In the Kitchen with Rebeka: Quick Rainbow Quinoa Bowls

Here is a yummy recipe you can make, and even meal prep for the week ahead.

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Two different meals. One simple prep. I am about to blow your mind with how easy it is to put these two different meals together.

I love a good bowl. They are so delicious, healthy, and the best part– Simple! Here is a yummy recipe you can make, and even meal prep for the week ahead. Quinoa is a gluten-free, carbohydrate that is also a plant-based source of protein. So you’re getting a lot of nutrient bang for your buck! I have also listed the macros below for those of you counting.

I’m not gonna lie, quinoa is always a trivial subject matter in our house. My son even asked me the other night, “Did something poop this out on my plate?” To which I replied, “No, that’s quinoa.”

Jesus, take the wheel.

Just thought I’d toss that story in here just in case you, yourself, meet a quinoa adversary at your dinner table. He ate it anyway, and we all had a good laugh.

So let’s get down to it, friends. Two different meal options, but only one prep. Boom-shaka-laka.

 

Rainbow Quinoa Bowls

Servings: 4 of each option for 8 total

Ingredients

  • 1 cup tri-color quinoa, dry
  • 24 oz. mixed greens
  • 16 oz. chicken breast, shredded or diced
  • 24-27 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 3 cups water or chicken broth
  • lime juice (to put on the avocado to keep it from turning brown)
  • Optional: fresh cilantro, basil, dill, lemon juice

Bowl Swaps

  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. First, you need to cook your chicken. I love to cook mine in the Instant Pot. Meals like this are why I recommend owning two Instant Pots. Get your chicken cooking in one and your quinoa in the other, and then your eggs too. I love my Instant Pot, can you tell?

 

  1. Remove the chicken breast from the package and salt and pepper both sides. Set your Instant Pot to sauté and add your 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.

 

  1. Place the breast in the pot and let it sear for 4 minutes. Flip it over and sear the other side for 3 minutes. This will help keep the juices of the chicken inside the chicken, which will make for some very yummy chicken that is not dry at all. Add 1 cup of water or broth to the pot, seal, and set to pressure cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let it naturally release for 8 minutes, and then you can manually release the remaining pressure. Stand back and watch out for splatters. Shred the chicken and then remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

 

  1. Cook the Quinoa. Rinse your quinoa and add it to your empty Instant Pot. Cover the 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water or broth, and give it a good stir. Place your lid on, seal, and set to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Once it’s done, let it naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, and then manually release the remaining pressure. Give it a good stir and set aside.

 

Note: If your chicken is frozen, don’t worry. Add your frozen chicken to the pot, add salt and pepper, and cover with the 1 cup of water or broth. Then you’re going to seal your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, and then you can manually release the remaining pressure. Stand back and watch out for splatters.

 

  1. Cook Your Broccoli. Once you’ve got your Instant Pots working for you, preheat your oven to 420, grab a medium-sized bowl, a sheet pan, the broccoli, salt, and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the broccoli, oil, and salt together in the bowl. Making sure to coat it evenly. Then lay the broccoli out flat on the sheet pan. Put in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Tossing halfway through for even roasting. If you like your broccoli really well done, go an extra 5-7 minutes. I like mine crunchy! Find what works for you.

 

  1. Hard Boil Your Eggs. There are a few ways you can do this. Every time I do it in my Instant Pot I get flawless results. So why would I do it any other way? If you don’t have a pressure cooker, don’t worry. You can simply google “how to hard boil eggs” and I am sure there will be lots of options for you to look through. You’ve got this, friend!

 

I always cook a dozen or so when I do this because we love hard-boiled eggs. They are great for snacks, breakfast, dinner, and even lunch. Grab your eggs, you’ll also need this rack that may or may not have come with your Instant Pot. Place the rack in the bottom of the pot and place your eggs on it. Then cover with 1 cup of water. Seal the lid, set the timer for 3 minutes on high pressure. When the pot is done, let it naturally release for 3 minutes. Then immediately manually release the remaining pressure. Have a bowl with ice water in it. Take the eggs and put them directly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let them cool for 5 minutes. Then you can peel them and prep them in your meals or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.

 

Build Your Bowls & Macro Info

You will need 8 meal prep containers if you are prepping these to eat. Or less if you’re eating these for dinner, and then prepping the rest for meals during the week. Make sure to keep your greens in a separate compartment in your container. You don’t want them to get soggy.

The first 4 will each contain: 1/2 cup quinoa, 3 oz. mixed greens, 4 oz. shredded chicken, 3-4 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 avocado, and any fresh herbs.

Macros: Calories 385 | Carbs 40g | Fat 11g | Protein 34g

The second 4 will each contain: 1/2 cup quinoa, 3 oz. mixed greens, 1 hard-boiled egg, 3-4 cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup roasted broccoli, and any fresh herbs.

Macros: Calories 296 | Carbs 39.7 | Fat 9.1 | Protein 15.6

 

TIP: Make sure to squeeze a little lime juice onto the avocado to keep it from turning brown.

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Kingdom Strong.

Featured Image by Dane Deaner on Unsplash

 

The views and opinions expressed by Kingdom Winds Collective Members, authors, and contributors are their own and do not represent the views of Kingdom Winds LLC.

About the Author

Hi Ya'll! My name is Rebeka, and I'm a lifestyle blogger. Oh, I am also a wife, and a momma, a lover of healthy living, coffee, and big ole belly laughs. I should also note that I am a deeply flawed human being that needs Jesus on the daily. I hope to inspire you with authentic stories of my real life struggles and triumphs. After all, authenticity is my super power.