Mediterranean Grain Bowl + Goat Cheese And Olive Dressing

Classic grain bowl - Mediterranean style! Great recipe for batch cooking. Homemade goat cheese and olive dressing included!

I don't know about you, but I generally have a busy schedule. An everyday schedule looks something like this: wake up at 6:15AM, get ready for work/prepare a smoothie, long commute to work, work all day, chemistry lecture in between, workout, come home, make dinner, study for GRE, work on homework, work on the blog, and go to bed around 11PM. As you can see, there is not much time in my schedule to make a nutritious and filling lunch.

This is where batch cooking (or meal prep) comes into play! Mastering this art has saved me so much time and money. It has helped me to maintain a healthy weight by not eating out as much, especially at work.  I typically batch cook on Sunday's for two hours. Within two hours I will make lunch for four servings, prep for breakfast meals that I want for that week, and chop fruits/vegetables for snacks and dinner sides. If you are just starting on the batch cooking train, grain bowls are the way to go!

Not only are grain bowls easy to put together, they are also aesthetically pleasing. I love seeing all my veggies laid out on top!

You begin by choosing a grain, a form of protein, some greens, and veggies, and finish it off with something extra like a dressing, lime wedges, or avocados. For this recipe, I decided to create a Mediterranean style grain bowl by using couscous, lemon and garlic marinated chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mixed greens. I also created a goat cheese and olive dressing that is simple to make in a mason jar but is even easier if you have a food processor.

Mediterranean cooking has become a popular way of eating as it consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats with lean sources of protein like fish and poultry. This style of cooking is very easy to follow especially when it comes to batch cooking lunches. In this Mediterranean grain bowl recipe, you will need to cook the grain and protein but the rest is all fresh ingredients that are super easy to assemble. What’s even better about grain bowls is that you can add or take away ingredients if you need to! For example, if you want to skip the meat, you can instead toast chickpeas with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and Italian seasoning in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

Let us know how you like to prepare your favorite grain bowl! If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and share!

Classic grain bowl - Mediterranean style! Great recipe for batch cooking. Homemade goat cheese and olive dressing included!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

• 1 cup cooked couscous

• 1/2 cup black olives

• 3 gloves garlic (peeled and minced)

• 1 whole lemon

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 small red onion (sliced)

• 1 whole cucumber (sliced)

• 1 large handful of spinach or mixed greens

Goat Cheese & Olive Dressing

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (more if into vinegar like me!)

• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper

• 4 Tbsp avocado oil (or EVOO)

• 2 Tbsp goat cheese (or feta cheese)

• 3 whole olives

• 1 clove garlic

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinate chicken with minced garlic, juice, and zest of one lemon and S/P for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, marinating it overnight will create a super juicy chicken!

2. Grill or cook chicken in a skillet for 5-10 minutes per side until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. While the chicken is cooking, add all dressing ingredients to processor and process until smooth and creamy. If you do not have a processor, finely mince garlic and olives and add to mason jar along with the rest of the ingredients and shake vigorously until desired creamy texture.

4. Assemble!

NOTES

1. This recipe will make four servings. With that in mind, divide up your couscous, chicken, veggies, and dressing in order to create four-grain bowls!