Date Night Dinners - Crockpot Carnitas and Cauliflower Rice
The great thing about crockpots is that they are suitable to use at any point in the year. They are perfect for wintertime comfort foods. They keep the kitchen from heating up too much in those hot sticky summer months. If you want a lazy day, throw all your ingredients in the pot, kick back and binge on netflix until its done. Or, if you're busy and on the go, get the crockpot going on your way out for the day and come back to a house filled with the smell of dinner goodness.
Our crockpot has been on a bit of a vacation as we have been experimenting with all of our new gadgets. But like always it has quickly found a place back into our kitchen and hearts. Brenden and I found a recipe for a rather flavor filled dish with a variety of ingredients to make for date night and it was as easy as making a box of velvet shells and cheese.
Before eating to work we quickly prepped the chicken ingredients and threw them in the crockpot and started the cooking process. When we came back eight hours later, the chicken was perfectly cooked and the apartment was filled with the smokey, earthy spices we coated them in.
With quick use of the food processor, we riced some cauliflower and cooked it up with lime and cilantro to make the "rice" and base of our burrito bowls. Then we prepped and set out our burrito bowl toppings. We were ready to build our bowls before we new it.
HEALTHIER CHICKEN BURRITO BOWL
recipe adapted from closetcooking.com, Chicken Carnitas Burrito Bowl
INGREDIENTS- Chicken Carnitas
- 1.5 lbs chicken breast
- 1/2 cup orange juice, about 2 oranges
- 1/4 cup lime juice, about 2 limes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Cauliflower Rice
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Burrito Bowl Fillings
- 1 head of lettuce, chopped
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can corn, drained
- 1 small onion, diced
- cherry tomatoes, halved, as desired
- plain greek yogurt, as desired
- guacamole, as desired
Cook the chicken. In the morning, place the chicken in the slow cooker. Mix the rest of the chicken carnitas ingredients in a medium bowl to create a marinade. Add the marinade to the slow cooker, making sure to coat and cover the chicken fully. Cover and turn on the slow cooker. Set it to low for 6-8 hours. In the evening, when the chicken is fully cooked, remove the chicken and shred it using two forks. Like the shredded chicken on a baking tray and drizzle 1/4 of the marinade (that is left over in the crockpot) over the shredded chicken. Place in the oven and broil for 3-5 minutes. Repeat this two more times, until the chicken begins to get slightly crispy but not over cooked. Take the final 1/4 of the left over marinade and drizzle it over the chicken to keep it juicy until serving.
Rice the Cauliflower. Place the cauliflower florets into a food processor. Pulse or process on low until the cauliflower is evenly chopped/shredded into small pieces. If you do not have a food process you can use a cheese grater. Heat a large skillet on medium high with the oil. Add the shredded cauliflower rice. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower rice is tender and golden brown. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro, mixing until fully seasoned.
Assemble the bowl. Layer a plate or bowl with lettuce, then the prepared cauliflower rice and then the prepare chicken carnitas. Then add the toppings of your choice from the list above or any others you may desire. Mix and enjoy.
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