Green Olive Meatball Pilaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/3 lbs ground chicken
1/2 cup soft fresh breadcrumbs
2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 None egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 None celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup basmati rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid squeezed out
None None Greek yogurt and lemon wedges, to serve

Preparation

Mix ground chicken, breadcrumbs, fennel, olives and egg in a large bowl. Shape mixture into 20 meatballs. Place on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 15 mins.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Cook and turn meatballs for 3-4 mins or until brown and cooked. Remove from pan; keep warm.
Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan. Add bacon; cook and stir for 2 mins. Add celery, pepper and garlic; cook and stir for 3 mins. Stir in rice until well coated in vegetable mixture. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook rice mixture, covered, for 10-12 mins or until stock is absorbed. Remove from heat.
Stir meatballs and spinach into rice. Let stand, covered, for 10 mins (don't lift lid). Serve pilaf with Greek yogurt and lemon wedges.