You know I love a good one-bowl meal, but it’s still a little too hot outside for soup, chili, or stew. I saw this recipe for Chili Lime Shrimp Bowls which offers a good alternative. With layers of rice, beans, shrimp, and salsa, it’s a bowl of many flavors and textures. I was initially intimidated by the long list of ingredients, but I only ended up needing to buy a few things at the grocery store.
While I really do like shrimp, it just doesn’t work well as leftovers. And you all know that I am a “cook once, eat 3-4 times” kind of person. So the first change I made was to substitute chicken thighs for the shrimp. I also sauteed onion with the black beans instead of putting onion in the salsa, and reduced the jalapeno in the recipe to cut back on the heat. Finally, I added some cucumber to bulk up the salsa.
Of course this isn’t a bowl, but it was much easier to photograph this recipe on a plate. And right after the picture was taken, I tossed everything in a bowl and gave it a good stir. I loved the mix of hot and cold – both in flavor and temperature! This recipe was somewhat time intensive with the marinating, chopping, and sauteing, but it was worth it in the end. I stored the rice, bean mixture, chicken, and salsa in separate containers so I could quickly create my own bowl for lunch or dinner. This is a pretty flexible recipe, and I hope to create other bowl-type meals soon.
Chili Lime Chicken Bowls
1 t chili powder
1 t honey
1 t soy sauce
2 t minced garlic, divided
1 T lime juice
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, visible fat removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 c. cooked brown rice
1 T canola oil
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
1 t cumin
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
Mix chili powder, honey, soy sauce, 1 t minced garlic, and lime juice in a bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add 1 t minced garlic and diced jalapeno. Cook for 1 minute, and add cumin. Cook for 1 minute more, and add chopped onion. Saute for 15-20 minutes, until onion is soft. Add beans and heat through. Remove from pan and set aside. Add chicken and marinade to pan, and cook until chicken pieces are done.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix pineapple, cucumber, and cilantro, and season with salt to taste.
Prepare bowls with a base of brown rice, followed by beans, chicken, and pineapple salsa.
-Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes
This looks really good!
LikeLike