I've never been keen on carbs and starchy foods, which makes me naturally predisposed towards the faddy "Paleo" end of the dieting spectrum. I'm also conscious of the cost and environmental impact of meats, and of course their fat content. While this recipe won't save the planet, it's an oriental-ish dish and a great-tasting, low-fat way to get a large amount of protein on a budget, and it's great to muck around with and alter.
Ingredients:
- 250g of fresh turkey - either breast, fillet or diced turkey.
- Two or three fistfuls of frozen edamame beans (soy beans).
- One large red onion.
- Half a sweet pepper.
- Two fistfuls of broccoli.
- Four roughly chopped cloves of garlic.
- One chopped chilli pepper.
- Half a fistful of fresh basil.
- Olive oil.
- Cider vinegar.
- Soy sauce.
- Worcester sauce.
- Ginger (optional).
- 1 tsp runny honey.
- 1/2 tsp cumin.
- 1/2 tsp turmeric.
- A pinch of chilli powder.
- Ground black pepper.
- Kosher salt.
Method:
You'll have time while the turkey is cooking to prepare your vegetables, but you might want to start off preparing the onion and garlic if you're a slow chopper.
To start the turkey, dribble a bit of olive oil over a grill-pan and whack it up to a high heat. When it's hot enough, place the turkey pieces on the griddle and turn down to a moderate heat. This will allow the meat to sear on contact, then allow it to cook slowly. Cook the turkey pieces for 15 minutes, turning them 3 times to sear evenly.
As soon as the turkey's searing, heat a little oil in a medium-sized saucepan on a medium heat. Add the spices to the oil, remembering to stir regularly so as not to burn the mix. Then add the onion to the pan with the honey, and allow it to caramelise slightly. After five minutes, add the garlic, ginger, pepper and chilli pepper, and stir-fry for a minute or so.
By now, your turkey pieces should be evenly seared on both sides but still uncooked in the centre. Take the griddle off the heat and add the turkey to the saucepan. Also add the rest of the ingredients at this stage, including the soy beans, broccoli, basil, vinegar and sauces. Leave the seasoning until a little later when it's safe to taste. You should have a pretty sweet-smelling pan by now. It's time to relax a bit.
Depending on whether or not you used frozen vegetables, you might want to add a bit of boiling water to the pan; we're going to be simmering the mixture on a low heat until the meat is cooked all the way through and perfectly tender. It's wise to add the lid at this stage to gently steam the turkey and the vegetables. This should take another 10-20 minutes, depending on the hob and the quantity. Add any seasoning to taste, and serve in a bowl or in combination with any evil carbs you fancy.
Enjoy! This is basically my staple dish at the moment, so I'll report back with any improvements and alterations I discover.
Nutrition:
Nutrition:
