These make ahead burrito bowls are simple, fast and always my go-to when we are underway and our tummies aren't feeling too hot. It keeps me out of the kitchen, it’s easy to eat at the helm and packs a protein punch to get us through a passage.
Ingredients (makes 2 bowls)
8 oz chicken (we use organic, hormone free single wrapped breasts, 1 is usually good for the two of us)
1 1/2 basmati rice, cooked
1 can sweet corn
1 can black beans (Trader Joes cuban black beans are also great for this)
1/4 of an onion
1/2 avocado
Taco seasoning packet
Handful of kale
Oil and vinegar for drizzling
Cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper
Fresh tomatoes, crushed canned tomatoes or salsa if you choose.
How to
I’m sure your looking at this saying “Huh? This isn’t cooking!”. I'm here to tell you that “Yeah, I know”. It’s a creative way to throw something together that’s easy, fast and still nutritious for those days when you just don't have the time to do otherwise (and you're running out of fresh provisions). Or, if you're like me… too sea sick underway to
even think about spending more than 5 minutes in the galley but would do anything to not have to eat an energy bar for lunch. So here you go!
Start by seasoning your chicken breast with cayenne, paprika, salt & pepper and baking it the night before. Once cooled, cut into bite size pieces and store in the refrigerator.
You can prep the corn and beans at this time as well. Open, drain and rinse them well, add them to a tupperware along with the 1/4 of an onion chopped. Drizzle with a healthy amount of oil and vinegar (white vinegar or red wine works well) and then add about a 1/4 packet of Trader Joes taco seasoning to the tupperware, close it up, shake and place in fridge.
Next is the rice. You can use whatever you like. I like basmati because it cooks quickly and…we just like it. I typically pre-make rice packets for us, which consists of me making a large batch of rice, vacuum sealing it in 2 person portions and freezing it. If you don't have a vacuum sealer, I would still recommend freezing pre-portioned rice to save yourself time. Use a ziplock bag and push as much air out before freezing. Be sure to let the rice cool before packaging it to avoid expansion in the bag. This makes it easy to pull out a packet in the morning and by lunch it’s defrosted and ready to go.
The next morning I will cut up a half and avocado if I have it and store for later. When it’s time and we’re feeling hungry, I wobble my way down the steps to the galley and as quickly as humanly possible I take the corn/bean mixture out of the fridge, add the chicken to the container (give it a good shake) and place it and the rice in the microwave for 3 minutes (or until warm). Whilst this is happening, in two bowls, I place a handful of torn up kale and get my avocado out.
When my rice and burrito mixture are warm they come out of the microwave. Rice goes down on top of the kale first and burrito mixture second. Top with a bit of salsa if you wish (or more oil and vinegar) add your avo and a dash of salt, pepper and if you want a little spice, cayenne. Add your favorite chili based hot sauce.
Wobble them back up to the helm (or your kitchen table) and enjoy! These babies have saved us quite a few times on Knot A Clue and are also a great dish to make for meal prep at home!