Quinoa Bowl
Quinoa Bowl
Before we know it the New Year is upon us and like each year I made a promise to myself that I will try and incorporate healthier lunches. Hi.. I am Sarani and I am back with the recipe for this month – a healthy Quinoa Bowl. It is not so much of a recipe, rather an idea – you can throw in anything you want into your bowl just keeping in mind that you maintain a balance of protein, veggies and carb.
For this particular Quinoa Bowl I used:
- Cooked Quinoa
- Cooked Chicken (you can use store bought or homemade)
- Cooked Spinach with garbanzo beans
- Red & Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced
Quinoa Bowl
Prepping the Quinoa for the Quinoa Bowl:
Cooking quinoa is easy as a breeze. The most important part is washing the quinoa. You really need to scrub the quinoa well to get rid of the bitter after-taste. Find step by step instruction on ‘how to cook quinoa’ here. I tossed the cooked quinoa with little olive oil, lemon juice, seasoned it with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and threw in a handful of dried cranberry and chopped parsley to add an extra layer of flavor.
Prepping the Chicken:
In our family, we love lots of flavors and the easiest way to incorporate flavors is by using fresh herbs and fragrant spices.
For making the chicken, first I made a quick marinade using a paste of cilantro (1 Cup, packed), garlic (1 fat clove), salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste), oil (2 tablespoons), juice form half a lemon and then marinated 2 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks for f half an hour. Lastly, I baked in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 F till done (flip the pieces over once, halfway).
Prepping the veggies:
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and fry 1 tsp of minced garlic in it. Then add 4 Cups of fresh spinach, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and cook till the spinach wilts. Throw in a handful of garbanzo beans for some extra protein (optional). Use baby carrots or sliced cucumbers or slices of colorful bell peppers like I did.
Now all that is left is to arrange all the prepped components in a shallow bowl and enjoy a healthy meal.
Quinoa Bowl
Happy New Year to you and yours – here’s wishing that the rest of the year is healthy too!