I recently started learning some new recipes and found that Greek recipes are good, healthy, and quite simple.  I’ve always loved the taste of Greek food, especially combined with the Mediterranean health benefits, but had trouble creating the perfectly seasoned proteins.  Greek cuisines are known for their flavorful combination of proteins and salads.  The toppings make the Greek bowl come to life with vinegary, nutty scents from the combination of cheese, proteins, and veggies.

For early meal preparation, the ingredients can be stored in the fridge for up to five days.  My favorite protein to use in Greek recipes is lamb, however beef and chicken are also excellent choices if you are not a fan of the gaminess of lamb.

When I learned how easy it was to make an entire Greek meal, I decided to give it a try.  Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my take on Mediterranean fiesta bowl.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Couscous adds additional texture to the bowl and has incredible health benefits too!

Cook time: 15 minutes

Difficulty: Easy-medium

Utensils:

• Medium pot
• Measuring spoons
• Large non-stick pan
• Strainer
• Medium bowl
• Measuring cups
• Large bowl

The lemon-pepper seasoning is an essential ingredient in the salad and protein.

Ingredients:

250 g Ground Lamb/chicken/beef
½ cup Couscous
113 g Baby tomatoes
160 g Sweet bell pepper
¼ cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1 unit Vegetable broth concentrate
1 tbsp Lemon-Pepper seasoning
50 g shallot
1 tbsp Vinegar/pickle juice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

My favorite proteins to add for Mediterranean bowls are ground lamb and beef

1. Cut baby tomatoes in half, sweet bell pepper into ½ inch chunks and shallots into thin slices
2. Add shallots, vinegar and 1 tbsp water and ½ tsp sugar into a medium pot.  Season with salt and bring to simmer over medium heat and stirring constantly until sugar dissolves in 1-2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat.  Transfer veggies, including liquid, to a medium bowl.  Set aside in the fridge to cool.  Carefully wipe pot clean
3. Combine broth concentrate, ⅔ cup water and 1 tbsp butter in the same pot.  Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, remove pot from heat and add couscous.  Stir together.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes
4. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add ground protein and cook by breaking the proteins into smaller pieces and ensure no pink remains (4-5 minutes approximately).  Then remove the excess fat and add the lemon-pepper seasoning.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm
5. Add tomatoes, peppers, remaining lemon-pepper seasoning, 1 tbsp pickling liquid and 1 tbsp oil in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper then toss to combine
6. Drain the pickled shallots and discard remaining pickling liquid.  Fluff couscous with a fork and season with salt.
7. Divide couscous between bowls.  Top couscous with protein, veggies, pickled shallots.  Sprinkle feta over top.
8. If desired can add Greek yogurt (unflavored) or Taziki sauce or hummus and pita chips on the side for a quick appetizer to this meal