Coaxing flavor from turkey cutlets
Published 9:26 pm Monday, March 22, 2010
Boneless turkey breast cutlets have almost no fat and cook quickly, making them an outstanding choice for healthy weeknight dinners. Unfortunately, no fat can mean no flavor.
This recipe for quick turkey puttanesca uses a simple pan saute technique to cook the cutlets, but the cure for humdrum flavor is in the spicy tomato sauce you make in the same pan.
Puttanesca is a traditional Italian pasta sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, capers, olives and spicy red pepper flakes.
Turkey breast cutlets can be used in almost any recipe that calls for boneless chicken breast, though you’ll need to reduce the cooking time because it can toughen and dry out quickly.
Quick turkey puttanesca
1/4cup all-purpose flour
1/4teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
1pound turkey cutlets
2tablespoons olive oil, divided
1tablespoon minced garlic
1cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/4cup pitted and chopped green olives
2teaspoons capers, rinsed
1/2teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the turkey cutlets through the four mixture to coat both sides.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the cutlets and cook until lightly browned on both sides and no longer pink at the center, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining oil and the garlic to the skillet, stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, oregano and red pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper, if needed, and serve spooned over the turkey cutlets.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 252 calories; 83 calories from fat; 9 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 45 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 2 g fiber; 770 mg sodium.
