What to Cook This May

Cookie and Kate

What to Cook This May

I’m downright giddy about warmer weather, how about you? Since it’s been a slow spring, seasonal produce might be a bit behind getting to the market. Nonetheless, I’ve picked out some of my favorite spring recipes and hope they inspire you to step into the kitchen.

Hope your May is off to a great start. I’ll be back soon with some new recipes that I’ve been dying to share with you! Here are some links that I’ve found useful/interesting/fun lately:

My friend Jeanine came out with the most gorgeous meal planner. It would make a wonderful Mother’s Day gift. Kansas City people: I’ll be speaking at Abbi’s Biz Babe Symposium on May 11! Use code BIZBABELOVE for $20 off. Wish I’d read this when I was younger: Did Drinking Give Me Breast Cancer? I finally switched from body wash to Osmia’s all-natural bar soap, and my skin no longer has that uncomfortably tight, thirsty feeling when I get out of the shower. Refreshing! Fully enamored with Adrianna’s kitchen redesign and tips. Can’t stop listening to How I Build This with Guy Roz.

Ok, moving onto those seasonal recipes!

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A Sweet Pea Chef

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

These slow cooker chicken burrito bowls made are with cauliflower rice and will keep you full for hours. They’re the perfect burrito bowl recipe and a great substitute for a burrito when the craving hits!

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that I love burritos.  Like love love them.  A lot.

And, while we’re on the topic, I love Mexican food, too.

And chocolate.  And coffee.

And … wait, where was I going with this?

Ah, burritos!  Right.

Burritos are like a cozy, delicious, blanket of goodness wrapped around more pieces of a delicious puzzle of flavors and textures.  I mean, what’s not to love about that?

Except…

The tortilla.  Sadly, the tortilla isn’t the healthiest of blankets.  Err…if blankets were food, that is.

Are Burrito Bowls Healthy?

Having a burrito bowl instead of a burrito can often mean a difference of a few hundred calories. Given this, I have come to love burrito bowls as a delicious, healthier alternative to burritos. Like these slow cooker chicken burritos bowls, for example.  Each bowl is full of lean protein from the beans and the chicken, plus fiber from the cauliflower and tomato. Add chopped avocado for an extra hit of healthy fats.

And, oh my, the flavor combo is amaze-balls.

So, what goes in a burrito bowl that’s healthy and tastes great?

First off, the juicy, shredded chicken is braised all day in the slow cooker with vibrant flavors like onion, tomatoes, and Mexican spices, like oregano, cumin, cayenne, and more.  And, while I’m on the topic of chicken, I should also mention that I’ve discovered this AMAZING way to guarantee juicy, flavorful chicken every time.

And the secret is very simple: Combine chicken breasts with chicken thighs.

This little trick ensures the juiciest of chicken, but you also keep the leaner white chicken breast meat for a delicious combination.  I know, life changing, right?

Well, it was for me, anyway.

Now, let’s take these slow cooker burrito bowls and kick them up an even healthier step, shall we?

Let’s replace the rice with….cauliflower rice!

Yep, cauliflower rice makes a pretty darn good substitution for rice and is a great, healthy “blanket,” if you will, for these yummy slow cooker chicken burrito bowls.  I like to add extra flavors to the cauliflower rice, like garlic, salt, and pepper…or even cilantro and lime, sometimes.

How to Make Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is actually crazy easy to make (with either a kitchen grater or a food processor) and is a great, lean, healthy veggie substitute to have in your pocket. Once you’ve got your cauliflower rice ready, just sauté it with olive oil in a large pan. Then continue cooking until the cauliflower steams and becomes tenderer, after about 10 minutes.

If that’s just a little too crazy for ya, I get it.  I’m already making you say farewell to your tortillas.  And now, this crazy lady wants you to give up your rice?  Nuuupe.

If that’s the case for you, you could use steamed brown rice for a higher fiber, less-processed, and nutritious option — or make your own corn tortillas or sweet potato tortillas.

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls With Cauliflower Rice

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If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think by leaving a comment and rating it. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #asweetpeachef on Instagram! I LOVE seeing what you come up with. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowls

These slow cooker chicken burrito bowls made with cauliflower rice will keep you full for hours and are the perfect burrito bowl recipe.

For The Chicken: 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs ((approx. 6)) 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts ((approx. 2)) 1 yellow onion, (diced) 1/2 jalapeno, (seeded and diced) 1 8-oz can tomato sauce 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cayenne For The Cauliflower Rice: 1 large head cauliflower 1 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder For The Chicken Burrito Bowls: 1 15-oz can black beans, (drained) 2 tomatoes, (diced) 2 avocados, (diced) optional: lime wedges, dollop plain greek yogurt

For The Chicken: Combine the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, diced onion, tomato sauce, diced canned tomatoes, oregano, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. ground black pepper, cumin, chili powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne in the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low setting for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Chicken is ready when can easily be pulled apart. When tender, remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred into bite-size pieces using your fingers or two forks. In a medium bowl, combine the drained beans and enough of the juices from the slow cooker (besides the chicken). This will heat up and flavor the beans for serving. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and mix with remaining juices. For The Cauliflower Rice: There are two ways to turn the cauliflower into rice-size pieces: (1) using a kitchen grater on the larger holes or (2) in a food processor. (The food processor makes this way quick and easy so I recommend it if you have one). If using a grater, keep the cauliflower whole and grate as you would cheese. If using a processor, break the cauliflower into florets – it may be necessary to do this in 2-3 batches. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower “rice” and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower rice is tender and just slightly golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Mix in the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder into the cauliflower rice and stir to combine. To serve, add the cauliflower rice to a bowl, followed by the shredded chicken, black beans, avocado, diced tomatoes. Top with additional desired toppings, such as a dollop of greek yogurt.

Can substitute cauliflower rice for brown rice, if desired.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use all the time in my kitchen and highly recommend.

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