Honey Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Bowls

If you’re anything like me than you have to really psych yourself up for Mondays. I had a moment this past weekend when my eyes popped open around 6:30 AM thinking it was Monday morning; BEST FEELING EVER realizing that it was only Sunday and I had the whole day ahead of me. I’ve tried to make my weekends as productive as possible lately since our wedding is only 9 months away now! That sounds like an eternity, but I am the queen of procrastination. I’m trying not to stress at all, but there are SO many little details that I would have never even thought to think about until they pop-up! But for now I am just chipping away at my checklist. One of my biggest goals is to get fitty fit before the wedding (says every bride ever). I just joined Pure Barre and it is kicking my booty! I seriously limped into work all last week, but I think I’m on the uptick now. 

Thomas and I are both trying to eat healthy during the week so we can splurge a little on the weekends. Wedding or not, there’s no way we can give up taco or pizza nights. To kick start my Mondays on a healthy foot, I love eating a protein packed bowl for lunch. This Honey Chipotle Chicken Quinoa bowl is layered with lime-y quinoa, guacamole, arugula, and smoky & sweet chicken breast. This meal is so easy to prep over the weekend so you can have lunch for the week!

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Honey Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Bowls – Recipe Adapted from Jessica Merchant

Ingredients
honey chipotle chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 garlic cloves, minced

salad
6 cups spring greens (I use arugula)
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro
4 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon honey

lime quinoa
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock, or even water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 lime, juiced and zest freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

What to do

1) Add the chicken breasts to a baking dish or ziplock bag and season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, adobo, honey, mustard, cilantro and garlic. Pour the marinade over the chicken, covering it evenly. Place it in the fridge and marinate for at least 2 hours, or even overnight.
2) When you’re ready to make the meal, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of olive oil and add the chicken, then cover the skillet and cook until the chicken is deeply browned on both sides and cooked in the center, about 6 minutes per side.
3) To make the quinoa, add the quinoa and stock (or water) to a saucepan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the coconut oil (you can swap butter), lime juice, zest, salt and pepper.
3) To make the salads, add the greens in a large bowl and toss them with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the chicken on top along with the quinoa, cilantro, green onions and avocado. Drizzle the bowl with the lime juice, olive oil and honey. Serve!