Naked Chicken Burrito Bowl - Filled with Chicken, Cilantro Rice and all the Fixins

BURRITO BOWL - Nutritious, Delicious and Hearty

CHICKEN BURRITO BOWL - CILANTRO RICE & THE FIXINS

A burrito bowl helps cut the carbs by eliminating the flour tortilla. More carbs can be eliminated by replacing the rice with chopped lettuce. This burrito bowl is full of oh so much goodness, is delicious and even fun to eat. This is a family favorite meal in my home because it's so versatile as everyone gets just what they want in their bowl. You can use as many or as few of the listed ingredients as you want. You can serve this as a one and done dinner meal or for a special lunch. Our lunch guests are always pleasantly surprised to receive such a wonderful mid-day meal.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Preparation and Organization Tips:

Before diving into the main cook, prep the kitchen counter by bringing out the lettuce, salsa and cheese. Then open the can of beans, rinse in a colander and place the beans in the small bowl for later use. Next, put the corn in a small bowl for later use. That leaves only two ingredients that require more than 2-3 minutes to cook, the rice and the chicken which can be cooked at about the same time.

Suggested Tools:

. 2 Quart pot with lid

. Colander

. Large cutting board

· Large mixing bowl

· Medium bowl

(for chicken and marinade)

· 2 small microwaveable bowls

· Measuring cups

· Measuring spoons

· Chopping knife

. Sharp knife

. Tongs

Chicken and Marinade –

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked chicken breast strips or tenders

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons pure lime juice (fresh or bottled)

2 chipotle whole peppers in Adobo sauce (comes in 7 ounce can)

- mince the peppers

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

STEP 1: Chicken/Marinade Directions:

1. In a medium bowl add all of the above ingredients, except the chicken and stir to combine well.

2. Add the chicken strips to the marinade and turn the chicken pieces to ensure a little marinade coats all of the chicken pieces.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more.

STEP 2: Cilantro Rice –

Ingredients:

. 2 cups dried rice of your choice either medium or long grain (brown or white) or quinoa - (I used the white rice per directions below).

. 2 tablespoons pure lime juice (fresh or bottled)

. ½ cup fresh cilantro, minced

. Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro Rice Directions:

1. Add four cups of water to the pot.

2. Bring the water to a boil and add the two cups of your dry rice choice. Then turn the heat down to a simmer with the lid on the pot and cook for 30-35 minutes until done. It is during the rice cooking time, that you can start searing the chicken per the below "Searing the Chicken" directions.

Note: For white or brown rice, cook on simmer for about thirty minutes or until pocket holes in rice appear and there is no more liquid in the bottom of the pot.

4. Once the rice is cooked, add one of the tablespoons of the lime juice to the rice in the pot and give the rice a stir. Add the second tablespoon of lime juice and stir to combine well.

5. Add the half cup of chopped cilantro to the rice and stir to combine well.

6. Salt and pepper to taste.

7. Cover and let the rice rest on lowest setting.

STEP 3: Searing the Chicken -

1. While the rice is cooking, begin cooking off the chicken strips. Start by turning the burner heat on medium high and heat the oil in a large pan (if you have a cast iron pan that would be a good option).

2. Once the oil is heated, place the chicken pieces in the pan and let it sear to a caramel brown, turning with tongs as needed until cooked through. This takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

STEP 4: Vegetables –

Ingredients:

. 1 – 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained in colander

. 2 cups frozen corn (or consider roasted corn which is sometimes available)

. 2 cups shredded ice berg lettuce (sometimes available shredded in bags)

. 1 cup red onion, chopped

. 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (options could be Cheddar, Monterey Jack,

Colby, Mexican mix) – all usually available pre-shredded in bags.

. *1 or 2 Avocados (depending on size), peeled and sliced

Other Vegetable Options: Fresh red, green or jalapeño peppers

*Note: If you do not plan to serve guacamole, then add avocado slices to your burrito bowl

Vegetable Directions:

This step should take place just prior to serving since it cooks quickly.

1. Pour the rinsed and strained beans in a small bowl microwaveable bowl. Then pour the corn into a separate microwavable small bowl with a half cup of water.

2. Heat the beans and corn at the same time in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high heat.

Before adding the corn to the serving bowl, drain the water out.

Burrito Bowl Assembly

Place the hot rice in the bottom of a large individual serving bowl such as a soup or pasta bowl. Add the cooked chicken to the bowl followed by all other ingredients one at a time, arranging each separately side-by-side in the bowl.

Recommend serving with quacamole and/or salsa of your choice.

The Crooked Ladle

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