Teriyaki Chicken, Veggie & Rice Bowls

Teriyaki Chicken, Veggie & Rice Bowls.. oh my!!

I found this recipe on pinterest earlier in the week to share with the women in my online accountability group (shout out to the gals in my February Virtual Fit Camp). While I was typing it up to share with them, I decided to try it out THAT night because it sounded so good!

I mean, having defrosted chicken already laid out in the fridge just seemed like a sign also.

Right!??

First of all, this was SO darn easy to make.

It seriously took me 30 minutes or less to get EVERYTHING together.

Secondly, this recipe was flavorFULL & guilt free.

There are several substitutions that can be made from the original recipe to tweak it to your taste!

Lastly, you could absolutely make this in bulk for meal prep to eat on the whole week.

And no.. it would NOT get old & boring.

Okay, so the original recipe can be found HERE via GimmeDelicious

These are the instructions from that blog post, but I'll drop my own tips & modifications at the bottom!

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 12 mins
Total time: 17 mins

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
2 cups cooked brown rice
4 meal prep containers

For the teriyaki sauce:

¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

Instructions:

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until no longer pink 2-3 minutes.

Whisk all the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce in a small bowl.

Add the teriyaki sauce to chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes or until sauce is thick.Remove chicken from heat.

Add the broccoli florets and bell pepper to the same pan. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the bell pepper is slightly softened.

Divide the chicken and broccoli into 4 meal prep containers. Add ½ cup of brown rice into each container. Sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional) and cover. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

My PERSONAL modifications & tips..

For me personally, recipes are more like guidelines.

I'll peek at the list, see what I have & WING it.

Occasionally I'll substitute based off what I have at home OR just leave things out & hope for the best. Let's just say I'm not a fan of making multiple grocery store runs throughout the week & that fuels my creativity.

Let's start with the chicken!

To cut down on cook time, we chopped the trimmed breasts into SMALL bite-sized pieces. I seasoned them on the cutting board with himalayan sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder & some red pepper flakes for heat. For the actual cooking, I browned up those little "nuggets" in coconut oil - I prefer it usually over other oils.

Now, for the veggies.

I went with what I had. And NO. I am not above frozen veggies - I can buy them inexpensive & in bulk at SAMs. I always prefer fresh produce, but use frozen veggies as a secondary option on the regular. This week, I had frozen broccoli florets that I steamed in the microwave with fresh carrots & onion that I minced up & mixed in. Once those veggies were all steamed, I seasoned them a bit & put to the side until everything was done. I then mixed the veggies IN with the chicken & sauce so they too were lightly glazed.

For the sauce, I only made a couple of tweaks.

I used liquid aminos instead of soy sauce (same measurements) & agave nectar instead of honey (same measurements).

As a side/carb, I whipped up a quinoa + brown rice blend. It was a perfect little bed for the teriyaki combo!

Both hubby & I were big fans of this recipe!!

In the future, I'd try a few modifications:

adding green onion or cilantro

using shrimp or lean beef instead of chicken

leaving out meat if I want a lite, ALL veggie meal

subbing peppers, snap peas or cauliflower into the veggie mix.

or tossing some chopped water chestnuts on top for crunch

I really think you could customize this completely to your taste!!

Give it a try & let me know what you think.

Happy, healthy eating, friends.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai Recipe SHARE

Recipe & Photo Source: Beachbody Blog

Need a low-carb healthy recipe to add to your lunch or dinner menu this week?

Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs.)

2 Tbsp. tamarind paste (or rice wine vinegar)

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 tsp. raw honey

2 to 4 Tbsp. water

12 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes

3 Tbsp. cornstarch (preferably GMO free)

8 tsp. peanut oil, divided use

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¾ cup fresh bean sprouts

4 medium green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts

Lime wedges

Cilantro sprigs

Crushed red pepper

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350° F.

-Place squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Poke squash 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Scrape flesh into stringy noodles. Set aside.

-To make sauce, heat tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional water is sauce is too tart. Set aside.

-Coat tofu in cornstarch in a small bowl; mix well.

-Heat a large wok (or skillet) over high heat.

-Add 2 tsp. oil, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add tofu; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all sides of tofu are brown. Remove tofu from pan and place on a large plate. Set aside.

-Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add onions; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion are light golden brown. Remove from pan; place on plate with tofu. Set aside.

-Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add eggs; cook over medium heat. Do not stir. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath, creating a very thin omelet. When eggs are set, cut them with your spatula. Remove eggs from pan and place on plate with tofu and onions. Set aside.

-Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to pan, swirling to cover surface of pan.

-Add garlic; cook, over medium-high heat, for 1 minute.

-Add spaghetti squash, spreading squash into a single layer; cook for 30 second, stir and make another single layer. Repeat this 3 to 6 times, cooking for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until squash is warm and golden brown.

-Add sauce; mix well.

-Add bean sprouts and green onions; mix well.

-Add tofu mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.

-Transfer to a large serving platter. Top with peanuts, lime wedges, cilantro, and crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.

Tips:

If you can’t find tamarind paste you can substitute rice wine vinegar.

Thai fish sauce is Nam Pla, but you can use another kind if you have it.

*Feel free to share, y'all*

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