TURKEY BREAST STUFFED WITH SEASONAL VEGETABLES

In my opinion, turkey meat is absolutely underrated.  I have never ever seen any turkey dishes in any establishments in which I have been eating, high or low.  You can, occasionally, find a cold turkey roll pressed between two slices of bread at the sandwich bar but that’s about it.

Yet, it is nutritious, delicious, lean and flavoursome.  Truth be told, I wasn’t using this meat myself until one day my husband decided to go on the 2:5 diet and was advised that turkey meat is leaner then chicken and much more beneficial for his purposes.

So here I was in the poultry aisle of the supermarket facing a dilemma of what to do with the turkey meat.  At the beginning, I was cooking it for my husband only, just simply slicing the breast into strips and letting him BBQ it, so initially twice a week I was cooking two different meals which was not practical at all.  So I decided to make an effort and cook something that the whole family would enjoy without breaking my husband’s strict diet.

So here is my take on turkey breast stuffed with seasonal vegetables

To feed 4 people you need:

2 turkey breasts

3 brown mushrooms

1 red capsicum

1 yellow capsicum

1 red onion finely diced

2 garlic cloves finely sliced

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkle of smoked paprika 

1 sprig of thyme

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Method:

Place a pan on a stove over medium heat.  Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and when warm, add sliced onions and garlic and sautee until soft and translucent.  While the onions are cooking, finely dice the mushrooms and capsicums into and add to the pan, throw in a spring of thyme and season well.  Cook the vegetables until tender, then add pine nuts and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, place one turkey breast on a chopping board between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and gently pound with a mallet until it is about 2 cm thick (it may be easier to butterfly the breast first, depending on how thick it is.)  When butterflying the breast, make sure that you don’t go all the way through.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle some paprika and lemons zest. Spread a thin layer of the stuffing over the breast, leaving about 2cm border around all sides. Tightly roll the breast lengthwise and using a kitchen twine, secure it in few places along the roll.

Put the same pan in which you roasted the vegetables back on a stove on a medium heat, add the remaining oil and butter and gently fry the breast turning it from side to side to get an even lovely brown colour all over.  It will take about 20 minutes to cook the meat through, depending on the thickness.  Squeeze a juice of half a lemon over the rolled breast towards the end of the cooking.

Once cooked, remove the turkey from the pan and place in a warm place to rest for 5 minutes.  Then move to a chopping board, carefully remove the twine and using an extra sharp knife slice on an angle and arrange on a serving plate.  Pour the juices from the turkey back into the pan, add a spoon of lemon juice and a bit of butter and when become hot, pour over the sliced turkey.  Serve and enjoy!!!

GRILLED SALMON SKEWERS

I love Middle Eastern food, its flavour, colours and textures are enticing, intoxicating and utterly delicious.  But there is one more aspect in this cuisine that attracts me the most and that is a healthy side of it.  Not only do they use a lot of fresh vegetables and herbs but also a lot of dishes are prepared on a grill and that not only gives them an extra flavour, but it is, in my opinion, also a much healthier way of cooking food than frying. 

I quite often prepare our meals on the grill.  There are other benefits to using your BBQ rather than an oven or a pan – there is minimal washing and zero smell, especially when you are cooking fish.  Case in point, my BBQ salmon skewers, very simple, with minimum preparation time and maximum flavours.

You need for 4 people:

3 pieces of salmon fillets (170-200gr each)

1 tsp smocked paprika

1 garlic clove

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon for garnishing

4 metal skewers

Method:

Pre-heat your bbq to 180C.

Slice each fillet in half lengthwise and then cit each piece into equal size cubes.  Place them into a bowl, splash some olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with paprika, then mix it together, this will give your fish a lovely colour and an extra layer of smokiness.  Thread the same quantity of fish pieces onto each skewer and place them on the grill.

Because the fish is cut into relatively small pieces, you might need to cook no longer than 3 minutes on each side depending how you like your fish to be cooked, do over-cook it as it is becomes dry and not too pleasant to eat.  And that is it.

Arrange the skewers on a big serving plate, garnish with slices of lemon and serve.

For the ultimate fish and chip experience, serve the fish with boiled potatoes but bear in mind that potatoes take about 20 minutes to cook.  If you watch your waist, you can substitute the potatoes with smoky sweet potato wedges which also go very well with the fish but much lighter in carbs. 

If you are serving this dish for lunch or a light meal, serve it alongside a salad of your choice or choose the one from my “Salad collection”.

Enjoy!!!

SMOKY SWEET POTATO WEDGES

Who does not love potatoes:  fried, sautéed, boiled, roasted – all these delicious variations have been a staple food for millions of people all over the world for centuries.  However, now more and more people are watching their diets and look for a healthier alternative to this “packed to the rafters” carbs loader.

The solution to this dilemma in my kitchen is sweet potatoes – similarly versatile and very tasty but a much lighter and healthier option.  Two of my most popular recipes are making a mash or roasting them, hence my "Sweet potato wedges" recipe.  I use ground chipotle (smoke-dried jalapeno) because it has this delicious smoky flavour and brings a bit of heat but if you are not a fan of this spice, you can add few dry chili flakes, a pinch of cayenne pepper or hot paprika for an extra kick.

To feed 4 people you need:

2 medium size sweet potatoes

½ tsp smoked paprika
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled 

1/3 of ground chipotle (optional)

2 rosemary sprigs

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat your oven to 180C.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into wedges about 2 cm thick and 8-10 cm long.  Place garlic on a chopping board and lightly flatten with the back of a knife. I then place them into a plastic bag with all the other ingredients and give everything a good mix.   I learnt this trick from Nigella Lawson, not only does it ensure that each piece is covered evenly with the spices but your hands remain clean.   

Once it is done, empty the bag onto the roasting tray, spray the wedges evenly and place it in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally so the wedges get a nice brown colour all over. 

Serve alongside any meat or fish dish or on its own as a healthy snack.

Enjoy!!!