Spiced Chicken and Lentils with Cucumber-Tahini Salad

This is surprisingly light and refreshing with the tomatoes and cucumbers. I am not normally a fan of lentils but they blend in well with the chicken. I absolutely love the addition of cinnamon into savory dishes. Lots of protein and fiber from the ground meat and lentils. You could also make it vegan if you omitted the meat and added more lentils or TVP. Another good substitution would be quinoa or millet instead of brown rice.
Adapted from a recipe by NordicTrack.

Servings: 6
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 c low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/4 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1 3/4 tsp dried dill, divided
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 c green lentils
1 c (or 6 servings) brown rice, uncooked

1 T tahini
1 T lemon juice
1 cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, chopped

 
Directions:
Heat a large pot or high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 c of the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent, being careful not to burn them, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken and spices. Cook until brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the lentils and remaining 2 1/2 c of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.

Cook the rice according to the package directions.

In a small bowl, combine tahini and lemon juice, then stir in cucumber and tomato. It might not seem like enough tahini but it will cover the vegetables if you keep mixing. Serve chicken and lentils over rice and top with tahini mixture.