The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook (21 page)

Discard the turkey skin. Carve the turkey meat from the bone across the grain in ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange the turkey over the vegetables and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve hot with the sauce.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 355 calories, 40 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 7 g fiber, 94 mg cholesterol, 495 mg sodium, 1,524 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces meat, 3 starchy vegetables, 1 vegetable.

Turkey Cutlets with Lemon and Basil Sauce

Lean turkey breast is the perfect protein for a low-fat dinner. And fresh lemon juice and zest give this dish a lovely flavor. An important tip: Use medium heat and take care not to overcook the turkey or the cutlets will be tough and dry. The sauce is great with fresh basil (what isn’t?), but you can substitute fresh parsley, tarragon, or rosemary. To remove the lemon zest, use a rasp-type zester—it makes the job fast and easy.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 pound turkey cutlets, cut into 8 serving pieces

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup whole-wheat flour

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup Homemade Chicken Broth (
here
) or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Grated zest of ½ lemon

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Season the turkey with the salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate, and coat the turkey with the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half of the turkey to the skillet and cook, flipping the turkey halfway through cooking, until lightly browned on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the turkey, and add to the turkey on the plate.

Combine the broth, lemon zest and juice, and vermouth in the skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Return all of the turkey to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, turning the turkey in the sauce, until the sauce is lightly thickened and the turkey is opaque when pierced in the center with the tip of a sharp knife, about 2 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Whisk in the butter, then 1 tablespoon of the basil. Pour over the turkey, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving) 208 calories, 29 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 0 g fiber, 52 mg cholesterol, 365 mg sodium, 78 mg potassium. Food groups: 4 ounces very lean meat, 2 fats.

Dry Vermouth

There is a good reason many recipes have wine in them: Alcohol brings out the flavor of the other ingredients, while supplying its own taste. Alcohol is high in calories, which makes drinking it by the glass an indulgence, but it can be used in small amounts in cooking.

Dry white wine is a common cooking ingredient, but what do you do with the leftover wine before it goes bad if you aren’t going to drink it? Dry vermouth, which is white wine infused with herbs and spices and fortified with brandy, is a great substitute. It will keep, tightly capped in its bottle, for a couple of months stored in the refrigerator. Don’t store it at room temperature or its flavor will be compromised and its shelf life shortened.

Sloppy Toms

Sloppy Joes are a family favorite, but they can be made in a much more healthful manner with ground turkey, more vegetables than usual, less sugar, and reduced-sodium products. About half of the sodium and calories here comes from the bun. If you know you are going to serve this for dinner, watch your bread consumption during the day so you can have a whole bun at dinner. Or if you’re seriously limiting starch, skip it.

MAKES 4 CUPS

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 large celery ribs, cut into ½-inch dice

1 large green bell pepper, cored and cut into ½-inch dice

1¼ pounds ground turkey

1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

½ cup no-salt-added tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 whole-wheat sandwich buns, toasted

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Move the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the ground turkey to the cleared side of the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with the side of a wooden spoon, until the turkey loses its raw look, about 6 minutes. Mix the turkey and vegetables.

Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

For each serving, spoon ⅔cup of the turkey mixture onto half a bun on a plate, then cover with the top half of the bun. Serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving, without bun) 222 calories, 18 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 2 g fiber, 70 mg cholesterol, 389 mg sodium, 626 mg potassium. Food groups: 2½ ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

(1 serving, with bun) 382 calories, 24 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 13 g fat, 7 g fiber, 70 mg cholesterol, 715 mg sodium, 767 mg potassium. Food groups: 2 whole grains, 2½ ounces meat, ½ vegetable.

NOTE:
About half the sodium and calories comes from the bun. If you want to reduce them, have the Sloppy Toms without the bun and add extra vegetables. Did you know that bread is the number one source of sodium in the typical American diet?

Turkey-Spinach Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

This dish is satisfying enough to serve without pasta (although you could serve it with the Broccoli Ziti
here
).

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Turkey-Spinach Meatballs

1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid

1 medium yellow onion, shredded on the large holes of a box grater

2 cloves garlic, minced

⅓
cup whole-wheat bread crumbs, made from day-old bread pulsed in the blender

2 large egg whites, or ¼ cup seasoned liquid egg substitute

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (
here
) or dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1¼ pounds ground turkey

Olive oil in a pump sprayer

½ cup water

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning (
here
) or dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

To make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix the spinach, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg whites, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the ground turkey and combine thoroughly. Refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to firm the mixture and make it easier to handle.

Roll the turkey mixture into 18 meatballs. Spray a large nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. In batches, add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the water to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat.

To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the liquid from the skillet, the tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, and hot pepper; combine thoroughly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Bury the meatballs in the sauce and cook until the meatballs show no sign of pink when pierced to the center with the tip of a sharp knife, about 15 minutes more. Divide the meatballs and sauce among six bowls, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan (if using), and serve hot.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

(1 serving: 3 meatballs with sauce) 240 calories, 22 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 4 g fiber, 70 mg cholesterol, 513 mg sodium, 596 potassium. Food groups: ½ whole grain, 3 ounces meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Pasta and Parmesan

Everyone loves pasta… but perhaps we eat too much of it, or at least, more than we can burn off with our daily activity. The next time you’re about to dig into a big bowl of spaghetti topped with a thick layer of Parmesan cheese, consider these figures:

For pasta, ¼ cup of uncooked pasta shapes (such as ziti or penne) will make ½ cup of cooked pasta. Without salt in the water, this will yield 105 calories, 4 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, 0 g fat, 1 g fiber, 2 mg sodium, and 38 mg potassium. If you have this amount of pasta, allow 1 grain serving in your DASH calculation.

Each tablespoon of shredded natural Parmesan cheese (true Parmigiano-Reggiano or domestic Parmesan, as opposed to shelf-stable, pre-grated faux Parmesan cheese) has 21 calories, 2 g protein, 0 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber, 4 mg cholesterol, 76 mg sodium, and 5 mg potassium. But there is a lot of flavor in each tablespoon. Parmesan cheese keeps well (wrapped in foil in the refrigerator), so it is good to have on hand to use in moderation.

Cajun Turkey Burgers with Pickled Red Onions

These burgers are so juicy and flavorful that you won’t need a condiment; the pickled onions are sufficient. (Refrigerate any leftover onions for up to 3 days to add to sandwiches and salads.) However, for a quick remoulade, mix ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon low-sodium pickle relish.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Pickled Red Onions

1 small red onion, cut into thin half-moons

½ cup cider vinegar, as needed

Turkey Burgers

2 teaspoons canola oil, plus more in a pump sprayer

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning (
here
)

1¼ pounds ground turkey

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

4 tomato slices

4 red lettuce leaves

To pickle the onions: Put the onions in a small bowl and add enough vinegar to cover the onions. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.