Turkey

Turkey is even leaner than chicken, does not contain hormones, and the leftovers are great for sandwiches the next day.

Turkey with Golden Onion Gravy

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 pound turkey tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces

1 1/4 cups thinly sliced onion

1 (8 oz.) package pre sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 (10 oz.) can beef broth (you can substitute chicken)

10 oz. uncooked egg noodles

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium-high heat; add turkey. Sauté 6 minutes or until browned. Remove turkey from skillet, and set aside.

Add onion to skillet; sauté 8 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add water, mustard, and broth; stir well. Return turkey to skillet, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Cook noodles in boiling water 8 minutes or until tender. Drain; set aside.

Combine milk, flour, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Add to turkey mixture. Simmer 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Serve turkey and gravy over noodles; garnish with parsley, if desired.

Per serving: 393 calories, 6.2g fat 34g protein. From Cooking Light Magazine.

Thai Pita Sandwich

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 pound 99% fat-free ground turkey

1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Combine 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce and crushed pepper in a shallow dish. Add turkey, toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, remaining 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce, lime juice and garlic in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro, and mix well.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, breaking in small pieces. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until the meat is no longer pink.

To serve, arrange turkey in pita halves or fat-free tortillas (warmed) and top with cabbage mixture. Cooked brown rice mixed with cucumber slices compliments this dish well. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if desired. This may be served at room temperature or chilled.

Per serving: 268 calories (made with pork tenderloin) 8g fat. From Shape Magazine.

Barbecued Sloppy Joe Sandwich

1 pound 99 % fat-free ground turkey breast

1 1/2 cup chopped onions

12 oz. tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 hamburger buns, toasted

In a large skillet, cook the ground turkey and onions over medium heat, stirring often to break up lumps, until turkey loses its pink color.

Stir in the next ten ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened. Spoon turkey mixture onto each toasted bun.

Per serving (1/2 cup on one bun) calories, 271, 8g fat (with 96% fat-free turkey). From Cooking Light Magazine.

Ground Turkey Meat Loaf

1 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 onions finely chopped, 2 thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot, grated

1/4-1/2 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled

1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

3/8 cup fresh breadcrumbs

couple of generous pinches of rosemary, oregano and thyme

1/2 cup of tomato or vegetable juice

1-2 tablespoons of Dijon or other flavorful mustard

couple generous shakes of soy sauce

pepper to taste

1/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ground turkey with chopped onion, half of the garlic, the carrots, bouillon cube, tomatoes, parsley, breadcrumbs, herbs, half the juice, mustard, soy sauce, pepper and half the ketchup.

Shape meat into a loaf and place in a baking pan just slightly larger than the loaf. Top with remaining juice and ketchup and scatter remaining garlic and the sliced onions on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake until the edges of the loaf turn brown and crusty. (This took a long time, at least an hour-the deeper the pan, the longer it will take to cook).

Per serving: 340 calories, 20g fat (original recipe was with lean ground beef) 27g protein. From the San Francisco Chronicle.

leeway: So far, this is the best ground turkey meat loaf recipe I've made. It is not dry, very juicy and flavorful. Although it has many ingredients, it is easy to prepare if you chop up everything in a food processor. Serve with mashed potatoes, of course!

Pizza Style Meatloaf

2/3 cup pizza sauce, divided

1 1/2 pounds 99% fat-free ground turkey

3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg white

2 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese

12 cup diced red bell pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1/3 cup sauce, meat, and next 8 ingredients (sauce through egg white) in a bowl. Shape meat mixture into an 18 x 12-inch rectangle on wax paper. Sprinkle cheese and red bell pepper, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll meat mixture up jelly-roll fashion starting at short side. Pinch ends to seal.

Place meat loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for one hour or until meat registers 160 degrees. Brush 1/3 cup pezza sauce over meat loaf. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until done; let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Per serving: (was made with ground round) 291 calories, 12.6g fat, 27.9g protein. From Cooking Light Magazine.

leeway: by substituting lean ground turkey and Healthy Choice fat-free mozzarella you can save a lot of fat grams. This recipe is quite good and uncomplicated. You can use leftover low-fat spaghetti sauce if you don't have pizza sauce. Scalloped potatoes with Cheese makes a superb, "comfort food" side dish.

Penne Bolognese

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 onion, minced

1 carrot, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1/2 pound lean, ground turkey

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup no-salt-added tomato paste

1 2/3 cup low-fat (1%) milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

12 oz. penne pasta

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot, celery, and 1/3 cup water and cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer.

Stir in the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, 2/3 cup of the milk, the salt, pepper, and oregano, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring frequently, until the milk has been absorbed. Continue to cook until the sauce is thick and creamy, gradually adding the remaining 1 cup milk until all has been absorbed, about 20 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just tender. Drain well. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl. Add the pasta, parsley and the Parmesan and toss to combine.

Grill-Roasted Turkey

1 fresh turkey, 10-12 pounds

Olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

Large handful fresh sage, tarragon or parsley sprigs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub with olive oil, or spray with cooking spray or I Can't Believe it's not Butter! Then with the rosemary.

Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck the lemon quarters and herb sprigs inside the cavity; truss the bird.

Spray the grill with cooking oil. Place the turkey breast side up in the center of the grill.

Cover the grill and cook for 1 hour.

Baste with lemon juice and cook for 45 minutes, you may need to add more charcoal to maintain a constant temperature. Repeat this again, then test with a meat thermometer. It should register 170 degrees in the breast.

Remove the turkey and let it sit for 15 minutes before carving. From the Williams-Sonoma Grilling Series.

leeway: To save time, buy a turkey breast. It is much lower in fat calories, and takes less time to cook. Peel back the skin and rub the marinade on the breast meat. Remove the skin after cooking. This recipe is best grilled, but roasting in the oven will work fine, too. You can easily add potatoes or yams on the rack for a side dish, or cut up some carrots and other vegetables you have available and cook alongside the turkey in the pan.

Last Minute Lasagna with Ground Turkey Recipe.

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