15 Minute: Mediterranean Spiced Rice Bowl

The longest part of this dish is making the rice.

Ingredients

• ½ Cup of Uncooked Rice

• 8 oz ground beef or other protein (chicken or turkey both work here as well)

• 2 Green Onions

• 2 Roma Tomatoes

• 1 Lemon

• 1 tsp stock concentrate or bullion

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 Tbsp mediterranean spice (you can also use some warm seasonings like cumin, paprika, cayenne)

• 2 Garlic Clove

• 2 TBSP Mayo Or 2 tbsp sour cream. Or 1/1

Preparation

1. Wash and Cook Rice: Wash rice under water until it runs clear. Preheat a small pot, drizzle oil, add in turmeric and onion whites cook until softened add a pinch of garlic. I'd also recommend a pinch of chicken bullion powder. Add rice and water and cook according to the package. 

2. Prep Ingredients: mince or grate garlic, dice tomatoes, slice green onions separating greens from whites. Mix seasoning together for chicken.

3. Make tomato salad: combine diced tomato and cucumber along with half of the greens from the green onion. Add in a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Make Sauce: Combine mayo, pinch of garlic, lemon zest, and a squeeze of lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Add water if it needs to be thinned out to drizzle.

5. Cook Protein: Since I had a bit of leftover Rotisserie chicken i didn't know what to do with, I went super easy mode for this. Season your chicken with a spray of oil and your seasoning. Add to pan and cook until warmed throughout. If you're wanting to use ground meat or other protein, see the tips below.

6. Assemble and Garnish: Add rice to bowl alongside the protein. Add tomatoes/cucumber salad. Drizzle the garlic sauce over the top and garnish with green onions.

Tips and Best Practices

• Add your hot sauce of choice to this dish.

• If you're using minced meat instead of a rotisserie, heat the pan and add a drizzle of oil. Place the protein in flat and allow the bottom to sear and turn crispy golden brown. Once that occurs, break up the mean and cook until crispy. The protein will create a lot of great fond at the bottom of the pan. I hate letting it go to waste. So I will deglaze the pan with a little bit of water which will make a bit of a sauce if you add a small amount of butter or fat to the pan.