California Chicken and Veggie Rice Bowl

Well, its been a minute. I haven't done a lot of extensive cooking lately. I'm trying to post up recipes that I try on Pinterest that are actually pretty good (cause a lot of them aren't) to save you the trouble of a bad meal. Anyways, this one is really pretty good! And its really easy and healthy (although you do end up using a lot of dishes and whatnot...hope you are smarter than me and use the dishwasher). I am on this clean eating habit now, so don't be surprised if a lot of the things I post going forward are healthy (but good). So here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Chicken
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders, cubed if using skewers, leave whole if not
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (may sub 1 tablespoon dried)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (may sub 1 tablespoon dried)
The Rice + Veggies + Avocado
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• 2 red pepper, cut into fourths (why is red pepper like a dollar more than green? its the one dollar question)
• 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt + pepper
• 2 avocados, mashed very well
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
• salt + pepper, to taste
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (optional, I used feta because I like feta!)

Instructions

1. *At least 30 minutes before grilling, soak your skewers (if they are bamboo) in water for 30 minutes to prevent them from charring.
2. In a large bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, onion powder, pepper, cayenne, smoked paprika, parsley and basil. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover and place in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal.
3. Make the rice. Add the water to a medium size pot. Bring to a low boil and then add the rice. Stir to combine and then place the lid on the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook ten minutes on low and then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit on the stove, covered for another 20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). After 20 minutes remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Note that rice can cook differently for everyone, this is just what works for me.
4. Pre heat the grill to medium high heat.
5. Add the red pepper and zucchini to a gallon size ziplock bag. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake well so the veggies are coated with olive oil.
6. Remove the chicken from the fridge and if using skewers, skewer the chicken (or if you do not have skewers you can leave the chicken whole and cut after grilling).
7. Grill the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, gently flipping 2-3 times until chicken is cooked through and has light char marks. While the chicken is grilling grill the zucchini for about 4 minutes on each side, or until tender and the red peppers for about 5 minutes flipping once or twice during cooking. You may also use a grill pan to do this or even just cook everything on the stove.
8. Remove everything from the grill and let cool 5 minutes. Once cool slice the red peppers into strips and if you have whole chicken breast cut those into cubes.
9. Add the mashed avocados to a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
10. To assemble the bowls, divide the rice among 4 bowls or plates. Top each bowl of rice with equal amounts of chicken, grilled peppers and zucchini. Add a large dollop of the avocados and then add the fresh tomatoes and walnuts. Sprinkle with blue cheese if desired. Serve warm.