Greek Chicken Meatball Bowl

INGREDIENTS

For the meatballs:

• Avocado oil

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 pound ground chicken or ground beef

• 1 shallot, finely diced or 1/3 cup finely diced red onion

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• Heaping 1/3 cup finely chopped herbs, such as mint and dill

• Zest from a lemon

• Juice from half of a lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili

• 3/4 teaspoon Fine grain sea salt

• Black pepper to taste

• Optional add-ins: feta, chopped spinach

For the veggies:

• 2 zucchinis, cut into thick circle

• 2-3 baby eggplants, cut into large chunks

• Avocado oil

• Fine grain sea salt

• Black pepper

For the salad:

• Cherry tomatoes, halved

• Kalamata olives, quartered

• Mint leaves, torn

• Lemon juice

• Olive oil

For the grains:

• Cooked grains of your choice such as rice, quinoa, or farro. I used this 7 grain-lentil blend.

For the tzaziki:

• Full-fat Greek Yogurt or labneh

• Persian cucumber, julienned

• Lemon juice

• Fine grain sea salt

• Black pepper

METHOD

1. Prep the tzaziki: in a bowl, combine yogurt, julienned cucumber, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. To thin out the mixture, add a splash of water. Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

2. Prep the salad: in a bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, mint, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss well.

3. Prep the meatballs: add the chopped shallot, garlic, herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red chili flakes/calabrian chili, olive oil, and optional add-ins if using to a large bowl. Mix well. Add in the ground meat and use your hands to combine all of the ingredients. Set to the side while you prep the veggies.

4. Roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the chopped zucchini and eggplant to the sheet pan, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until veggies are tender and golden brown.

5. Cook the meatballs: Once the veggies have been cooking for about 10 minutes, start cooking the meatballs. Heat up a large pan and add enough avocado oil to coat the pan. Use your hands to shape about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into a ball and then place in the pan. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Cook the meatballs for ~5 minutes per side or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

6. Assemble your bowl: arrange some of your grains in your bowl, followed by the veggies, meatballs, tomato salad, and tzaziki. Enjoy!