#burrito bowl

I’m angry right now. I’m angry for the same reason I was angry after I clicked “publish” on the Salbutes post and sent it on its way to the interweb. Angry might be too strong of a word, but I feel like kicking myself in the head right now for forgetting (repeatedly) an ingredient that only a few months ago I coveted.

Yes, my fellow peeps, I’m talking about the elusive feta cheese. A sprinkling of that crumbly tart thing would’ve made the photos on this (and the Salbutes post) infinitely better - for who doesn’t like sprinkles? I know I do. It doesn’t help that it would’ve also improved the taste. Actually, you know what, angry is the right word for it, because I distinctively said to myself while in the process of cooking “Hey Piga, a little queso fresco would be nice to sprinkle on top of these don’t you think?” “But I don’t have queso…” “Silly! You have feta don’t you? It will totally convey the message of queso-ness!” “Ah, alright, just remind me later on ‘kay?”

And then brain fart. If you’re wondering why there aren’t any beans either, I didn’t have any those were omitted intentionally. I,uh, didn’t want to get gassy. This is just a basic blueprint of a burrito bowl with really good grilled chicken, sweet and sour salsa and fragrant quinoa, the rest is really up to you.

QUINOA BURRITO BOWL (serves 4):

CHIPOTLE GRILLED CHICKEN:

[1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast + juice of 1 lemon + 1 red hot chili pepper, finely chopped + ½ tablespoon honey + 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce + 1 tablespoon olive oil]

Combine the lemon juice, chili pepper, honey and chipotle sauce in a bowl. Score the chicken breasts and marinade in the sauce for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the salsa and the lime-parsley quinoa:

BELL PEPPER SALSA:

[½ of a red bell pepper + ½ of a yellow bell pepper + 1 small tomato + juice of ½ a lime + 2 green onions, chopped + a small bunch of cilantro or parsley, chopped + ½ of a small onion, chopped + salt and pepper]

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

LIME-PARSLEY QUINOA:

[1 cup quinoa + 2 cup low sodium chicken broth + juice of ½ a lime + a small bunch of parsley, chopped]

Combine the quinoa and chicken broth in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, until almost all the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork an adding lime juice and chopped parsley. Keep warm.

To cook the chicken, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat until hot. Cook the chicken 6 minutes per side or until the juices run clear. Let rest for 5 minutes.

If there are leftover marinade, cook that in the same pan until it reduces to serve as a sauce over the chicken.

ASSEMBLY:

[Chipotle grilled chicken + bell pepper salsa + lime-parsley quinoa + chopped avocado + sweet corn + sour cream + lime wedges + hot sauce + chopped parsley or cilantro]

Divide the quinoa into four bowls and pile on the toppings to your liking.

Enjoy!