Chipotle Inspired Burrito Bowl With Cilantro Lime Rice

So guys I have something exciting to tell you all, I know how to cook. Yeah, that's right, me. Stefanie knows how to cook because this here meal was made by, you guessed it, yours truly. (Can you tell I'm tooting my own horn here?) I just feel so accomplished. I totally spent all of Friday researching recipes and measuring up ways to make a healthy dinner for myself that's also nutritious and fun. Shay was able to have a cheat meal with his mom and little old was left to whip up something that'd fit into my daily calories. 

Everyone here is obsessed with Chipotle and their huge burritos and since Shay was making Enchiladas for him and his mom, I wanted to make my own little Mexican inspired dish. Mr. Shay was not at all happy about me prancing around in his kitchen domain and I know he was practically dying when he saw how slow I chop things but gosh darnit, I was determined and I wanted to cook something all by myself. Truth be told, I love cooking. I know I don't really do it right and I'm kind of a rebel who absolutely hates following instructions but I love making myself pretty little plates of food and getting to feel all fancy with my amazing cuisines.

I remember one time when I was in high school I offered to cook spaghetti and meatballs for my whole family. I spent hours rolling little meatballs and somehow I ended up burning the pasta and only making enough for maybe two people at most. I come from a family of five and I just remember how excited I was to start serving their plates up until I saw I definitely didn't make enough. They ended up having take out and I was left with my little burnt pasta bowl but I ate it all and pretended it was delicious too. I'm incredibly stubborn, as you can tell so today when I set my mind to cooking for myself, I did it and I ended up making something I actually even enjoyed. My Chipotle Inspired Burrito Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice is healthy, filling, lowcarb, and high in protein. It's an awesome meal with rich fresh ingredients and it's something everyone can make and love. 

Here's What You'll Need:

- 3 ounces of Red Peppers                                                                 - 1/4 cup of Cilantro

- 2 ounces of Orange Peppers                                                           - 1/2 cup of Black Beans

- 6 ounces of Diced Tomatoes                                                          - 1/4 cup of Sweet Corn

- 5 ounces of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast                          - 1/5 cup of Jasmine Rice

- 2 ounces of Avocado                                                                        - 1/2 cup of Diced Onion

- 1 Whole Lime                                                                                    - 1 tbsp. of Taco Seasoning

- 2 cups of Chopped Lettuce                                                             - 1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella 

Here's How I Did It:

1. Cook your white rice in a pan on the stovetop until fully immersed. Once cooked, drizzle one whole lime and your cilantro onto the rice and let the lime pieces sit and stir with the rice. Season with Salt & Pepper. 

2. While your rice cooks, let your diced onions and bell peppers simmer on a separate plate. Then add your chicken and cook on medium to high temperature. Once your chicken begins to cook, add your taco seasoning and a dash of water so that everything can soak in the seasoning. Let simmer until chicken is fully cooked. 

3. Start putting together your bowl, line the bottom with a helping of chopped lettuce. This will be your volume food and will make up for the smaller amount of grains we'll be using. Top the lettuce with a corner of diced tomatoes and sweet corn. 

4. When your chicken mix is fully cooked, go ahead and add that to the bowl as well. With that same pan used for the taco seasoned chicken, pour in your black beans and mush them together to make them refried and to allow them to take in some of that seasoning.

5. Add your beans to the bowl and you're almost good to go. Top with avocado and shredded mozzarella for some extra taste and healthy fats and protein. 

This was honestly such an incredible meal. It had just the right amount of everything to fill me up and with the shredded lettuce bed on bottom, it felt like I was eating so much food. High volume veggies always help when you're trying to get full while watching your carbs. It also felt really good just making everything at home and using the fresh cilantro and diced veggies to stir everything together. I think Chipotle might have some competition with this amazing Burrito Bowl.