Chicken fajitas with rice and beans / Homemade Chicken Bowl

Ingredients:

1 Chicken breast

1 Avocado

½ Red Onion

1 Tomato

3 Bell Peppers (use different colors to boost the look of the dish)

1 ½ Jalapenos

1 Can of Black beans

1 Cup of Rice

1 Clove of Garlic

1 Lemon

Cilantro

Oil (Olive or Avocado, high smoke temp.)

1 Ziploc Bag

Prepping all your ingredients before you start is a good choice so that you are not pressed for time. The culinary term mise en place means “putting in place”, which means that all your ingredients are in front of you and ready to be tossed in the pan. It makes everything run smoother while you are cooking.

Step 1:

Get your chicken breast and lay it down flat on your cutting board. Drizzle some olive oil, and apply the salt and pepper. Paprika, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne are all delicious other spices you can use. Make sure to season both sides, and get your Ziploc and throw your chicken breast in. Chop your garlic clove and throw half in the Ziploc bag. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in the bag, along with some lemon juice. Close the bag and shake it around a bit to let the flavor mix in and saturate in the chicken breast (you can throw some sprigs of thyme or rosemary in the bag to infuse the aroma and flavors of those herbs). Set it down.

! Fun Fact: turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, has a lot of antioxidants, and helps fight brain disease!

Step 2: To make your guacamole, start by finely dicing the red onion and place in a bowl. Then get your tomato and dice it as well. After that finely dice ½ of a Jalapeno (keep seeds in if you like the spice), and throw the tomato and jalapeno in the bowl. Cut and pit the avocado, and slice. Throw in the bowl and mix and mash with the back of a fork. Chop some cilantro and mix in. Once at the appropriate texture season with salt, pepper, a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in fridge.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (Once oven is done preheating put chicken in for about 30-35 min)

Step 3: Prep your veggies. Cut the bell peppers in long, semi-thin strips. Do the same with the jalapenos.

Step 4: Onto the rice. The ratio of rice to water is, 1:1.5. So every 1-cup of rice, means 1.5 cups of water. Put your measurements of rice in the pot, along with the correct amount of water (make sure it’s cold water). Put a lid on and get it to the boil as fast as possible. Once it is at a rolling boil, turn the heat down to about half and let it simmer and slowly cook. Do NOT lift the lid. Cook for about 8-12 minutes.

Step 5: Get a pot for the black beans and pour the beans in. Apply medium-high heat. Season with salt, pepper, and other seasonings you deem delicious.

Step 6: To get a nice crunch on your veggies don’t start cooking them too early. Start cooking about a little under half way before your chicken is done cooking on sautéing your veggies. Get a pan and pour some olive oil on it. Hover your hand above the pan to see if it is hot enough. Once the pan is slightly smoking, throw in the garlic. Once the garlic is slightly discolored, throw in the peppers. Sautee until the peppers are broken down, but still have a hint of crunch.

Step 7: Get a bowl or plate. Pour in your bed of rice, top with your layer of beans, and on one side add your pepper mix, and the other sliced or cubed pieces of chicken. Spoil yourself with a fat dollop of guacamole.

Step 8: Eat.