Chicken and Quinoa Burrito Bowl

Mexican food is one of my favourite cuisines and I love burritos as much as the next person. I used to be a loyal customer of the Mexican fast food chain here, so much so, that they used to give me a VIP discount at this one location, a couple of minutes from my house. This one time I didn’t eat there for about two months because I was traveling. When I went back there, they asked where I’d been because they hadn’t seen me for a while. If they know you that well you eat there too often!

I recently realized however that even a small burrito has over 500 calories. That’s a little less than half of my calorie requirement for a day. I still indulge in the occasional burrito once in a while but gone are the days of me being a VIP customer. I do still crave it and so I came up with this recipe for a burrito bowl.

I chose chicken as the meat because it’s easy to cook and healthy to eat. I chose quinoa as the carb, instead of brown rice. The carbs in Quinoa and brown rice are comparable. However, quinoa not only has a higher content of protein and fiber, but is also a good source of iron and folate, much needed by a lot of women.

This recipe is a one pot meal and is a protein packed delicious meal.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Chicken breasts – 2 (Cut in bite sized pieces)
2. Red bell pepper – 1 (Julienned)
3. Yellow bell pepper – 1 (Julienned)
4. Red Onion – 1 Medium (Julienned)
5. Corn – 1/2 cup (Steamed)
6. Avocado – 1/2 (Sliced)
7. Olive oil – 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
8. Cilantro – Handful (chopped)

Spices for chicken:

1. Salt – 1 teaspoon
2. Garlic powder – 1/2 teaspoon
3. Cayenne pepper – 1/4 teaspoon
4. Onion powder – 1 teaspoon
5. Oregano – 1/2 teaspoon
6. Crushed black pepper – 1/2 teaspoon

For the quinoa:

1. Quinoa – 1 cup
2. Chicken broth – 2 cups
3. Black beans – 1 cup (Canned)
4. Tomato – 1 Medium (Cubed)
5. Tomato purée – 1 tablespoon
6. Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
7. Garlic powder – 1/2 teaspoon
8. Onion powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Spices for vegetables:

1. Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
2. Crushed black pepper – 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions:

1. In a bowl add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, the spices for chicken mentioned above and mix well.
2. Heat a pan, add 1/2 tablespoon oil to it. Once the oil becomes hot add the chicken.
3. Cook the chicken on high to medium heat, for 8 minutes so that it becomes a little crispy on the outside and then on low heat for 4 minutes so it cooks through
4.  Remove the chicken from the pan and add 1/2 teaspoon oil, followed by the onions and bell peppers.
5. Add salt and black pepper to the vegetables and saute on high to medium heat for 4 minutes.
6. Remove the vegetables from the pan (they should be crispy but not raw).
7. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil to the pan and add the chopped tomatoes. Saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
8. Add the quinoa, tomato puree, black beans, salt and garlic powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
9. Add chicken broth and put the lid on. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
10. Once the quinoa is cooked, turn the heat off. Add the vegetables, chicken and corn to the pan.
11. Garnish with fresh avocado slices and chopped cilantro and serve hot.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating my version of a burrito bowl as much as I do.