Grilled Chicken Fajita Noodle Bowl

 Good Morning, and Happy April! First, I need to apologize for being so sporadic on my posting. What can I say, other than life is crazy. Spring football is in full swing for my son, and I am in the midst of a difficult term at school. I do appreciate very much those of you look at my blog!

So this past week seriously brought me out of my comfort zone! One of the requirements for my degree program is a speech class. Speech in an online degree plan you ask? I had the same question. In place of actually speaking in front of a live audience, we are required to video our speeches, and post them to an online forum. Believe me when I say that videoing myself is more nerve wracking than actually speaking live. I don't even like having pictures taken of me...let alone video! This week brought my first speech, and it was a demonstrative speech. I chose something that I am good at, and feel very passionately about. The proper execution of the deadlift. I must have lost my mind to choose this topic! Not because I am not good at it, because I am (and that is not me being arrogant, I am not good at many things, but this is one thing I love and practice often). It is more because I chose something where I couldn't hide. I literally had to BE in the video, full body, out there demonstrating this lift. All I can say is thank you Lululemon, because your workout pants rock, and make anyone look good! I think the best part of the process was when I walked out the bedroom to go shoot my video dressed in workout clothes, yet all dolled up with hair done and make-up on and my husband and daughter cracked up, which made me laugh, and allowed me to relax. Needless to say, my speech went very well. 

I ended up going over the time by 40 seconds, which my professor docked my grade 5 points for, leaving me with a final score of 95%. In the end, I am happy with my topic choice, and it was amazing to see the interest from my classmates. So many were excited to see the speech because they were embarking on journey's into weight lifting for various reasons. This made me think that maybe I should go for a certification...we'll see. I digress, this food post is turning into a journal, and that was not my intent. So, onward and upward!

I do not like labor intensive meals. I love to eat them, but I do not enjoy the clean up! The most labor that went into this was chopping veggies. The hubby grilled the chicken, so that was a huge help to me, and one less dish to clean. This dish began as something I threw together, and literally came together as I went along. I began with a plan for fajitas. Once I got started, I thought about the salad I had for lunch, and realized that I wasn't in the mood for lettuce wraps. Enter the zoodle maker that I just got which I have been dying to use, but suddenly had no inspiration to use.  I just happened to have some zucchini lying around, and boom...the fajita noodle bowl was born!

Grilled Chicken Fajita Noodle Bowl

4 Boneless Skinnless Chicken Breasts (I made 8 so I'd have extra for other meals)

4 TBS Extra Virgin Olive oil, divided

3 tsp of sea salt, divided

1 tsp of garlic powder, divided

1/2 tsp of onion powder

1 tsp of roasted cumin

1 tsp of ancho chili powder

1 tsp of chipotle chili powder

juice of 1 lime

2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips (I used red and orange, because I hate cooked green bell pepper!)

1 1/2 red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 large zucchini, zoodled

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and the onion powder, cumin, chili powders, and 1 1/2 tsp of the salt. 

2. Place chicken breasts into a baking dish, and drizzle 1 TBS of the olive oil over the chicken, and give it a good rub to coat. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken, and then season all over with the chili powder mixture. Cover and put in the fridge for at least and hour. This can be done in the morning before you leave for the day though.

3. When ready, grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through. 

4. While chicken is grilling, heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onions, and sauté until they begin to caramelize a little. Add the bell peppers, and garlic, and season with 1/2 tsp of salt. Continue to sauté until the peppers are just starting to get tender, but still have a crunch. (I despise overcooked peppers) 

5. Remove the onions, garlic, and peppers from the pan, and cover to keep warm. Slice the grilled chicken into 1/4 inch slices, and set aside. To the pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and add the zoodles. Season with remaining teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Sauté, just until warmed up and al dente. 

6. To assemble the dish, mound up some zoodles onto your plates, top with the peppers, garlic, and onions, then top with the chicken. If you want, you could even add some queso fresco if you haven't given up dairy. I put homemade, fresh salsa on mine for an extra kick. Guac would be good too. 

At any rate, this was pretty simple, delicious, and satisfying.