Poached Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

Someone I know is dealing with a restricted diet that, incredibly, restricts almost all kinds of meats except for white chicken meat, white turkey meat, and pheasant/quail. Given that the latter are not readily available at the neighborhood supermarket, it boils down to the first two choices.

Another painful restriction is the banning of any kind of frying. With the early days of summer upon us, it's hard to imagine not BBQ-ing or at least frying meat. (My apologies to vegetarians and vegans everywhere.)

The solutions that came to mind were to poach, braise or stew those meats. Poached chicken -- if done right -- can be a delightful component of a summer lunch. Unfortunately, too many people make the mistake of over-cooking the meat, ending up with a rubbery, tough, and unpalatable piece of crap. So, my recipe instructions below leverage some of the research I've done regarding poaching techniques.

Poached Chicken and Wild Rice (or Quinoa) Salad
Serves 4-6

1 cup wild rice [Note to AP: I noticed after the fact that this should have been quinoa to make it a purely Option #2 recipe... OOPS]
2-3 chicken breast fillets, boneless and skinless (the number depends on the size of the fillets)
2 lemons
1 can (19 fl. oz.) red beans, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
½ cup almonds (raw or lightly dry roasted, as desired)
1 cup baby spinach (optional)
1 cup Almost Mayo Sauce

1. Add the wild rice (or quinoa) to a pot with the amount of water recommended on the package. Bring to a boil then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for the recommended length of time.
2. Slice one of the lemons into thick rounds. In a wide pot or skillet, lay down a single layer of the lemon slices. Place the chicken breast fillets on top of the lemon slices. Add just enough water to submerge the chicken. Weigh down the chicken with the lid of a smaller pot. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer. Cook until the internal temperature of the meat reaches at least 165°F (73°C), or until the interior is no longer pink. This may take anywhere from 5-20 minutes. The lemon slices keep the meat from overheating at the bottom. Shallow poaching (as opposed to poaching in lots of liquid) prevents the meat from losing flavor or moisture.
3. Either shred the meat by hand or chop them into thick slices. Place the meat in a large bowl. Add the red beans, chopped green onions, the zest of the remaining lemon, 1 Tbsp of the lemon's juice, and almonds (optionally the baby spinach too). When the wild rice (or quinoa) is ready, add to the bowl and mix all the ingredients gently.
4. To serve, provide the Almost Mayo Sauce on the side or drizzled on top.