Quinoa Burrito Bowls

I'm a planner.  Some (most) would say that I'm an "overplanner." 😅 Planning, organizing, list making - I live for that. 📝 I even make lists of the lists that I have to make. 🤦🏻‍♀️  I don't know how I would get through my day without my lists because I certainly can't rely on my memory anymore.  #welcometofifty 😄

I really do enjoy the planning process.  I like to plan parties.  🎉I like to plan vacations. 🏝I even like to plan dinners.  🍽 For unexplainable reasons, the one thing that I don't like to plan is what I'm going to eat for lunch.  🤷🏻‍♀️ It seems strange for a girl who operates with a detailed plan every single day to "wing it" when it comes to the midday meal - but, believe it or not, that's usually the case.  For that reason, lunch tends to be my unhealthiest meal of the day.  #coldpizzalover 🍕 

This week, I'm changing my routine and actually doing some meal prepping for lunches. 😬I prefer the words "intentional" and "planned" instead of "leftovers" when it comes to lunches.  When I purposefully prepare extra food for dinner, it somehow becomes much more appealing to me than when I accidentally end up with leftovers.  

Honestly, opening the refrigerator at noon on a busy afternoon and seeing a Tupperware loaded with delicious and healthy Quinoa Burrito Bowl was like a little gift. 🎁 This was a super easy lunch to prepare in advance too.  I made 4 servings of these tasty bowls - we had 2 for dinner and I put the other two in containers for lunch.  It was perfect.  I took off the lid, popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, added some fresh avocado and tomatoes and then dove right in.  DELICIOUS!

Quinoa Burrito Bowls
1 cup quinoa
​2 cups water
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 clove garlic, grated
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 chicken breast

Additional toppings
avocado
Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Pico de gallo
Sour cream or crema
corn
fresh cilantro, chopped

Grill chicken until cooked through.

Rinse and drain quinoa in a strainer. 

Add quinoa and water to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes. 

Saute onion in oil until softened.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. 

Combine black beans, 1/2 c. water, 2 T. cilantro and chili powder to onions.   Simmer 15 minutes. 

Stir in 2 T. lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Fluff quinoa with a fork.  Add 2 T. lime juice and 2 T. cilantro.  

Divide quinoa between 4 bowls.  

Top with shredded lettuce.

Top with black bean mixture. 

Top with corn.  

Sprinkle cheese on top.  

Add any additional toppings that you like.  

Slice grilled chicken and add to the top. 

My goal when I look for a new recipes is to find that elusive intersection between healthy, delicious, and doable.  It’s easy to find recipes with one or two of the three.  But coming up with a recipe that falls into all three categories feels downright impossible sometimes.  We've all tried "healthy" recipes that tasted terrible and delicious recipes that were ridiculously complicated. 🍱 Quinoa Burrito Bowls meets all the criteria for a good recipe.  It's super healthy.  It's amazingly delicious AND it's totally doable.  The trifecta!  

Ciao!  

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