Quickie Mediterranean-Flair Dinner

~Recipe by She Gar-C

Needed a quickie dinner after the night class at Legacy, so ground turkey is ALWAYS a good go-to for me. This meal had a slight Mediterranean flair and was super-simple and easy! I made dolmades and chickpeas for dinner! Being the low-carb girl I am, I made mine with cauliflower “rice” and kept The Hubster’s with organic rice. (I’ve included recipes for both) Of course, it was YUM!!

DOLMADES

1 pnd ground turky

1 cup uncooked rice (I used organic jasmine)

1 onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs garlic powder

sea salt

pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 jar grape leaves

1 box vegetable broth

Place turkey, rice, onion, garlic, paprika, garlic powder into a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and squeeze the lemon into the mix. Sprinkle evoo just across the top of the mound. Mix until just combined (see notes). Take about a teaspoon’s worth and wrap into a grape leaf like a present. Set each present into a steamer (see notes). Pour vegetable broth into a spaghetti pot and place steamer on top. Bring to a boil on medium heat and let cook for 25 minutes.

NOTES: Do not over-mix your ground turkey, it can become tough while cooking. I use a tamale steamer for my dolmades, but you can also just set them in a metal colander over a pot of vegetable broth and cover.

LOW-CARB DOLMADES

1 pnd ground turky

1 1/2 cups cauliflower, shredded

1 onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tbs cumin

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs garlic powder

sea salt

pepper

juice of 1/2 lemon

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 jar grape leaves

1 box vegetable broth

Place turkey, cauliflower “rice” (see notes), onion, garlic, paprika, garlic powder into a bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and squeeze the lemon into the mix. Sprinkle evoo just across the top of the mound. Mix until just combined (see notes). Take about a teaspoon’s worth and wrap into a grape leaf like a present. Set each present into a steamer (see notes). Pour vegetable broth into a spaghetti pot and place steamer on top. Bring to a boil on medium heat and let cook for 25 minutes.

NOTES: I use a regular cheese grater for the cauliflower, and all-organic ingredients, though that is not necessary for flavor – just clean eating.

CHICKPEAS & SPICY TOMATOES

4 cans chickpeas

2 cans spicy tomatoes, drained

Add ingredients into a saucepan, heat through. (see notes)

NOTES: I find the organic version of ”Ro-tel” at Whole Foods