This is an easy recipe that's great for a weeknight. Even better, the leftovers make great lunches during the week. The recipe yields plenty for four people, even though you need only eight to twelve ounces of ground turkey. The dish includes lots of vegetables as well as rice and meat, and all you need to finish the meal is a salad and maybe some bread. The flavors of the vegetables really shine through in the dish, and bacon crumbles and a few drops of liquid smoke add saltiness and smokiness. This isn't your mom's Spanish rice, admittedly. It's a little different and quite good. Enjoy!
Ground Turkey Spanish Rice -- Serves 4+
1 tablespoon of canola or olive oil
3/4 cup of chopped onion (or a medium onion)
1/3 - 1/2 cup of chopped celery (or a rib of celery, chopped)
1/2 - 3/4 pound of ground turkey
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
1 teaspoon of salt, divided
5-6 cloves of chopped garlic
1 medium/small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup of brown rice, rinsed well
1 - 2 tablespoons of cooked bacon crumbles (from a package is fine)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 14 - 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes, with the juice in the can
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (about half a 6-ounce can)
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of red wine
3 - 6 drops of liquid smoke
Small hand full of parsley, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet or chef's pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, ground turkey, half the salt, and the pepper to the pan and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables have softened the meat is cooked through. Add the garlic, bell pepper, brown rice, bacon crumbles, cumin, paprika, and oregano and saute them together with the meat mixture for a couple of minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, red wine, and liquid smoke and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the mixture, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and let the mixture cook, stirring it periodically, for about 30-40 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in half the parsley. Top the mixture with the shredded cheese, cover the pan until the cheese melts, then sprinkle on the remaining parsley and serve the Spanish rice from the skillet.
