In the kitchen with Wayne Johnson

This segment is produced with and sponsored by Alessi & Pete's Fresh Market.

In our "In the Kitchen" segment we are sending our cooks out to shop to create a dish that they love!

We are back "In the Kitchen" with one of our favorites, food and lifestyle blogger Wayne Johnson! For more on Wayne, check out his website or his YouTube channel, Wayne Bites.

We followed Wayne as he shopped at the Pete's Fresh Market in Wheaton to see what ingredients he wanted to use. Then he made his dish step-by-step.

Visit the Alessi website for all the Alessi products.

Alessi and Pete's Fresh Market have a surprise for our viewing audience. Until 2 a.m. tomorrow, go to the main page of windycitylive.com, click on promotions and go to the WCL Grocery Instant Win contest for your chance at winning one of these great prizes:

-$50 gift certificate to Pete's Fresh Market

-$90 Alessi gift box

And you can opt in for a free package of Alessi Tuscan Farro & Bean Minestrone Soup.

Visit the Pete's Fresh Market website for a location near you.

Wayne's recipe:

Chicken Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

Serves 4

2 lg Zucchini

Alessi Salt & Pepper Grinder

Alessi Olive Oil

1/4 cu Vigo Organic Quinoa

1/2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, cubed into 1/2" pieces

1 tsp Alessi Avocado Seasoning

1/2 sm Yellow Onion, diced, about 3/4 cup

1 tsp Alessi Jarred Garlic

2 tbl Alessi Pine Nuts (optional)

2 tbl Alessi Roasted Red Peppers

1/3 cu Feta Cheese

1/2 cu Cherry Tomatoes, pre measured, then sliced in quarters

3-4 Basil Leaves, finely minced

Garnish

Alessi Balsamic Reduction

3-4 Basil Leaves, chiffonade

Method

Preheat oven to 350F. Season diced chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoon of Alessi Avocado Seasoning. Toss to combine and place in a sealable container. Marinate chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place quinoa in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of water and a teaspoon of olive oil. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.

Rinse and dry the zucchini. Slice each in half lengthwise. This a teaspoon, scoop out a deep channel down the center of each zucchini half, taking out about half of the insides. Finely chop the scooped out zucchini and set it aside. Rub the zucchini with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on all sides and place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife into the zucchini. If the knife goes in smoothly, remove from oven and turn the halves over and set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté onions for about 3 minutes until they start to become translucent. Add the marinated chicken and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add chopped zucchini, roasted red pepper, and basil. Sauté for 1 minute. Add cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Remove saucepan from heat and add feta and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Divide mixture into 4 portions and scoop into each of the zucchini halves. Press the mixture down. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and top with additional basil. Drizzle each with a generous amount of balsamic and serve.