions, cilantro, and mint in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
3. Season and tenderize the chicken: On a large sheet of wax paper, season the chicken with the allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper. Fold the paper over and use a heavy-bottomed skillet to bash the chicken until it’s about ½-inch thick.
4. Cook the chicken and peppers: Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and bell peppers and cook until the chicken is blackened and cooked through (3 to 4 minutes on each side), and the peppers are tender.
5. Prepare the quinoa salad: Drain the quinoa, rinse under cold water, and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the chopped spinach mixture, lime juice, the remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and transfer to a large serving platter.
6. Finish the salad: Top the quinoa with mango chunks and cooked peppers. Use a teaspoon to scoop curls of avocado over the salad. Slice the chicken, toss in the pan’s juices, and add to the salad. Garnish with crumbled feta and watercress. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

Makes 4 servings.

This recipe offers a delicious and fertility-enhancing meal packed with protein, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals to support male reproductive health.