Harvest Bowls with Apple Cider Quinoa

My obsession with apple cider continues. Monday it was apple cider cocktails (you really have to try the margarita!) and today it is apple cider for dinner in the form of Harvest Bowls with apple cider quinoa and apple cider marinated chicken all topped with an apple cider vinaigrette. Yum! Doesn’t this meal just scream fall to you?

We made these Harvest Bowls for dinner last night. Sam and Emma typically love when they get to serve themselves and pick what goes on their plates (in this case bowls). But, truth be told, the evening was not the fall-inspired, cozy and relaxing dinner I imagined when I meal-planned earlier in the week. Sam had Zoom karate till 6:10pm, I had a 2nd grade moms-Zoom call to jump on at 6:30pm, Ryan really wanted to keep watching the news instead of eating dinner in the 20 minute gap, and then he proceeded to inadvertently take Sam’s bowl that contained the only remaining serving of plain apple cider quinoa (as opposed to the tasty version with red onion, parsley and dried cranberries). Chaos ensued including having to dissect the now combined Ryan-Sam Harvest Bowl so that Sam could have his special plain quinoa without the red onion. Oh, and for some reason, Sam was convinced that his Harvest Bowl needed corn. So not pictured is the can of corn that I opened and drained so that Sam could have corn kernels dumped on top of his plain apple cider quinoa. Such a calm Thursday night dinner…I almost gave up!

Despite the chaos, my Harvest Bowl was really yummy and admittedly consumed while on the 2nd grade moms-Zoom call. (Sorry mom, I know you are cringing over my manners!) The chicken was tender and had just the right amount of apple flavor (would absolutely make again on its own) and the apple cider quinoa would also make a great side dish for another seasonal meal. So, if you are in the mood for a fall-inspired dinner or just seeking to satisfy your apple cider craving, we highly recommend you try out these Harvest Bowls preferably without the side chaos.

HARVEST BOWLS WITH APPLE CIDER QUINOA (serves 4)

FOR THE APPLE CIDER CHICKEN MARINADE:

• 2 cups apple cider
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and chopped
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 chicken breasts

FOR THE QUINOA:

• 1 ¹/₂ cups apple cider
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups white quinoa
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

FOR THE BOWLS:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt
• 4 cups baby kale or spinach
• 2 cups fresh apple, diced or thinly sliced
• ¹/₂ cup red onion, small diced/minced
• ¹/₂ cup dried cranberries plus extra for garnish
• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• ¹/₂ cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley

FOR THE APPLE CIDER DIJON VINAIGRETTE:

• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons apple cider
• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¹/₂ cup olive oil
• kosher salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preferably the night before you make the Harvest Bowls, make the apple cider chicken marinade In a large zipper-lock bag. Combine the cider, lemon zest and juice, mustard, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts to the marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Cook the chicken to your liking prior to preparing the bowls (either grill or bake at 450 degrees for about thirty minutes depending on size of chicken breasts). Dice, cube or thinly slice once cooked.
2. In a pot, add the apple cider, water and the quinoa and kosher salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add the lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and kosher salt and roast on a bare sheet pan for 17 minutes until golden brown and tender.
4. To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, Dijon, apple cider, apple cider vinegar and olive oil and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt.
5. When the quinoa is finished, fluff with a fork and let cool slightly. Toss the quinoa with the red onion, dried cranberries and parsley along with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Season to taste with kosher salt.
6. On a bed of greens pile the quinoa and then arrange the chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, cranberries and walnuts on top and drizzle with the dressing.

Recipe Credit: For the bowls, Heather Christo’s Spiced Apple Cider and Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl. For the apple cider chicken marinade, Rachael Ray

Here are some other apple cider recipes that we are wanting to make this fall: Sweet Paul Magazine’s Cider & Honey Slow-Cooker Short Ribs, 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Chicken, Cider-Braised Chicken with Apples and Kale, Apple Cider Beef & Barley Stew, Half Baked Harvest’s Crockpot Apple Cider Braised Short Ribs or Apple Cider Chicken Marsala with wild rice pilaf, Cider & Sweet Potato Pot Roast, Apple Cider Chicken. Are you team apple cider like us?