Recipe
Midweek Staples: Soul Bowls
Words by Laura SantamariaPhotography by Mayra García
My best friend and I have a tendency for wanting to cook for people. In the tiny house that we named The Fern we try to create the feel of the homes and families we left for college and our various jobs. There will be the planned dinner, or the impromptu knock of someone bringing stories and beers. In those nights, even after a long workday or an early morning, we have taken to making meals in bowls. These little soul bowls change from season to season, or depending what new veggie has made a lasting presence in our kitchen.
So we sit, legs crossed and barefoot in the living room, everyone holding mismatched bowls of hot food, talking, laughing and feeling nourished by food and company.
Ingredients
Half a chicken breast, chopped
1 cup of red quinoa
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cups of chopped carrots
Heirloom tomatoes, about 4
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. oregano
Pepper to taste
Greenleaf sprouts
1tsp. balsamic vinegar
1tsp. mustard
1 lemon
Method
Marinate the chopped chicken by mixing the balsamic, mustard and lemon in a bowl. Mix in cayenne and oregano.
Rinse quinoa and drain. Add quinoa and 2 cups water to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Add pepper to taste.
Add about a tablespoon of oil, we use Safflower oil, to a medium pan. Toss in tomatoes and bell pepper. Toss in the carrots as the tomatoes start becoming saucy. Medium heat.
Add in the chicken and cook for about 15 more minutes.
Add cayenne to taste. Serve in a bowl with quinoa. Garnish with sprouts.
