Tag: #HealthyRiceBowl

Posted in Rice Bowls

Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls

Posted on by simplegoodfood

A colorful, protein-packed bowl that turns seasonal corn into an easy meal for today—or months from now.

There is something satisfying about putting food away when it’s at its best and then actually using it later.

That’s exactly what these Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls are about.

Tender seasoned chicken, sweet corn, colorful vegetables, and fluffy brown rice come together in a simple bowl topped with a fresh squeeze of lime and a little parsley. It’s an easy meal during harvest season, but it’s also a perfect way to use some of that sweet corn you froze when it was plentiful.

Today’s harvest really can become tomorrow’s dinner.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Uses seasonal ingredients: Sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini are right at home here.
  • Great for preserved corn: Pull a portion of frozen sweet corn from the freezer when fresh corn is no longer available.
  • High in protein: Chicken provides a satisfying protein base.
  • Meal-prep friendly: The components can be prepared ahead and assembled when you’re ready to eat.
  • Flexible: Change the vegetables, grain, or toppings to suit what you have.
  • Small-batch friendly: Four servings means dinner for two with leftovers, or easy individual lunches.
  • Budget conscious: Rice and seasonal vegetables help stretch a pound of chicken.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base:
Brown rice

Protein:
Seasoned chicken breast

Vegetables:
Sweet corn, zucchini, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes

Sauce:
A simple lime-and-olive-oil drizzle

Fresh Finish:
Fresh parsley and lime juice

Optional Toppings:
Avocado, a sprinkle of Parmesan, or a spoonful of Greek yogurt

Make It Your Own:
Use whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand. Yellow squash can replace zucchini, green beans can replace the peppers, and leftover roasted vegetables work beautifully, too.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Harvest Corn & Chicken Rice Bowls

There is something satisfying about putting food away when it's at its best and then actually using it later.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 475
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Rice Bowls
  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup sweet corn fresh or thawed frozen
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the Lime Drizzle
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 small clove garlic finely minced
  • Pinch of salt

Method
 

Cook the rice.
  1. Prepare the brown rice according to the package directions. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and keep warm.
Season the chicken.
  1. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and black pepper.
Cook the chicken.
  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
Cook the vegetables.
  1. Add the remaining teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the zucchini and bell pepper. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.
Add the harvest vegetables.
  1. Stir in the corn and tomatoes. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, until the corn is heated through and the tomatoes begin to soften.
Return the chicken.
  1. Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and stir everything together. Cook for another minute or two to bring the flavors together.
Make the lime drizzle.
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, and a pinch of salt.
Build the bowls.
  1. Divide the warm rice among four bowls. Top with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Drizzle lightly with the lime dressing and finish with fresh parsley.
Serve.
  1. Add any optional toppings you like and serve warm.

Notes

Using Your Frozen Sweet Corn

This is where Wednesday’s “Today’s Corn, Tomorrow’s Meals” idea gets to shine.
If you froze sweet corn during the September harvest, you can use it directly from the freezer after thawing it. Drain away any excess moisture before adding it to the skillet.
You don’t need to wait for fresh corn season to make this meal.
That’s the whole point.
A portion of corn that you prepared when it was fresh and plentiful can become part of an easy dinner weeks or months later.

Make It Your Own

The bowl is a formula more than a strict set of rules.

Try:

  • Quinoa or barley instead of brown rice.
  • Yellow squash instead of zucchini.
  • Green beans instead of bell pepper.
  • Leftover roasted vegetables when you have them.
  • Rotisserie chicken when you need a shortcut.
  • Turkey instead of chicken.
  • A sprinkle of shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack for a little extra richness.

For a little more flavor without making the dish overly spicy, try adding a pinch of smoked paprika to the chicken.

Meal Prep Tips

These bowls are easy to prepare ahead.

Cook the rice, chicken, and vegetables and store them separately or in individual meal containers. Keep the lime drizzle in a small covered container and add it just before eating.

For the best texture, reheat the rice, chicken, and vegetables before adding the fresh parsley and lime dressing.

If you’re cooking for one or two, portioning the ingredients individually means you can grab exactly one meal when you need it.

A Little Leftover Magic

Have a little chicken and vegetable mixture left over?

Don’t make another identical bowl.

Use it to make:

  • A chicken and corn quesadilla
  • A quick skillet scramble
  • A wrap
  • A simple soup
  • A stuffed baked potato

That’s one of the easiest ways to stretch a meal without making leftovers feel like punishment.

Nutrition Estimate

Per serving: approximately 475 calories and 39g protein, including the rice and lime drizzle.

Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands used.

Food Safety Note

Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F, measured with a food thermometer.

If preparing these bowls ahead of time, refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers. For best quality and safety, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days.

From Today’s Harvest to Tomorrow’s Dinner

This is exactly why I like the idea of putting a little back.

The corn doesn’t have to be the whole meal.

It doesn’t even have to be the star.

It just has to be there when you need it.

A cup of frozen sweet corn can turn a little chicken and rice into a colorful, satisfying bowl. Add a few vegetables, a simple dressing, and you’ve got dinner.

That’s the payoff for doing a little work when the harvest was at its peak.

Buy it when it’s good. Preserve what you’ll use. Then enjoy it later.

Today’s corn just became tomorrow’s meal.

Posted in Rice Bowls

Garlic Herb Beef & Garden Vegetable Rice Bowl

Posted on by simplegoodfood

Introduction

A rice bowl doesn’t need a complicated sauce or a long list of ingredients to be satisfying.

Sometimes the best combination is simply seasoned beef, tender-crisp vegetables, fluffy rice, and a handful of fresh herbs.

This Garlic Herb Beef & Garden Vegetable Rice Bowl is built around that idea. Lean ground beef is seasoned with garlic, parsley, thyme, and a touch of lemon, then paired with carrots, green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions.

The result is a simple, savory bowl with a little bit of everything — protein, vegetables, and rice — without leaning heavily in any one culinary direction.

And because we’re cooking with tomorrow in mind, the beef and vegetable mixture can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, making assembly of another bowl almost ridiculously easy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s a complete meal in one bowl.
  • Five different vegetables give it plenty of color and texture.
  • Garlic and herbs provide flavor without heat.
  • It’s an excellent use for leftover cooked beef.
  • The components can be prepared ahead.
  • It’s easy to scale down for one or two people.
  • It works beautifully in an electric skillet or regular skillet.

🥣 Build Your Bowl

Base

Cooked rice

White or brown rice both work. Use whatever you already have cooked, or make a batch specifically for the week’s meals.

Protein

Garlic herb ground beef

Lean ground beef seasoned with garlic, parsley, thyme, and a little Worcestershire sauce.

Vegetables

  • Carrots
  • Green beans
  • Zucchini
  • Mushrooms
  • Onions

The vegetables are cooked until tender but still retain some texture.

Sauce

Garlic Herb Pan Sauce

A simple combination of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, herbs, and lemon gives the bowl just enough moisture without drowning everything in sauce.

Fresh Finish

Fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon

That little bit of freshness makes a surprisingly big difference.

Optional Toppings

  • sliced green onions
  • grated Parmesan
  • toasted sunflower seeds
  • additional fresh parsley

Make It Your Own

This is a great refrigerator-cleanout bowl.

Use whatever vegetables need to be cooked first. Bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, peas, or leftover roasted vegetables can all step in for some of the vegetables listed here.

The important part is keeping the seasoning simple enough that the vegetables remain the stars.

simplegoodfood's avatarsimplegoodfood

Garlic Herb Beef & Garden Vegetable Rice Bowl

A rice bowl doesn't need a complicated sauce or a long list of ingredients to be satisfying.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 515
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 medium zucchini diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Pan Sauce
  • ½ cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
For Serving
  • 3 cups cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • lemon wedges optional

Method
 

  1. Cook the Rice Prepare the rice according to package directions. While it cooks, prepare the beef and vegetables. If you’re using leftover cooked rice, simply set it aside until the beef and vegetables are ready.
  2. Brown the Beef Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into crumbles as it browns. Once cooked through, transfer the beef to a bowl and drain excess fat if necessary.
  3. Cook the Vegetables Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the olive oil. Add the onion and carrots. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then add the mushrooms and green beans. Cook another 3–4 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 2–3 minutes more. The goal is tender-crisp vegetables, not vegetables cooked until soft.
  4. Add the Garlic and Herbs Return the beef to the skillet. Add the garlic, parsley, thyme, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and cook for about 30 seconds.
  5. Make the Pan Sauce Whisk together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Pour into the skillet and stir. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the cold water until smooth. Add it to the skillet and stir gently. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until the liquid becomes a light sauce that coats the beef and vegetables.
Build the Bowls
  1. Divide the cooked rice among four bowls. Top with the garlic herb beef and vegetables. Finish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Serve immediately.

    🌿 Kitchen Confidence: Don’t Overcook Your Bowl Vegetables

    One of the easiest ways to make a rice bowl disappointing is to cook every vegetable for the same amount of time.

    They don’t all need it.

    Carrots and green beans need a little head start.

    Mushrooms and onions can go in next.

    Zucchini cooks quickly and should go in toward the end.

    That simple timing keeps the finished bowl colorful and gives each vegetable a little texture.

    Cook Today, Make Tomorrow Easier

    This recipe is particularly useful for the week’s meal-prep theme because you don’t have to assemble all four bowls at once.

    Instead:

    Tonight: Make the beef and vegetables and serve them over rice.

    Tomorrow: Reheat one portion and serve over freshly cooked rice.

    Later in the week: Use the beef-and-vegetable mixture as the starting point for another meal.

    You can also freeze the beef and vegetable mixture separately from the rice for easier future meals.

    Storage

    Store the cooked beef and vegetables and cooked rice in separate covered containers in the refrigerator.

    Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days.

    For longer storage, freeze the beef and vegetable mixture separately from the rice for best texture.

    Reheat until heated through.