High-protein chicken bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the quinoa under cold running water in a fine sieve. Put the rinsed quinoa and 480 ml cold water into a medium saucepan with ½ tsp salt, bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.

2. 2

   Make the marinade: in a small bowl combine 30 ml olive oil, the zest and half the juice of the lemon, the minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Whisk until combined.

3. 3

   Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish or resealable bag, pour over the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Heat a frying pan over a medium–high hob. Add the remaining 15 ml olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off excess and sear in the hot pan for 6–8 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through (internal temperature 75°C or juices run clear). Transfer to a board and rest for 5 minutes, then slice.

5. 5

   While the chicken cooks, bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and blanch the frozen edamame for 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve and run under cold water to stop cooking.

6. 6

   Make the yoghurt dressing: in a small bowl stir together the Greek yoghurt, the remaining juice of the lemon, the remaining minced garlic, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper and most of the chopped parsley (reserve a little for garnish).

7. 7

   Assemble the bowls: divide the baby spinach between four bowls, spoon over the cooked quinoa, scatter halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber and edamame, top with sliced chicken and crumble over the feta. Drizzle with the yoghurt dressing and finish with the remaining chopped parsley and an extra grind of black pepper.

Tips

• If short on time, marinate the chicken for 10 minutes while the quinoa cooks — it's still worth doing, but 30 minutes gives more flavour.
• Cook quinoa in a lidded saucepan without lifting the lid; if it looks dry after 15 minutes, give it another 2 minutes on very low heat.
• Use a meat thermometer to check chicken hits 75°C in the thickest part; if you don't have one, cut into the thickest piece to ensure juices run clear.
• Make ahead: store components separately (chicken, quinoa, veg, dressing) for up to 3 days; dress just before serving to keep leaves fresh.
• For extra crunch, toast a few tablespoons of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and sprinkle over each bowl before serving.

Substitutions

• Greek yoghurt → 200 g dairy-free coconut yoghurt or soy yoghurt

  Noticeably different

• quinoa → 200 g cooked brown rice or bulgur if not gluten-sensitive

  Stays close

• shelled edamame, frozen → 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  Noticeably different

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

670

Calories

59 g

Protein

44 g

Carbs

29 g

Fat

8 g

Fibre

5 g

Sugar

750 mg

Sodium

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