Happy New Year!

Usually, I start the new year with a good health and fitness plan, but this year the I’m not there yet. There has been no trips to the gym yet. I’m starting with baby steps – a few new healthy recipes to add to add to our weekly menus. As the main cook in our house, I find myself getting into ruts and struggling to find fast, healthy meals that my family will actually eat. But, these Ground Turkey Korean Rice Bowls, made with Foster Farms Organic Turkey are a winner. This recipe literally takes less then 30 mins to make and it’s soooo delicious. This is not a boring meal, it’s full of flavor and packs so many veggies into one bowl.

My kids aren’t really picky eaters, but having choices definitely gives them a little more control. I added the rice and turkey to their bowls and then they topped with with all their favorite vegetables.

As you may know, I’m married to a Biology and Environmental Science teacher. I wrote a lot about it here, with this yummy Turkey Meatball Gyro recipe. It’s a long story, but we are always looking for ways to eat in a way that creates less of a negative impact on our environment.

That’s why Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey is great choice for our family. Ground turkey is a healthy, leaner and lower calorie alternative to ground beef and is an easy substitute for leaner meals. Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey is USDA Certified Organic and raised free-range on organic land. It’s100% natural with no antibiotics, no GMOs and no added hormones or steroids. The land on which the flocks are raised has been certified organic. This requires a 3-year transition during which time the land must be managed under organic methods (or lie fallow). The land is farmed without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. These are all things that make the nerd I’m married to very happy.

I trust Foster Farms for their organic ground turkey, they are the leading producer of organic turkey in the Western United States. And for me, they are even local, Foster Farms turkeys are raised right here in California’s Central Valley.

Ground Turkey Korean Rice Bowls

• 2 lbs. Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey
• 1/4 soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar (brown sugar can by substituted)
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. fish sauce

In a fry pan, cook the ground turkey completely. Use a spoon to break apart the meat as it cooks.

In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients listed above. Pour the mixture over the cooked ground turkey. Stir and cook another 5 mins on medium heat. You want to make sure the garlic and ginger is completely cooked.

• 3 cups of brown rice
• carrots, shredded
• green onions, sliced
• radishes, thinly sliced
• red cabbage, shredded
• baby spinach
• black sesame seeds
• Spicy Cucumber Salad (see recipe below)

You can really add any of your favorite veggies. I think bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms would be super yummy with these bowls as well.

Cook the rice however you normally cook rice. I got a rice cooker for a wedding gift almost 20 years ago and it’s the only way I make rice. But, you can definitely make rice in a regular pot, the old-fashioned way.

In a small frying pan, with tbsp. of vegetable oil, saute the spinach until it is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the bowls. Start with a bed of rice, add about 1/2 cup of the ground turkey and then either arrange the veggies in little piles or let every top their rice bowls with all their favorite vegetables. Garnish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, green onions and a little Korean Sweet and Spicy sauce.

This recipe serves a family of 4 (or 5 in our case).

Spicy Cucumber Salad

• 1 cup sliced cucumber (1 small cucumber or about 1 cup when sliced)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. coconut sugar (brown sugar can be substituted)
• 1 tsp. sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp. black sesame seeds

These spicy cucumbers make the bowls. They are sweet, spicy and tangy. These can be made in the morning or up to a day before.

Slice the cucumbers in thin rounds. Place in a bowl and sprinkled with salt. Allow the cucumbers to sit for about 15 mins. Then drain off the water. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir, cover and place in the refrigerator.

I hope your New Year is off to a great start. Here’s to eating healthy and having dinner together as a family!

This post is sponsored by Foster Farms. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.