Chicken Protein Bowl with Cashew Lime Crema

A Sweet Pea Chef

Chicken Protein Bowl with Cashew Lime Crema

This chicken protein bowl is packed full of protein, including spicy chicken, savory sweet potatoes, black beans, toasted pumpkin seeds, and then drizzled with a cashew lime crema. This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic. 

The older I get, the more I’ve come to learn how much I enjoy different textures and flavors in my food. There’s something about the variation in what I’m eating — that no bite is the same — that I really enjoy.
I like creamy with crunchy, hot with cold, chewy with sour. All of it.

It’s for that reason that I think I absolutely adore bowls. With a bowl, you can pile on all the things, but in a neat and orderly fashion. Are you kidding me? Yes, please!

This Chicken Protein Bowl does just that. On top of all that, it’s loaded in healthy, lean proteins and fats, making it a well-balanced and satisfying meal.

How to Make a Cashew Lime Crema

So you read the title of this recipe and you can’t stop thinking about how delicious a cashew lime crema sounds, right?  Knew it.  The good news is that it’s super easy to make a cashew lime crema using just a few simple ingredients.

Here’s how you do it:

Soak the cashews in boiling hot water for about an hour to soften them. Drain the cashews. Add all of the cashew cream ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add enough milk to get desired smooth consistency.

See?  You just blend those soaked cashews right on up in the food processor and they make a smooth, creamy texture that’s perfect for this crema.  So easy to make a cashew lime crema that goes perfectly on top of this chicken protein bowl.  Or over just about anything.

How to Make Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

I love the added crunch and flavor that the toasted pumpkin seeds add to this chicken protein bowl.

To make the pumpkin seeds, you’ll need raw pumpkin seeds (AKA pepitas) and then just a few ingredients.  Toss it all together, lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and then pop in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Be sure to watch them closely so they don’t burn.

I like to make extra so that I can store them and enjoy as a quick savory and crunchy snack from the pantry, too!

How Much Protein is in this Chicken Protein Bowl?

Okay, okay…so we have tasty pumpkin seeds, roasted sweet potatoes, spicy chicken, and a creamy cashew lime crema.  So how much protein is in this chicken protein bowl?

I’m so glad you asked 🙂

In one bowl, there are a little over 20 grams of protein so you’re definitely getting a good amount in your meal, along with all the other goodness.  The thing I love about this bowl is the many different forms of protein.  You get protein from the beans, chicken, pepitas, cashews, Horizon Organic milk, and more, among all sorts of other nutrients and healthy fats.

How to Store this Chicken Protein Bowl

I have been super into meal prep lately, especially since Dustin got me these sweet new glass meal prep containers for Christmas.  There’s just something so fantastic about grabbing one of these chicken protein bowls from the fridge, ready to heat and enjoy.

Because there is avocado in the cashew lime crema, it won’t last very well in the fridge unless sealed in an airtight container.  While it will taste fine, the avocado will get brown and won’t look very appealing.  You can help to avoid this by laying a sheet of plastic wrap tightly over the top of the crema and storing it separately from the rest of the bowl, then drizzling it over the top when you’re ready to serve.

For the rest of the chicken protein bowl, you can store it easily in the meal prep container in the fridge for up to 4-6 days.  To reheat, just remove the lid, and heat on high for 2 minutes in the microwave.

Chicken Protein Bowl with Cashew Lime Crema

Chicken Protein Bowl with Cashew Lime Crema

This chicken protein bowl is packed full of protein, including spicy chicken, savory sweet potatoes, black beans, toasted pumpkin seeds, and then drizzled with a cashew lime crema.

For the Cashew Lime Crema Sauce 3/4 cup raw cashews 2 cups boiling water 1/2 cup fresh cilantro 1/2 cup Horizon organic whole milk, (plus more as needed) 3 tbsp fresh lime juice ((approx. 2 limes)) 1/4 large avocado 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes: 2 sweet potatoes, (diced) 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper For the Cilantro Lime Rice: 2 cups brown rice, (uncooked) 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice ((approx 1 lime)) 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, (chopped) 1/2 tsp sea salt For the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds: 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds), (raw) 1 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp lime juice ((approx 1/2 lime)) For the Chicken: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tbsp olive oil 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp powdered garlic 1/4 tsp granulated onion 1 cup cooked black beans, (rinsed and drained)

For the Cashew Lime Crema Sauce

Add the cashews into a small bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain.

Add all of the cashew cream ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Add enough milk to get desired smooth consistency.

For the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

To roast the sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and seasonings. Place on the prepared baking sheet and roast in preheated for 20-25 minutes, or until tender.

For the Cilantro Lime Rice:

To make the cilantro lime brown rice, combine the brown rice, minced garlic, low sodium chicken broth, sea salt, and freshly squeezed lime juice in a deep stock pot and bring to a simmer. 

Cook until the liquid is completely absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Then, toss in freshly chopped cilantro and stir to combine.

For the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds:

Reduce heat from 425 degrees F to 350 degrees F once the sweet potatoes are done, and line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the ingredients for the pepitas in a small mixing bowl.  Mix until fully combined, and then spread over the prepared baking sheet.

Roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway.  Then, remove from oven and cool.

For the Chicken:

Make the seasoning blend for the chicken in a mixing bowl by combining the cumin, paprika, chili powder, powdered garlic, and granulated onion in a small bowl.  Coat the chicken well.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the seasoned chicken and cook until golden-brown on both sides and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Them, remove from the skillet and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into thin slices.

For the Bowl:

Start with filling the bottom of a bowl with the cilantro lime rice, then add the cooked black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, and sliced chicken over the top.  Drizzle with the crema and top with the pumpkin seeds.

This post is sponsored by Horizon Organic.  This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

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Ambitious Kitchen

2-Ingredient Paleo Chocolate Frosting (plus TWO other ways to use it!)

Paleo chocolate frosting made with only two ingredients: coconut milk and dairy free chocolate chips! SO easy to whip up and doubles as a paleo chocolate mousse recipe or even a paleo chocolate fruit dip! Have you ever dreamed that you could make a HEALTHY, less processed version of your favorite chocolate frosting?! Well, now [...]

The post 2-Ingredient Paleo Chocolate Frosting (plus TWO other ways to use it!) appeared first on Ambitious Kitchen.

Cookie and Kate

Chopped Greek Salad

This post is sponsored by OXO.

Raise your hand if you’re ready for warm weather and refreshing green salads! I may have jumped the gun on spring and summer veggies here, but I just couldn’t wait any longer. It feels like spring here in Kansas City today and I’m celebrating with Greek salad.

This chopped Greek salad is crisp, fresh and overflowing with bold Greek flavors, including tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, Kalamata olives and feta cheese. I opted for cherry tomatoes, since they’re delicious no matter what time of year.

Combined with crisp lettuce and a simple homemade Greek vinaigrette, you’ll have an irresistible salad. The only difference between this salad and the traditional Greek salads you receive at Mediterranean restaurants is that I chopped the ingredients small. This way, you get maximum fresh flavor in every bite.

I made this salad with the help of my partner OXO’s handy kitchen tools, including their salad spinner (which I frequently recommend to friends), cutting board (love the grooved edges to catch liquid and the anti-slip edges), and their large, sturdy 4.5-quart glass bowl.

Continue to the recipe...

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