Tex-Mex Turkey Rice Bowl with Avocado Dressing
I love to roast a whole turkey on the weekend. The house is filled with the most mouth-watering aromas and there is just something so homey and comforting about those delicious smells wafting from the oven. Plus, (shhh…don’t tell my family, they think I slave over a hot oven all day), but a traditional roast turkey dinner is one of the easier meals to prepare. And, not only is it a delicious dinner on Saturday or Sunday…big bonus…we have tasty leftovers for the entire week!
With spring finally here, there are many upcoming occasions where turkey can be the star of your celebration! It’s an easy and economical choice if you have family gatherings planned for Mother’s Day, Victoria Day, Father’s Day, family reunions, graduations, confirmations or birthdays and turkey can just as easily feed a larger crowd as a family of four.
Extra crispy roast turkey!
Another thing I love about Canadian turkey is it’s low-fat, high-protein content making it the ideal food to put on your table every day. These days, we’re all trying to eat healthier and this “Power Protein” is a great choice if you’re looking for a tasty and nutritious option to feed your family.
Turkey is considered a quality protein with about 30 grams of protein in every 100-gram serving. It’s also lean and nutrient-rich. This means it has a lot of nutrients per calorie. Another bonus – both the white and dark meat are considered lower in fat.
If you’re looking for a heart-healthy, low-fat choice – turkey breast is it! Each 100-gram serving is extra lean with just 3 grams of fat. Just keep the skin on while grilling to keep the turkey breast moist and lock in flavour; remove the skin before eating to keep it a low-fat option.
Turkey is a great way to lighten up everyday meals and with all the delicious recipes available, such as Southern Italian Turkey Pasta Puttanesca and BBQ Turkey Club with Spicy Mayo, your family won’t even realize you’re making healthier choices!
Need more reasons to choose Canadian turkey?
- Fresh cuts of turkey are naturally low in sodium.
- Most cuts of turkey are either lean or extra lean.
- Every bite is filled with health-boosting nutrients including iron (to deliver oxygen through your body), zinc (for a healthy immune system), and selenium (an antioxidant mineral).
- There are so many great reasons to eat this power protein that you can feel good every time you put tasty and nutritious turkey on your family’s table.
Tex-Mex Turkey Rice Bowl with Avocado Dressing
Choosing turkey for your everyday meals is easy with the variety of turkey parts you can find at your local butcher or grocery store:
- Thighs, breasts, drumsticks, sausages and ground turkey are all readily available, making it super easy to include turkey in every meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- It’s easy to swap Canadian turkey for the meat protein in all of your family favourite recipes since it’s a versatile option that works with many flavour profiles.
- As an added bonus, it’s an economical choice because you can create several dinners, bank some leftovers, or cook up some make-ahead meals from a single whole turkey.
Recipe below for Tex-Mex Turkey Rice Bowl with Avocado Dressing
- 1.5 lbs boneless Turkey thighs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ tsp each: paprika, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
- ½ cup diced green pepper
- 1 cup black beans
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup pea shoots (optional)
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- Avocado Dressing:
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ cup parsley
- ¼ cup green onion
- 1 small or ½ large avocado
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cut turkey into 1-inch chunks.
- Season turkey pieces with salt and pepper.
- Combine dry spices together to create a rub. Season turkey generously with the spice mix. Sauté in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.
- Cook peas according to package directions.
- Make the dressing: Using a food processor or hand blender, blend all ingredients.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately with fresh lime wedges on the side.
Cut down on weeknight prep by cooking your turkey and rice in advance. With the main ingredients on hand, you can have this meal on the dinner table in less than 20 minutes.
Make turkey the centerpiece of your show-stopping meals for all of your family celebrations. Turkey is extremely versatile and nutritious. By choosing turkey, you will lighten up any meal, without compromising flavour. It’s a big win-win!
Looking for more tips, recipes and HOW TOs? Visit www.canadianturkey.ca for all your cooking inspiration!
For more information on delicious Canadian Turkey, you may also wish to follow along on their various sites and social media channels. Also, keep an eye out for the hashtag #TryTurkey:
~ Facebook ~ Whole Bird HOW-TOs ~ Nutritional Information ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~
GIVEAWAY TIME
WIN – a $75 Hudson’s Bay e-gift card (redeemable at The Bay, Home Outfitters, or thebay.com) to one lucky reader to help celebrate spring!
DATES – Giveaway closes at 11:59 PM ADT on May 26th, 2017
ELIGIBILITY – Open to residents of Canada 18+
TO ENTER – Using the Giveaway Tools form below, simply follow the instructions, complete the mandatory entry, (which unlocks the optional entries), plus any or all the optional entries for your chance to win this prize!
Good luck everyone!
This post has been sponsored by Canadian Turkey
I would use it on sandwiches. Paninis are the kiddos favourite.
TURKEY AU VIN
of sandwishes
I love Turkey Bacon BLT’s
Turkey is a great replacement for ground beef to lighten up meals. The POTATO-TOPPED TURKEY MEATLOAF BITES look really good.
GRILLED TURKEY SCALLOPINI WITH KALE WALNUT PESTO
I can use Turkey to lighten up my meals by adding it to pasta like the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA.
Using in common recipes like the Turkey Quesadillas
turkey bacon blt
Honestly, I love the look of the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA. This looks like a plate that would be so easy to create.
I use turkey meat instead of beef to make turkey meatballs in order to lighten our family meal.
turkey bacon blt
Going to try and lighten up my meals by using ground turkey more in recipe and in burgers. I think the Apple Cheddar Burgers would be a great recipe to try out.
I can lighten up my meal by using turkey as a component of a dish, such as in the recipe for SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA!
Tex-Mex Turkey Rice Bowl with Avocado Dressing
I would use ground turkey in meatloaf, a little healthier than ground beef.
Turkey tacos are a quick and easy meal. Especially useful when I have leftovers. Besos Sarah.
Sarah De Diego recently posted…Everything You Need to Know About Organic Kids’ Clothing #IAmCanadian
I am a huge pasta salad lover, especially in the summer, so am really intrigued by the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA recipe! Definitely one I am going to try this summer!
When I find something I know my daughter will eat, I try it out and the teriyaki turkey kabobs would be perfect. A meal everyone here would eat. I am getting a turkey over the weekend.
Tammy Bell recently posted…Tile It for Mother’s Day – Tile Mate {Giveaway}
I’d lighten up my Sheppard’s Pie by using ground turkey and sweet potato instead of ground beef & russets. Thanks for the chance to win!
I would use turkey instead of beef for spaghetti and meatballs.
A Tex Mex turkey rice bowl is a lighter option!
SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA LOOKS YUMMY!!
I love Turkey Bacon BLT’s
Turkey is a great replacement for other meats
I like that Turkey is a great replacement for ground beef to lighten up your meals.
I would lighten up my meal with turkey in my salads . The TEX-MEX TURKEY RICE BOWL WITH AVOCADO DRESSING looks delicious.
I would lighten up my meals and use turkey in salads like the TURKEY CLUB SALAD
I can use Turkey to lighten my meal by adding to salad.
I would use turkey in my pasta dishes.
I’ll make a big salad and add strips of cooked turkey for protein
By making up some smoked turkey wraps!! my goodness do those look good
I like to lighten up my meal with turkey meatballs.
we use it to make turkey burgers
I would make turkey pot pie
I can use turkey in lots of different ways to lighten up a meal. I love turkey stew, sliced on a sandwich, turkey soup etc. The SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA and the Peach Glazed Roasted Turkey Breast sound like wonderful meals to me too.
You can use it in place of ground beef for a healthier option.
I love making turkey meatballs instead of using beef & pork! I also enjoy shredded turkey instead of pulled pork. Turkey is awesome to use in so many dishes! It’s really versatile and takes on the flavour of whatever you are cooking. I loooove it lol
I would use turkey in place of ground beef for meat balls
I use turkey in tacos to lighten up on the fat in serving tacos.
I could use turkey in my pasta.
You can lighten up your meals using turkey in pasta, sandwiches and casseroles
I like using turkey in salads and sandwiches.
I would make the turkey spring carbonara recipe since it is quick and uses asparagus. Turkey burgers are a lot lighter than beef burgers so it is a great option to lighten meals up
When ground turkey is on sale my family buys lots. We make a lighten-up turkey chilli.
Then freeze them for a quick meal.Also, roast a lean turnkey for dinner then yummy turkey soup.
Sure would like to snag this amazing swag of a giveaway.
I love to make a Turkey Stew it is so yummy!
I would make the turkey pasta to lighten up my meal
I like to use turkey in salads to lighten up meals for spring. The Turkey Cobb and Turkey Club salads are full of protein but still light & fresh for the season!
I would replace beef burgers with leaner turkey burgers!
I could switch up ground beef for ground turkey in burgers. Your Italian Turkey Burger sounds really yummy!
I can lighten up our meals by using ground turkey instead of beef in our chili, burgers, casseroles, and sandwiches.
Definitely the turkey quesadillas :)
I could use ground turkey in our shepards pie recipe to lighten it up.
i would love to try out the Tex-Mex Turkey Rice Bowl with Avocado Dressing
The Tex Mex turkey rice bowl would certainly lighten things up.
I would use grilled turkey in my salads to help lighten up my meals! Also i would use ground turkey in my lasagna to lighten it up!
I use turkey to lighten up my tacos.
I can lighten up my meal by using turkey in salads, soups and BLT. So many great recipes!
I would use ground turkey in place of beef to lighten up casserole dishes
I can lighten up my meals by adding turkey to my salads and sandwiches.
I would love to use turkey to lighten up our taco nights by using it instead of ground beef.
I would make turkey quesadillas. Both my kids love them.
the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA looks like a great dish for those spring get togethers using fresh spring produce.
I would use turkey in all of my salads as the main source of protein.
I love shredded turkey with tomato, cucumber, feta, with a balsamic vinigraite and feta in a lettuce wrap.
I use ground turkey in my meatloaf to lighten up.
Make turkey burgers or use turkey in salad
Turkey in Shepherds Pie in lieu of fatty beef!
I would grill some turkey breast instead of beef or pork. Much leaner and more protein.
We use turkey to lighten up your meals in wraps and salads!
i use turkey to lighten up our salads
I use ground turkey in my chili and lasagna to lighten my meals! I love Canadian turkey – so versatile!
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I would like to try the spaghetti and turkey meatballs.
using ground turkey in place of ground beef in things like meatloaf, chili, burgers will lighten the dish; also love this one: http://www.canadianturkey.ca/recipes/grilled-turkey-scallopini-with-kale-walnut-pesto/ thanks.
Nothing beats a turkey and lettuce sandwich
Turkey wraps or tacos are good!
we could use it in recipe like the Turkey Quesadillas
Turkey tacos
I would like to lighten up a meatloaf with turkey next time.
Turkey club sandwich or add turkey to a nice salad, with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds!!!
i could make great recipes like GRILLED TURKEY SCALLOPINI WITH KALE WALNUT PESTO which is low in carbs and high in protein
I made a turkey before Easter and used it in soups, made a stew, stir fry, made turkey salad sandwiches and also made a turkey omlet but hubby said ICK lol (he said he’d stick with bacon for breakfast)
I would use turkey instead of beef to lighten up my meals. Such as stuffed peppers, meatloaf and tacos.
Turkey and bacon BLT
I would use turkey to make this SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA and I know that it would be light and delicious
I would use ground turkey to lighten up my meatloaf
I would use ground turkey instead of ground beef for my meatballs. My daughter actually introduced us to turkey burgers and now we all love them.
It’s easy to sub ground turkey instead of beef for slow cooker chili.
I would use turkey in salads, like a turkey Caesar salad or a turkey Greek salad. And I don’t use dressing, the taste of the vegetables with the turkey is tasty enough to satisfy.
I make turkey soup
Turkey Pot Pie is our family favorite
I can use turkey to up my meals by making turkey burgers and doing on the bbq in the summer.
Turkey Bacon BLT’s sound delicious
Turkey Lettuce Wraps are healthy & delicious!
Turkey
Like to make turkey a la king
I would use for sandwich, wraps or soup :)
I like using ground turkey in my spaghetti sauce and in my tacos.
Making Healthy Turkey Bowl with Cashew Lemon Dressing for lunch or supper would be a great way to lighten up a meal.
I will be lighting up my pasta sauce with turkey for starters!
turkey bacon BLT would be super tasty!
I’d use ground turkey instead of beef in burgers!
I switch out red meat for white so I will make Turkey Stroganoff.
I like to use turkey in pasta dishes as well as in soups.
Turkey is our favourite protein we have been substituting it in all recipes for years and years!
I could make chili with ground turkey instead of red meats.
I wanna make some pan turkey with spring vegetables and herbs, yummmm
Turkey Quesadillas look like easy fun meals to make!
I would lighten my meal with a Grilled Turkey Scallopini with Kale Walnut Pesto. Perfect healthy spring meal.
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By making the spring veggie, herb pesto and turkey pasta, the meal has a fresh, light taste perfect for warmer weather!
Turkey bacon, is a great substitute for lighter meals!
Add it to soup recipes!
in sandwichs
I’d use Turkey in a wrap!
I would use turkey in a nice Spring quiche.
I would make turkey tacos!
I love the turkey salaD.
I like turkey in my salads, with Craisins and pumpkin seeds
I can use turkey to lighten up my meals by trying the TURKEY APPLE & KALE GRAIN SALAD recipe.
I can use turkey to lighten up our meals by using it chili..family loves chili, this would be a great alternative to beef
turkey in pasta instead of heavy red meat
I can add turkey to salads for a light lunch. It add an extra protein boost.
i like swapping out ground beef for turkey in my tacos
I often use turkey to lighten up meals. I use ground turkey when I make tacos or chili. I use leftover turkey to make soup or in sandwiches. I am a lover of turkey in all forms. It is great in a casserole topped with dressing. Yummy turkey.
I often substitute turkey for chicken or beef in my recipes and my family loves turkey wraps in their school and work lunches. We are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Eating more turkey helps!
This website had some great suggestions! I may try barbecuing an entire turkey this summer now that I know how, thanks to this page http://www.canadianturkey.ca/wholebird/barbeque-a-whole-turkey/
I love turkey burgers on the grill in the summer☀
Coconut lime grilled turkey turns my crank!
I enjoy Coconut lime grilled turkey for sure.
Turkey in pasta is great and I could enjoy it this evening.
I usually make turkey burgers as an alternative to beef. I would like to try out the Couscous Turkey Burger with Fruit Salsa. Yum!
I will use turkey to add to salad! Its the perfect warm weather meal!
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When I roast a who,e Turkey, I use the white Breast meat for sandwiches instead of using Roast Beef or Roast Pork.
turkey bacon and tomato sandwich
I use turkey to make a great chili. SO healthy and delicious.
I’d like to lighten up my meals with turkey meatballs!! They sounds delicioussss
We substitute turkey for beef whenever we can to lighten the meal.
We substitute turkey whenever we can to lighten the meal.
With the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA – that sounds like such a light fresh meal!!!!
We love making different versions of the Smoked Turkey Wrap!
Turkey tacos would be good!
I like how taste of turkey can be subtle so in this way it lightens up a meal but sometimes, I’m looking for something full of flavour like “Turkey Scallopini with Mushrooms and Artichokes in a Madeira and Cream Sauce”.
I would use turkey to lighten up my burgers.
Using ground turkey is helpful to lighten up traditional meals and I’ve begun to do this. I make turkey meat balls…
I would love to try the recipe SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA.
I can lighten up every day meals with lean turkey. I can substitute turkey sausage for pork. Daily ham sandwiches can be replaced with sliced turkey. For dinner I can opt to make Rustic Colombian Turkey Soup rather than a heavier, high-fat meal.
I use turkey in chilli and in replace of ground beef in other recipes to lighten up meals
I would like to make the spring veggie, herb pesto and turkey pasta. It’s lighter than the beef that I would usually use.
I really like the salad category , great way to lighten it up , i gotta make the turkey mango salad !
I always use turkey in my cooking instead of beef. Especially ground turkey in my stir fry’s and sauces.
Yum!
I use it in salads and wraps to replace chicken !
Turkey mixed with mayo & spices makes the best sandwich/wrap filling,
I would use the sheet-pan-turkey-dinner-with-spring-veggies-and-herbs
to lighten up my spring meals!These recipes are so delicious looking!
It`s so hard to just pick one! :)
I love hot turkey, stuffing covered with gravy on a piece of bread! cranberries on the side please!
I use turkey to lighten up a meal by throwing some on top of a salad, into a pasta, or into a stirfry. I’d love to win this
Mmmm turkey bacon on a BLT
Using turkey inside my tacos to lighten up my meals!
I use turkey with a side of berry flavoured applesauce wrapped in romaine lettuce for a lighter sandwich option
I can use turkey to make club salad to lighten up my meals
I use turkey in meatballs :)
I use ground turkey instead of ground beef to make meatballs quite often to lighten things up.
I’d love to try the SPRING VEGGIE, HERB PESTO AND TURKEY PASTA. Yummy!
You can replace ground beef with ground turkey to lighten up meals.
I would love to make the Spring Veggie, Herb Pesto and Turkey Pasta; it woudl definitely lighten up my meals.
I love lightening up my chili and meatballs by using extra lean ground turkey… it’s so juicy, too! Mmm.. delish!
Turkey is a great replacement \\option
I use turkey for a replacement for chicken and beef in my recipes, to make them somewhat healthier. If I feel that the turkey is just a bit too dry, as in making home made turkey burgers, I add back, a tbsp of Avocado oil, into the mixture.
I would like to try the spaghetti and turkey meatballs.
Ground turkey is a great replacement for ground beef in sauces for pasta to lighten up meals. Tastes great!
Ground turkey is good for meatloaf, spaghetti sauce and tacos !
Turkey is perfect for sheet pan dinners and I can use lots of veggies to lighten up our meals and make them simple to prepare.
I would love to lighten up my lunch with the BBQ TURKEY CLUB WITH SPICY MAYO sandwich. It looks so good.
I make a lot of turkey dishes. I want to try the Hoisin Turkey & Lentil Lettuce Wraps to lighten up our meals.
I just did a second round of tweets for today. While the form is registering that they have been done, they are not on Twitter. The first tweets I did today are there, but not these. Not sure what happened other days. I want you to know that I’m not deleting them. Is there something I’m doing wrong? Thanks.
I love using Ground Turkey for pasta sauces, meatballs, shepherd’s pie to lighten up the recipes and make healthier choices
I can make turkey meatballs or turkey burgers instead of using beef!
Turkey tacos!
Turkey can be used in so many ways omg we could eat a different meal for a month using turkey, I always cut some turkey up in small chunks and mix it with some dressing so if anyone wants a sandwhich it’s easy peasy
I like that I can use ground turkey as a substitute for ground beef in chili
What wouldn’t I use it on! Top pick is a turkey bacon sandwich!
I would make turkey pot pie
I can use turkey to lighten up my meals by replacing other meats with turkey. The turkey would be delicious in nearly any recipe. We love using it in stuffed peppers. The recipe for the TURKEY APPLE & KALE GRAIN SALAD on their website looks delicious.
I too love my home wafting with the aroma of fresh turkey roasting! I use all forms of turkey to replace red meat and agree with you on the fab healthy options and terrific uses for leftovers. A grilled turkey, avocado, sprouts, cucumber, thinly sliced tomato with fresh gluten free bread lightly toasted slathered with a swipe of cream cheese on one side and mango chutney in the other is a sandwich I have dreams of it is so yummy.