Sweet and Savory Turkey Cutlets - 29 November 2009

The following recipe is taken from the November/ December issue of Diabetic Cooking magazine, from page 49. This is a superb dinner dish! It is beautiful and tasty enough for the most refined dinner guest, or the most elegant holiday meal! The cooked chutney can be used for any number of meat entrees, fowl, beef, fish or pork.

This is one of my most favorite dishes to date!

Sweet and Savory Turkey Cutlets

Ingredients:

* 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

* 4 turkey breast cutlets (about 1/4 pound each)

* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

* 1 small onion, diced

* 1 clove garlic, minced

* 1 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth

* 3/4 cup dried mixed fruit bits

* 4 pimento-stuffed green olives, thinly sliced

Directions:

1: Prepare onion, garlic and olives.

2: Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle turkey with thyme, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add turkey to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, turning once, 6 to 8 minutesor until cooked through. Remove to plate; cover to keep warm.

3: Measure chicken broth.

4: Measure fruits bits.

5: Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to same skillet. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

6: Add broth, fruit bits, olives and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

7: Cook about 4 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed.

8: Serve with turkey.

Nutritional Information:

Serves 4 (1 turkey cutlet and 1/4 cup relish per serving).

Calories: 257

Total Fat: 5g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Protein: 30g

Carbohydrate: 23g

Cholesterol: 70 mg

Dietary Fiber: 3g

Sodium: 338mg

FLFL: Provides 1 Protein as outlined in the FLFL program. Served with a Fast Carb and a Slow Carb provides a complete FLFL plate meal.

Texicanwife Burritos

Texicanwife Burritos

Serves 4 (makes 8 burritos)

2 Burritos makes a complete FLFL plate

Ingredients:

* 1 large yellow onion, diced

* 1 large green bell pepper, diced

* 1 large clove garlic, minced

* 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, filleted, cut into fajita strips

* 1 can black beans, drained, rinsed and drained again

* 1/2 jar (15.75-oz) chunky salsa [use your favorite, I prefer Old El Paso, mild flavor]

* 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

* 1/2 tsp. paprika

* hot sauce to taste (optional)

* 8 whole wheat tortillas

* 2 tsp. olive oil

* 1/4 cup shredded Mexican Mix cheese

Directions:

1: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Stirring frequently, cook until onion and pepper are tender.

2: Add in chicken and cook until no longer pink. Stir in beans, and continue to cook over medium heat heat until thoroughly warmed.



3: Add chunky salsa and heat thoroughly. Add hot sauce to taste, if you like. Lower heat and cover to keep warm.


4: For authentic tortillas, with electric stove burners, you can heat tortillas directly on the burner. Turn small burner on until medium heat is reached. Place tortilla directly on burner and allow to heat about 15 seconds. Carefully lift at edges with your fingers, or use tongs and flip tortilla over to heat other side. Repeat with each tortilla until all are heated on both sides.

Distinctive burner "rings" will be visible on tortillas. If you have a gas stove, you will need touse a comal, or flat griddle, or a cast iron skillet, for heating the tortillas.

5: Divide chicken mixture evenly between the 8 tortillas.

6: Divide the shredded cheese evenly between the tortillas and top each chicken mixture with the cheese.

7: Roll each tortilla and place two per serving plate. (This platter shows 3 tortillas.)

You can top each tortilla with additonal salsa if you like.

FLFL Info:

Each 2 tortilla servings provides a complete FLFL plate menu meal.

Protein: chicken

Carbohydrates:

Slow: tortillas, beans

Fast: onion, pepper, components of salsa

Calories: 438 calories per 2 tortilla serving

Southwest Turkey Bake

The following recipe is adapted from the November/ December issue of Diabetic Cooking, page 37. This is a lovely fall or winter dish! We tried this dish this evening, and paired it with a side salad of mixed greens and a low-fat Italian salad dressing [11 calories for 2 tablespoons]. It was absolutely delicious! And surprisingly simple! The hubby, who is a BIG eater, ate 3 helpings!!!

Southwest Turkey Bake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 pound extra-lean ground turkey

1 can (about 7-3/4 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 jar (15-1/2 ounces) salsa

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1 package (8-1/2 ounces) low-carb corn muffin mix

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 egg

3/4 cup (3-ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brown ground turkey in skillet until no longer pink. Add black beans, salsa, cumin and paprika; simmer 2 minutes.

Browning the ground turkey meat.

The ground turkey with the black beans, salsa, cumin and paprika added.

2: Spread turkey mixture on bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

3: In medium bowl combine corn muffin mix, broth and egg; stir well to combine. Spread corn mixture over turkey to cover.



4: Bake 15-minutes or until edges are lightly browned.





5: Cut into 8 squares and place on serving dishes.

6: Divide the shredded cheese evenly over all pieces of turkey bake. Allow to sit for one or two minutes before serving to allow cheese to soften and begin to melt.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 267

Total Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Protein: 21 g

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Cholesterol: 61mg

Dietary Fiber: 5g

Sodium: 640mg

Food Lovers Fat Loss Program: Contains one complete serving protein and one complete serving slow carbohydrate. There is a small amount of fast carbohydrate [in the salsa] in this recipe, but not enough for a complete meal. You should be sure to add a fast carbohydrate as a side dish.

Orange Chicken Stir-Fry over Quinoa

The following recipe is taken from the Sept./Oct. issue of Diabetic Cooking, page 32. It is an excellent full plate meal for the Food Lovers Fat Loss program.

Orange Chicken Stir-Fry over Quinoa

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

* 1 pound thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

* 1 cup water

* 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice [2 to 3 oranges]

* 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

* 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

* 1/2 cup sliced green onion

* 1 cup sliced carrots

* 6 ounces snow peas, ends trimmed

* 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes [optional]

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 6 minutes or until centers of chicken are no longer pink. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, place water and quinoa in medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed, about 12 to15 minutes.

3. Whisk together cornstarch, orange juice and soy sauce; add to skillet. Bringto a simmer, stirring frequently. Add ginger and onion, stirring constantly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrots and snow peas. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes uncovered until carrots are just crisp-tender.

Return chicken to skillet; heat 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes uncovered for flavors to set in.

Serve chicken mixture over quinoa and top with red pepper flakes if desired.

Makes 4 servings [1/3 cup quinoa and 1 cup chicken mixture per serving.]

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 149

Total Fat: 3g

Saturated Fat: <1>

Protein: 16 g

Carbohydrate: 15g

Cholesterol: 33 mg

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Sodium: 119mg

Food Lovers Fat Loss Program: 2 servings is one complete protein, 1 fast carb and 1 slow [equivalent to a complete meal] [To reduce sodium content you may omit the soy-sauce completely.]