Renata’s Tasty Turkey, Bell Peppers, Mushroom, Tomato, Rice Bowl

Oh, I love this dish! The melding of flavours of the simple ingredients is delicious. And drizzled with tahini (or a balsamic vinegar glaze for those with sesame sensitivities) makes this dish a complete delight!

This dish contains nightshade plants (bell peppers and tomatoes) which contain the chemical ‘solanine’ which some people can be sensitive to and some say aggravates arthritis and inflammation. Although this sensitivity and aggravation do seem to be anecdotal in the research I have done on nightshade plants and inflammation, your body and what it is saying needs to be listened to, so I wanted to include this note about this recipe containing nightshade plants for those whose body is telling them to stay away from peppers and tomatoes!

Bell peppers are a good antioxidant, are low in calories (so good for snacking on), rich in vitamin C, especially the red ones (more than an orange – can you believe it!) and many other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin A, folate, and potassium.

Tomatoes are a water fruit – which means they are 90+% water and the remaining is healthy simple carbs and fiber. They are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K (good for bone health) and folate.

The mighty mushroom is an antioxidant and is a source of vitamin B, vitamin D, protein, iron, and antioxidants. Vitamin B promotes healthy skin, vision and brain health.

Prep time: 15 Minutes / Cook Time: 45 Minutes / / Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 pound Ground Turkey

• 3 cloves Garlic - sliced

• 1 large Yellow Cooking Onion – halved and sliced

• 3 Bell Peppers – red, yellow, orange – seeded and sliced

• 8 oz Cremini Mushrooms – sliced

• 2 cups Diced Tomatoes – canned or fresh

• ½ cup Ground Tomatoes (Passata)

• 2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

• Salt and Pepper – to taste

• 2 cups cooked Brown Rice

• Tahini – to drizzle on top

How It’s Made:

• Start the brown rice cooking.

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

• Cook the ground turkey with the garlic until the turkey is cooked through and roasted browned – about 5 minutes - stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn.

• Add the onions, the peppers and mushrooms and cook until the peppers are softened and the mushrooms have released their liquid – about 8 to 10 minutes.

• Add the diced tomatoes and the ground tomatoes and simmer, covered, stirring from time to time so the deliciousness doesn’t stick and the liquid from the tomatoes is reduced slightly, about 20 -25 minutes.

• Add the balsamic vnegar, stir then season with salt and pepper and adjust to your taste.

• If you find the mixture getting dry, add ¼ cup additional passata and ¼ water. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes longer.

• To serve, put rice in the bottom of the bowl, spoon the turkey mixture over the rice. Drizzle with tahini. Do not skip the tahini (or balsamic vinegar glaze) when serving – seriously! The tahini absolutely MAKES this rice bowl and ties all the flavours together!

Enjoy!

Tip:

• In your weekly meal prep, make extra rice so for this meal the rice can just be heated up before serving, saving you the step of cooking the rice!

Variations:

• You can add some greens such as 2 cups of fresh baby spinach or kale.

• Add a can of drained and rinsed white kidney beans along with the turkey and the garlic.

• For a vegan dish, replace the ground turkey with 2 cans of drained and rinsed white kidney beans, mashing them slightly as they cook with the garlic.

• Serve over quinoa or rice noodles instead of rice.

• Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top of the tahini.

• For those with sensitivities to sesame seeds (tahini), drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar or a balsamic vinegar glaze! So good!