Ridgeview's heart-healthy quinoa chicken bowl

This heart-healthy quinoa chicken bowl from Ridgeview’s Executive Chef Chris Warner, is a weekly staple at the cafeteria at Ridgeview’s Waconia Campus and a favorite of visitors and staff. Quinoa is rich in antioxidants, which can reduce your risk of heart disease, and fiber, which can help you manage your cholesterol levels. This nutritious meal features a bed of fluffy quinoa, black beans and cilantro, and is topped with grilled chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower and creamy avocado, and served with a homemade honey lime dressing.

Ingredients 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ lb. cauliflower florets
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/3 cups quinoa, uncooked
2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced

Dressing:

½ jalapeno pepper
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
¼ cup lime juice
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup olive oil

Directions 

Lightly season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Grill or sauté until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let cool and cut into strips. Set aside.

Toss the sweet potatoes and cauliflower in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 degrees, for approximately 30-40 minutes, until soft. Let cool and set aside.

While the sweet potatoes and cauliflower are roasting, cook the quinoa according to the package directions and cool. Once cooled, combine with the cilantro and black beans. Set aside.

To make the dressing, add all the dressing ingredients listed into a food processor except for the olive oil. Process until mixture is pureed. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

To assemble: place 1 ½ cups of the quinoa, black bean and cilantro mixture into a bowl. Top with ¼ of the sweet potato and cauliflower mix, ¼ of an avocado and one chicken breast. Drizzle with the honey lime dressing and enjoy. Best served well chilled. The recipe components can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time; keep refrigerated and assemble before serving.

Makes 4 servings.