Fragrant coriander spiked rice is served with roasted paprika chicken thighs with fresh slaw, creamy feta and crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds – bowl food at its best!
This Week
2 Dec - 8 Dec
Mexican Green Rice Bowls with Zesty, Paprika Chicken and Slaw
- Under 1 hour
- 4
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Meal Prep Guide
Prepare the marinade for the chicken (store in an airtight container in the fridge)
Ingredients
- 1 orange (zest and juice)
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Combine all of the ingredients in an airtight container.
Prepare the slaw (store together in an airtight container in the fridge)
- Finley slice ½ red cabbage and grate one carrot.
Toast ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (allow to cool and then store in an airtight container in the pantry).
Make the pickled onions* optional (store in a glass jar in the fridge)
Ingredients
- 1 red onion (finely sliced)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Add the sliced red onion to a glass jar.
- In a small saucepan add the water, vinegar, sugar and salt.
- Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat.
- Pour the boiling vinegar mixture over the onions and let sit for at least an hour before putting the lid on and placing it in the fridge.
Tips
- You want to get make sure the onions have softened and the spices have had time to get nice and fragrant before adding the rice as this creates a beautiful depth of flavour.
- Once the chicken has roasted we recommend shredding it in the dish it was cooked in and tossing the chicken through the reduced sauce, so each piece of chicken gets coated.
Shortcuts
Vegetables
- Swap out the cabbage for baby cos.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option, omit the chicken and serve alongside our homemade refried beans.
- For a quick alternative, toss through 1 x 400g tin of black beans (drained and rinsed) and 1 cup of defrosted corn kernels to the rice once cooked.
Refried beans
Ingredients
- 400g black beans (1 tin, rinsed and drained)
- 1 brown onion (finely diced)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 1 tsp oregano
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Start by draining the black beans, reserving half the liquid. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add approximately 1 Tbsp of olive oil, onion, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and oregano, saute for 1 minute, then add the black beans and the reserved liquid; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to break down the beans until you reach your desired consistency.
Other
- Dollop over some sour cream.
- Add your favourite hot sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 orange (zest and juice)
- 1 lime (zest and juice)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 500-600g chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
Green rice
- 2 cups coriander
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 brown onion (finely diced)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 green chilli (seeds removed and finely chopped)
- 1 ½ cup basmati rice (we used basmati, but jasmine will also work)
Slaw
- ½ green cabbage (finely sliced)
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 1 Lime (juice)
- Olive oil
Toppings
- 75g feta
- 1 avocado (cut into cubes)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (toasted)
- Pickled onions (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, fan bake.
- Get started by marinating the chicken, in a medium-sized baking dish combine the orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, olive oil, garlic, chilli and spices. Add the chicken and toss through the marinade making sure each piece is coated. Season with salt and pepper and let marinate for at least 30 minutes if you can.
- Prepare the pickled onions (if using).
- Once the chicken has marinated, pop it in the oven to cook for 35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking you can get everything else ready. To make the green rice, start by adding the coriander and water to a blender or nutribullet and blend until combined and the water is bright green; set aside.
- Add the olive oil, onion and salt to a medium pot over medium heat; cook until the onion is soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin seeds, ground coriander and chilli; cook for a few minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in the oily spice mixture.
- Add the coriander water to the rice and bring to a boil with the lid on, before reducing it to a gentle simmer. Let simmer for 11 minutes. After 11 minutes turn off the heat, keep the lid on and let sit for another 11 minutes.
- To make the slaw, grab a large salad bowl and combine the cabbage and carrot, squeeze over the lime juice, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Once the chicken has cooked, shred it slightly with two forks and toss it through the reduced sauce.
- Once everything is ready you can assemble the bowls. Add some rice, slaw and chicken to each bowl. Top with the feta, avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds and some pickled onions (if using).
Variations
Vegetables
- Swap out the cabbage for baby cos.
Protein
- For a vegetarian option, omit the chicken and serve alongside our homemade refried beans.
- For a quick alternative, toss through 1 x 400g tin of black beans (drained and rinsed) and 1 cup of defrosted corn kernels to the rice once cooked.
Refried beans
Ingredients
- 400g black beans (1 tin, rinsed and drained)
- 1 brown onion (finely diced)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 1 tsp oregano
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Start by draining the black beans, reserving half the liquid. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add approximately 1 Tbsp of olive oil, onion, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and oregano, saute for 1 minute, then add the black beans and the reserved liquid; simmer for 5 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to break down the beans until you reach your desired consistency.
Other
- Dollop over some sour cream.
- Add your favourite hot sauce.
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