Greek Chicken Meatball Lunch Bowl

Directions

• Combine the ground chicken, onion, parsley, mint, garlic, egg, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl
•  Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp oil; place dollops of the chicken mixture (1 heaping Tbsp each.) onto the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned; flip over and flatten slightly with the spatula, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until internal temp reaches 165F; repeat until all chicken is cooked.
• Prepare the Vegetables: 
  ● Wash the cherry tomatoes and cucumber thoroughly. 
  ● Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the cucumber thinly. Combine in a bowl. 
  
•  Make the Marinade: 
  ● In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  
• Marinate: 
  ● Pour the prepared marinade over the vegetables. Gently toss to ensure all the vegetables are coated evenly with the marinade.
  
• Chill: 
  ● Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld together. ● Serve: 
  ● Once marinated, remove from the refrigerator and place on one side of the lunch bowl on the bed of rice.
  
• Rice:  Rinse the basmati rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This helps remove excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming sticky.
•  In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the minced garlic to the saucepan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. ● Stir in the ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Cook the spices with the onions and garlic for about 1 minute to toast them slightly and release their flavors. 
• Add the rinsed basmati rice to the saucepan, stirring well to coat the rice grains with the spiced onion mixture.
• Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let the rice simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. ● Once the rice is cooked, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice and for the flavors to meld. 
• Fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer the yellow basmati rice to a serving dish and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or dill, if desired. Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the rice. 
• Tzatziki: Grate the cucumber using a box grater or food processor. If the cucumber has large seeds, you may want to remove them before grating. Once grated, place the cucumber in a fine-mesh sieve or a colander lined with papertowel. Sprinkle a little salt over the cucumber and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to drain excess moisture. 
• While the cucumber is draining, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. ● Add the grated cucumber to the yogurt mixture.
• Add the chopped fresh dill (or mint) to the bowl with the yogurt and cucumber mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir all the ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.
• Cover the tzatziki and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. ● Before serving, give the tzatziki a quick stir. If desired, drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill or mint.