Happy Father’s Day Everyone!! To all the wonderful dads out there who inspired us, pushed us towards our dreams, and supported us throughout our lives, you’re the best! I know my dad is! I don’t know about your dad, but mine loves grilling, especially in the summer, and especially if it involves lots of veggies. So for Father’s Day this year, I made him this Southwest inspired quinoa bowls, loaded with TONS of grilled veggies, chicken, and drizzled with a lime chili vinaigrette. The best part? It’s packed with flavor, gluten free, and also super duper healthy! It’s also a wonderful way to use all that produce from your garden. Plus, who doesn’t love sitting out on the patio, absorbing the summer sunshine, and chowing down on a delicious bowl of grilled food??
Now, I know looking at the recipe below, this looks like a TON of steps. Trust me though, the marinade, basting, and dressing are all the same thing, so you’re just making a big batch. Other then marinading, it’s pretty much a chop and grill festival. That’s the hard part. And if you want to make it even easier, make the quinoa the night before! It helps if you have siblings too like my brother who manned the grill for me yesterday while I prepped all the bowls. This got a BIG thumbs up of approval from dad, so I’m sure your dad will enjoy it as well! So fire up that grill and enjoy this delicious summer dish!
**These are GREAT for meal prepping too! Make yourself pre-made bowls in tupperware and enjoy some delicious lunches all week!
Ingredients:
Dressing & Marinade:
- Zest of 4 limes
- Juice of 6 limes
- 1.5 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 T chili powder
- 1 T paprika
- 2 T garlic powder
- 2 T onion powder
- 2 T black pepper
- 2 T salt
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1 cup of olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (more if you want some spice)
For the bowls:
- 2 medium zucchini, tops taken off and sliced in half vertically
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, sliced in half, with center and seeds removed
- 2 medium sweet onions, outer skin removed and sliced in half
- 2 large sweet potatoes, sliced in half long ways
- 3 ears of corn, husk and silk removed
- 4 cups of cooked quinoa
- 2 avocados, peeled, de-pitted, and sliced
- 2 pounds of chicken breast (If they’re really big, slice them in half before you put them in marinade)
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
Optional:
- My Quick Lime Crema – Mix together 1/2 cup of greek yogurt, zest and juice of one lime, 1/2 tsp of chili powder, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and salt to taste.
- Black beans or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- Lime Slices
Instructions:
6-8 hours prior (or the night before) mix together everything in the marinade above. Set aside. Finely chop one onion and garlic cloves and place in a large resealable bag (or container), then stir in half of marinade. Place 2 pounds of chicken breasts in bag. Place chicken and leftover marinade in fridge until ready to grill. If you haven’t made quinoa, make sure to make it beforehand (I made it the night before).
To prep the veggies, after you cut them up per above, I place them in a large bake pan and pour about 1/2 a cup of marinade over them and make sure they’re all covered. Turn on grill. Place halved sweet potatoes face down (they’ll take the longest to cook), so do them first. Place all veggies and chicken on grill as well and cook until veggies are soft and cooked and make sure chicken juices run clear. I place everything back in the baking pan, which will have leftover marinade from veggies in it. Allow everything to cool and then begin to cut everything up and arrange in bowls on top of quinoa. Top with avocados and drizzle with dressing. If you’re making the optional lime crema, put a dollop on each bowl. Serve and enjoy!
