Cuban Chicken and Black Bean Quinoa Bowls

My mouth is watering just looking at this! Love fried bananas SO much and put in a bowl with black beans, quinoa, mango and a whole bunch of cuban spices is genius. Love this!

Course: main course

Cuisine: american, cuban, south american

Keyword: black bean, chicken, quinoa bowl, spicy

 prep time 30 minutes

 cook time 30 minutes

 total time 1 hour

 servings 4

 servings calories 819 kcal

This recipe adapted form : littlespicejar.com

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN

• 1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
• 1 red chile seeded
• good pinch of pepper
• 3/4 cup + 1/4 orange juice divided
• the juice of 4 limes + 1 lime zested
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons butter

BLACK BEANS + QUINOA

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa
• 2 cups cooked black beans rinsed + drained if using canned
• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
• salt and pepper to taste

BANANAS + MANGOS

• 2 bananas sliced + chili powder if desired
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 mango diced
• 1 red chile seeded + chopped
• 1/2 of 1 lime juiced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To a blender, add the cumin, 3 cloves garlic, red chile, pinch of pepper, 3/4 cup orange juice, lime juice + lime zest, honey, soy sauce and cilantro. Blend until everything is finely chopped and smooth. 
2. Next, add the chicken to a bowl or a ziplock bag and pour half the marinade over the chicken. Toss to coat and allow the chicken to sit for 20 minutes, or even overnight, in the marinade.
3. Meanwhile, work on the quinoa. Heat a large high sided skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add the oil and onion. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the red pepper and quinoa, cook another five minutes until the red pepper is soft and the quinoa is lightly toasted. 
4. Now pour in 3 cups of water or chicken broth, bring the mixture to a boil, cover and then simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and fluffy. 
5. Once the quinoa is done cooking, scoot it over to the side and add another drizzle of oil to the skillet if needed, add the black beans, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until warmed through. Alternately, you may just stir the black beans into the quinoa.
6. While the quinoa cooks, fry the bananas. Remove the peels from the bananas and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Set a skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Lay down your banana slices and sprinkle with chili powder if using, fry for 4-5 minutes on each side. 
7. Be sure to watch the heat and turn it down if the bananas are browning too quickly. You want enough heat to caramelize and brown the slices, but you don't want them to burn. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Sprinkle with sea salt.
8. Add the mango, red chile, lime juice and cilantro to a bowl. Toss well.
9. To cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add half the chicken and cook, 3-5 minutes or until browned all over and cooked throughout. 
10. Remove and repeat with the remaining chicken. Once all the chicken is cooked, cover with foil. Add the remaining marinade + 1/4 cup orange juice to the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and cook about 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Stir in some chopped cilantro if desired.
11. To serve, divide the quinoa among bowls. Top with chicken, black beans, mangos and bananas. Drizzle with the the mojo sauce and chopped cilantro if desired.