Meal Bite: Turmeric Chicken Kale and Brown Rice Bowl
Hi Busies!
*Sigh* This week has just been one of those weeks. Playing catch up from a trip home to Cleveland last week, lots going on at work, rain has kept the dogs inside and restless, and my head is just all over the place. Case in point? The first night we were supposed to eat this kale bowl, I thought I had already pre-cooked the rice as part of my meal prep session and added it to the bag. Procrastinator that I am, it was already pretty late and my present (hangry) self knew that waiting an extra 40 minutes for the rice to cook was out of the question. Major facepalm moment. As you’ll learn, I have a lot of those. Luckily, I had some leftover roasted potatoes to provide a base for the meal, and the 2nd day we ate this I remembered to cook the rice well in advance! BUT THEN…
…the double whammy – as I sat down to write this, I realized I forgot to add the chickpeas. *Double sigh* So now, here I am – just a girl with an extra can of chickpeas, sitting in front of her computer, wishing I could turn back time and enjoy this bowl as it was meant to be — I’ve made it before so I know what I’m missing out on. I don’t even want to think about the fact that none of the avocados I bought were ripe enough to use. It’s just too painful.
On a happier note, the spice rub on this chicken reminds me of fall in the best way possible. Those oranges and reds just have me itching to throw on a sweater, eat anything pumpkin, and go for a walk with the pups to see all the pretty leaves. Still a ways to go, but on some of these 90+ degree days, its a nice dream. Maybe that’s why I chose to add some roasted butternut squash to this bowl…
Busies, please learn from my mistakes and add the chickpeas and avocado to this bowl when you make it! The chicken, kale, rice (sigh), and any other roasted veggie you feel like adding (sweet potato would also be yummy!) can all be prepped beforehand and frozen as part of my meal prep plan. Then just pop the bowl in the microwave, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and avocado slices, and in minutes you’ll be in kale bowl bliss.
Facepalm moments? Meal prep experiences? Favorite things about fall? Share them with me in the comments below, and if you make this bowl, share it on Instagram by tagging @busygirl_bites or #busygirlbites so I can see how it turned out! Happy cooking!
Turmeric Chicken Kale and Brown Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (regular is fine too)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 large or 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 large kale bunch
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 avocado (sliced, for garnish)
- 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (for garnish)
Instructions
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Begin boiling water and cook rice according to package instructions.
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In small bowl, combine turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub onto chicken.
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Rinse and chop kale.
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In a large saucepan, heat 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and saute 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.
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Into the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil and chopped kale. Season generously with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally. After kale is wilted (3-5 minutes), add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
To Freeze
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Add cooked rice, kale, and chicken to freezer bag. Let cool in the fridge before putting in the freezer, storing as flat as possible.
To Eat
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Thaw overnight. To assemble bowls, add brown rice, kale, and chicken, and reheat. Then add chickpeas, avocado, and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Please check out my meal prep guide and meal prep/freezer tips page for hints on how to make this recipe the easiest and tastiest possible!
Adapted from Frontier Co-op