Kitchen Adventures || Sweet Chili Chicken Bowl

Howdy! How was everyone’s weekend? We watched some football and some baseball on Saturday. Happy with one game and a little bummed about the other, but life goes on!

Sunday was a full day! We took my niece and nephew to the river for their first time. That was also a situation where some things went well and others not so much. Let’s just say that when the rock got slippery, I was the one that went under and Madelyn lived. You could call me a hero… 😉 All in all, it was a good time.


After the river it was home for meal prep. You’ll see the fruits of that labor below. As you all know, we’re on Whole Life Challenge right now and this recipe was actually a little more difficult to make compliant, but that’s what I love about the challenge. It pushes you to get creative and find alternative options! I’m feeling better overall and less than two weeks in I’m already seeing some visual progress. Just sayin…. you should join us next time.

Post-prep, we set out to do some yard work and I made a new friend, whom I now realize was a black widow spider… Maybe it’s the lack of sugar in my diet right now, but I was like “Hey Tim! Come look at this spider! She looks like a little sixlet!” Y’all remember that candy? She seemed the least aggressive of the “friends” I made on Sunday (SCORPIONS!!) but I guess I should just stick to the raking and the friends I already have.

 

 

 

Anyhoo, on to the recipe.  I LOVE Asian flavors. Sweet Chili sauce is one of my favorite things on the planet, but most recipes for it include sugar or at best, honey which are both no-nos on WLC. The recipe below is a WLC compliant version, but if you aren’t on WLC and you want to use honey, I personally think the flavors would blend better than with the dates, but it’s up to you! We’ve knocked out all 4 bowls of this already (that’s how good it is!) and it’s definitely one that will stay in the rotation. There are a few “parts” to this recipe, but I promise it’s easier than it looks and the whole thing can be done in about 30 minutes! Let me know how you guys like it!

Sweet Chili Chicken Bowls

For the Rice:

  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 15 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 cup water

Begin the coconut rice first. Add the jasmine rice, garlic, salt, coconut milk, and water to a sauce pot, and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot and bring it up to a boil over high heat. As soon as it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. After simmering for 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let it sit undisturbed, with the lid in place, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice, and set it aside until ready to serve. If using for meal prep, divide it into 4 containers and set aside for the other ingredients to be added.

For the Sauce:


Ingredients: I DOUBLED THIS** I used half to cook with, but I love sauces so I doubled and use the rest to drizzle when I reheat 🙂

  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Date Syrup (you can also buy this in the store) or Honey (more/less to taste)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp sambal oelek (found in the international food aisle near the sriracha)
  • 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch + 1 Tbsp water

Instructions

Add the rice vinegar, honey, water, and sambal oelek to a small sauce pot. Heat and stir the mixture over medium heat until the ingredients are well combined

Stir the tapioca starch into 1 Tbsp water until dissolved, then pour it into the sauce pot with the sweet chili sauce. Continue stirring and heating until the mixture comes up to a simmer, at which time the tapioca starch will thicken the sauce and go from appearing cloudy to clear.

Use the sauce immediately, or refrigerate and use within one week.

 

For the Rest:

  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup sweet chili sauce (more to drizzle later!) 
  • 8-10 oz of fresh pineapple, cut into “tidbits”
  • 1 lb. broccoli florets (I buy crowns from the produce section and portion into florets)
  • 1 package snow peas

While the rice is cooking, prepare the steamed broccoli and snow peas. Cut the broccoli crown into florets. Add one inch of water to a large pot, place a steaming basket (or colander) in the pot, then place the broccoli crowns and snow peas in the basket. Place a lid on the pot, then place it over medium-high heat. Allow the water to come up to a boil, and steam the broccoli and snow peas until it is bright green and tender (about 5 minutes). Remove the veggies from the heat and set aside until ready to serve or portion into your four meal prep bowls

While the rice and veggies are cooking, prepare the chicken stir fry. Dice the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Season with a pinch of salt. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and stir and cook until the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned on the outside.

If not pre-cut, chop your pineapple into small pieces and add the pineapple to the skillet along with the sweet chili sauce. Stir and heat the sauce and pineapple through (about 2 minutes).

Once the chicken is finished, portion it with your rice and veggies and drizzle sauce from the pan on each bowl.

Hands down, one of my favorite recipes now. We’ve devoured it! Enjoy!

-G