Crumbed turkey with broccoli-bean smash

Another fast recipe

3 tbsp plain flour
1 large egg
100/4oz fresh breadcrumbs / .
Zest 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve (optional)
Small handful parsley, chopped
450g/1lb turkey breast steaks
2 tbsp sunflower oil
4 vine cherry tomatoes
350g/12oz broccoli, cut into small florets
400g can butter beans, drained
4 tbsp pesto

1 Hear oven to 180oC/ 160oC fan / gas 4. Put the flour into a wide shallow bowl with a little seasoning. Whisk egg in a second shallow bowl with 1 tbsp water. Add the breadcrumbs, Lemon zest and parsley to a third bowl.

2. Get the kids to dip each turkey steaks into the flour, shaking off any excess, then into the egg, and finally into the breadcrumbs - press the crumbs into the turkey to make sure they really stick. Put the steaks on a large baking tray, drizzle with oil and bake for 20 mins.
Add cherry tomatoes to the tray and bake for a further 5 mins.
3. Meanwhile, boil a pan of water, then add the broccoli and cook for 5 mins
Add the butter beans and cook for 2 mins more until broccoli is really tender. Drain well and leave to steam dry for 1 - 2 mins. Tip back into a pan, add the pesto and mash.

Enjoy

Turkey Chilli

A healthy alternative to chilli con carne.

1 tbsp olive oil
400 g turkey mince
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 onions, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
50 g celery diced
120ml white wine
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
1 can chopped tomatoes
bunch of coriander,
chopped sour cream, nachos, rice/ what ever you would like to serve

Method

 

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and sautee the onions and garlic till soft. Add the red pepper and stir in the chilli powder, paprika, oregano and stir well. Add the turkey mince. When the meat is cooked, add in the white wine.

 

Add sun dried tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, beans and coriander. Let simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. Serve.

 

 

Allspice Brined Turkey - Super succulent

I got this recipe from Nigella's Christmas. Turkey turned out really well, tasty and moist. I had a boned and rolled turkey, definately the way to go.

For the Turkey

• 4-5 kg turkey
• 6 litres water
• 125 g packet of table salt / 1 250g packet Maldon sea salt 
• 3 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp caraway seeds
• 4 cloves
• 2 tbsp allspice berries
• 4 star anise
• 2 tbsp white mustard seeds
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 onions, quartered
• 1 x 6 cm piece of ginger, cut into 6 slices
• 1 orange, quartered
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 tbsp clear honey

For the basting glaze

• 75 g butter
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

1. For the turkey: place the water into your largest cooking pot or bucket/plastic bin and add all the turkey ingredients, stirring to dissolve the salt, sugar, syrup and honey. (Squeeze the juice of the orange quarters into the brine before you chuck the pieces in.)

2. Untie and remove any string or trussing attached to the turkey, shake it free and add it to the liquid. Add more water if the turkey is not completely submerged. Keep the mixture in a cold place, even outside overnight or for up to a day or two before you cook it, remembering to take it out of its liquid (and wiping it dry with kitchen-towel) a good 40 or 50 minutes before it has to go into the oven. Turkeys - indeed this is the case for all meat - should be at room temperature before being put in the preheated oven. If you're at all concerned - the cold water in the brine will really chill this bird - then just cook the turkey for longer than its actual weight requires.

3. For the basting glaze: place the butter and syrup into a saucepan and cook over a low heat, while stirring, until the ingredients have melted and combined.

4. Brush the turkey with the glaze before roasting, and baste periodically through out the turkey roasting time.

5. Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7. Cook the turkey for half an hour at this relatively high temperature, then turn the oven down to 180C/gas 4 and continue cooking, turning the oven back up to 220C/gas 7 for the last quarter of an hour or so if you want to give a final, browning boost to the skin. For a 4-5kg turkey, allow two-and-a-half to three hours in total. But remember that ovens vary enormously, so just check by piercing the flesh between leg and body with a small sharp knife: when the juices run clear, the turkey's cooked.

6. Just as it's crucial to let the turkey come to room temperature before it goes in to the oven, so it's important to let it stand out of the oven for a good 20 minutes before you actually carve it

Turkey Kofta with Korma Sauce

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. Turkey is so lean and healthy and can often be dry and tastless if not cooked properly. This recipe was so easy, it requires a little more effort but it is well worth it. The koftas are so tasty and moist. The sauce so easy to make, bursting full of flavor, kicks it up another notch. The recipe is from Catherine's Family Kitchen.

Serves 4

For the koftas
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cm fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp fresh corriander roughly chopped
600g ground (minced) turkey breast
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Korma sauce
sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1/2 tsp groud cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
Pinch of garam masala
300ml chicken stock
2 tsp tomato puree
100 ml coconut milk
3 tbsp ground almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Skewers (soaked in water) if you are going to cook on the barbecue
*Chefs note, make 3 times the sauce and freeze can use it in the following weeks to make fish or chicken korma.. GREAT IDEA!!!

To make prepare the koftas, heat a frying pan over high heat. Add sunflower oil and the onion for 7 - 8 minutes, until softened, taking care not to let it brown. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, garam masala and tumeric and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add the chopped coriander and cook for 1 minute more. Remove rom the heat and allow to cool.

Place the minced turkey and onion mixture in a bowl with a little salt and pepper and combine. Dampen your hands slightly and shape 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a cylinder. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and brown the koftas in batches.

To make the sauce, heat a saucepan over a high heat. Add some oil and the onion, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 - 10 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, tumeric, garam masala, stock and tomato puree and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes. Pour in coconut milk, stir in the ground almonds and simmer for a further 6 - 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

If you prepare all the ingredients in advance you may put the sauce and the mix for the koftas on at the same time and have them ready together.

Quick Healthy Ceasar Turkey Burgers

I was amazed at how tasty these burgers were, didn't expect it at all. You an double up and freeze the rest for a rainy day. I served these with baked sweet potato fries. I got this recipe from the bbcgood food magazine supplement - speedy suppers.

Serves 4      Prep Time 15 mins     Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients

1 garlic clove
1 anchovy, diced (optional)
juice, 1 lemon
3 tblsp grated parmesan
small bunch parsely, finely chopped
3 tblsp low fat greek yogurt
500g pack turkey mince
1 onion, finely chopped
1 romain lettuce, shredded
4 small wholemeal buns, sliced in half horizontally
2 tomatoes sliced
salt & pepper

1. Heat oven to 200oC / 180o C Fan / Gas 6. Mix together the garlic, anchovy (if using), lemon juice and 2/3rds of the parmesan and parsely. Put half in a small bowl, mix with the yoghurt and set aside. Mix the other half in a large bowl with the mince and onion, then season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 burgers. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until cooked through.
2. Meanwhile mix the lettuce with the yogurt dressing and slice the buns. To assemble, put some salad on the bottom buns , top with burgers and a few tomato slices. Serve the burgers with any left over salad sprinkled with the remaining parmesan.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

1 Large Sweet Potato
Olive Oil / other
Saltt & Pepper

1. Peel and cut sweet potato into chips. Place on baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 - 20 mins.

You can put the chips in the oven the same time as the burgers and everything will be ready at the same time.

Bon Appetite.