Lemony chick pea feta bowl with ground turkey

-Roya B. Borden
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice (white, brown, or basmati)

• 1/4 lb ground turkey

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1 red onion, finely diced

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Same spices from above (garlic, cumin, paprika, ground coriander, salt and pepper)

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 lemon (zested and juiced) or 2-3 tbsp lemon juice to taste

• cilantro

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 1 block feta cheese crumbled

• Optional: cherry tomatoes, avocado, or olives for garnish

Instructions:

1. Cook the Rice.

2. While the rice cooks, cook the ground turkey:

Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a spoon.
Add cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the turkey is browned and fully cooked (about 8–10 minutes). Set aside.

3. Sauté the red onion.
I like to add 1/2 tbsp of butter for flavor but can just use oil spray. After red onions have cooked for a few minutes, add the drained chickpeas. Mash the chick peas with a fork or potato masher. Sprinkle in the same spices used in cooking the ground turkey- garlic, cumin, paprika, ground coriander, salt and pepper.

4. Make the Lemon Dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, the remaining lemon zest, and a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Combine all together
Add the cooked rice, ground turkey, chickpeas and onion together. Add in the diced tomatoes and cucumber and the chopped cilantro. Add more lemon juice for added flavor. Drizzle with the lemon dressing

6. Garnish with feta cheese. Can add optional cherry tomatoes, avocado, or olives for garnish. Can also add more garlic and cumin for more flavor.