Hello friends! Once again it’s Monday, which means it’s time for another meal prep! I made time for this before I got to spend all afternoon/evening with my dad for Father’s Day! He’s the greatest, and I love getting to celebrate him 🙂 I made him copy-cat cupcakes from his absolutely favorite cafe here in NC, and they turned out pretty well! Close to the original, but not quite the same. I’ll keep trying, and I know he’d love to keep testing them out for me!
For this prep, I wanted to use some quinoa and frozen chicken I had, so I grabbed some good looking veg at the store, which happened to be some zucchini and bell peppers, although you can use whatever you’ve got. I’m really loving tangy things lately, so I used my fav balsamic vinegar and garlic marinade for the chicken, and added some spicy-ness to the veggies. I had originally planned to make a quick balsamic vinaigrette to go with it, but J has some leftover yogurt sauce, kind of like a tzatziki, and it goes SO WELL. Top it all off with some green onions and it was such a perfect lunch!
Chicken & Veg Bowls – makes 5 servings
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1/4 C balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 chicken breasts
For the veg
- 3 medium zucchinis
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (more or less to taste, depending on the spice level you want)
- 2 tsp salt
For the grains/serving
- 1 C quinoa
- 2 C water or veg/chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced thinly
- yogurt sauce (like a tzatziki) or balsamic vinegar
How to do it
- Make the chicken marinade by combining all of the chicken ingredients other than the chicken itself. Pour over the chicken in a bowl or ziploc bag and leave to marinate for about an hour
- Preheat the over to 425*. Cut the bell peppers and zucchini into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with the oil and spice and spread out on 2 baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes, tossing once halfway through
- Combine the quinoa, water/stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed
- Once the chicken is ready to bake, transfer to a foil lined pan and bake for 20-40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until the temperature at the thickest part reaches 160*. Let rest for at least 10 minutes (the meat will continue to cook and reach 165*) before cutting
- Store all components separately for a buffet prep, or assemble. Keep the sauce/dressing on the side until ready to eat. This heats up perfectly in the microwave!
- Enjoy!