Mediterranean Banza Bowl
Alright, you guys, you need to make this ASAP! And this is not a false alarm. This bowl is super delicious, full of fresh flavors and different textures. Make it and your tastebuds will thank me.
I am an ambassador with Banza (what does that even mean? I don’t really know…but I’ll take the fancy title) and they sent me a bag of their new chickpea “rice”. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little skeptical. Come on now, why we gotta be messing with rice? There’s absolutely nothing wrong about eating rice (because there’s no morality attached to food) and rice provides nutrition that other grains don’t. Variety is the spice of life and the thing that ensures we get all the nutrients we need.
Anyways, so I was little irritated that they were trying to replace rice. But THEN I tried it. And loved it. It definitely doesn’t replace rice, but it’s another delicious food to add to my life. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t eat many chickpeas/beans, so Banza products allow for me to have more food groups in my life more easily. So I would encourage eating rice AND this Banza rice, because both are delicious. I’d compare it to orzo pasta, and I’m a fan or orzo recipes.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can make all the components one day and then keep them in your fridge for several days of lunches or dinners. Woohoo for easily assembled meals!!
I’m going to do some more recipe testing with the rice and I’m super pumped about it…okay, I need to tone it down a bit. But I really did enjoy it.
In other news, Isaac had the flu this past week, so we’ve quarantined him and I’ve been solo parenting. Phew it’s hard work! Single moms, you are super heroes…Thankfully after several days of doing it alone and hanging out by myself in the evenings, my in-laws came to watch Cam for a few hours so I could workout out 🙌🏻 and get some coffee and work on this post. It’s the little self-care actions in life that make all the difference. 😉I’d love to hear what you guys think of Banza’s new rice, this recipe, and what you’ve been up to lately!! Thankful for all of you and your support. 🤓
Mediterranean Banza Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/3-1/2 cup cucumber chopped
- 1/3 cup black olives, sliced
- 2 Tbsp red onions, diced
- 1/4 heaping tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 3/4 tsp dried dill
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3/4-1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- pinch pepper
- 1 Tbsp FINELY diced cucumber
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- 1.5 lb chicken, diced into 1” cubes
- 3 tsp minced garlic (5 cloves)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Juice from one lemon
- Feta
- Hummus
- Banza rice
Instructions
- Combine all of the chicken souvlaki ingredients in a bowl or Ziploc bag and marinade for 30 minutes or up to one day.
- Cook Banza rice according to package.
- Combine all of the tomato cucumber salad ingredients and allow flavors to combine while preparing the rest of the dish.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the tzatziki sauce and add more lemon juice, dill, salt, or garlic according to preference.
- Turn the oven to broil and place chicken in a dish with sides (lots of juices!). Broil on high for 6-8 minutes (checking halfway through) or until chicken is cooked through.
- Build bowl by placing rice on bottom, adding chicken, tomato cucumber salad, tzatziki, feta, and hummus.
- Enjoy!!
Chicken souvlaki recipe comes from GimmeSomeOven and is one of my favorite recipes