Frozen rice is the quick and healthy MVP in these turkey-kale bowls (2024)

This recipe showcases two tricks I rely on for flavourful, healthful weeknight meals. One is a new favourite convenience food, and the other a simple cooking technique with a big payoff.

The convenience food is a bag of frozen brown rice, which has become a staple in my kitchen since I discovered it about a year ago. It gets the whole grain on the table fast, in whatever quantity needed, with just a few minutes of reheating either in the microwave or on the stove. Its ingredient list is simply “cooked brown rice,” and it not only offers comparable nutrition to freshly cooked rice but also has an extra health advantage. When rice (or any grain, or potatoes) is cooled after cooking, some of its starch turns to resistant starch, a type that slows digestion and acts more like fiber in the body, thus tempering the grain’s impact on blood sugar.

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Sure, it’s easy enough and cheaper to cook up a fresh batch of rice, and freeze it yourself, but if you are pressed for time, the packaged option is a big win.

The technique I lean on for fast, lip-smacking flavour is toasting garlic. It takes a few minutes longer than simply sautéing it, but the payoff is big in both taste and texture. It involves heating sliced garlic slowly in oil over low heat, until golden, then removing it from the oil and letting it cool. As the garlic slices cool, they crisp up to become a crunchy, savoury garnish, while the oil they are cooked in is infused with a deep, mellow garlic flavour. Cook any vegetable in that oil – broccoli, kale, spinach – season with salt and pepper, and top with the garlic “chips” for a no-brainer, delightful side dish.

In this recipe, ground turkey is browned in that toasted garlic oil, with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, diced tomatoes, kale leaves (you could sub any green leafy you like) and crushed red pepper flakes. That fragrant mixture is then spooned over the hot brown rice, which has been tossed with a little of the garlic oil, too.

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Topped with those crispy bits of toasted garlic, slices of buttery avocado, and a wedge of lemon, you have an enticing rice bowl you can count on to nourish you on a busy day.

Brown Rice Bowl With Turkey, Toasted Garlic and Kale

4 servings

Total time: 30 mins

This turkey and kale grain bowl relies on frozen rice for weeknight-friendly appeal, and gets a big punch of flavour from toasted garlic “chips.” They are made by gently toasting garlic slices in oil, then letting them cool until they become crunchy and mellow, while the oil becomes infused with a deep, mellow garlic flavour.

Here, ground turkey is cooked in that tasty oil with diced tomatoes, kale and smoked paprika. The mixture gets spooned over hot brown rice, then topped with those crispy garlic “chips,” buttery avocado slices and a wedge of lemon, for an enticing meal to nourish you on a busy day.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound ground turkey (93 percent lean)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, divided

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pinch crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, juices drained

3 cups lightly packed chopped kale leaves without stems, lacinato or regular

3 cups frozen brown rice or hot cooked brown rice

1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

1 lemon, quartered, for serving

STEPS

In a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and garlic until the garlic begins to sizzle slightly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden brown, about 6 minutes. (Watch the garlic carefully, and don’t let it burn.) Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to a small dish. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the garlic-infused oil to a small bowl and set aside.

Return the skillet with the remaining oil to medium heat and add the turkey. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon into small chunks, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper flakes. Then add the tomatoes and kale and cook, stirring, until the kale is just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

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If using frozen rice, cook it according to the package directions. Add the reserved garlic oil to the hot rice, along with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt and stir to thoroughly combine.

To serve, add 3/4 cup of rice to each bowl, then divide the turkey mixture among the bowls. Sprinkle each with the toasted garlic slices, then arrange a quarter of the avocado slices and a lemon wedge on top of each, and serve.

Nutrition per serving (generous 1 cup turkey mixture and 3/4 cup rice): 500 calories, 48g carbohydrates, 84mg cholesterol, 23g fat, 8g fiber, 28g protein, 4g saturated fat, 492mg sodium, 10g sugar

This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.

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