I know, I know, Thanksgiving is several months away (although it's never too early to start planning the menu in my opinion), but you don't have to wait until then to enjoy turkey (maybe the whole roasted turkey, but I digress).
Sometimes turkey is overlooked as an option in a regular diet because it is highlighted so often during the autumn holiday like Christmas and Thanksgiving. But turkey isn't in season just then; you can eat it at any time.
One great thing that I have found with turkey, particularly ground turkey, is that it makes a great substitute for ground beef. Sometimes, if I am trying to cut down on my red meat consumption, I'll purchase ground turkey instead of beef. Being that it is a much leaner choice of protein, I can make it similar to ground beef while cutting out excess fat, grease and calories.
Now, if you have ever eaten turkey meat, you know that, like chicken breast, it can be very dry. Very, VERY dry. Which might be one of the reasons people don't like to eat it (I know I prefer the honey-baked ham with pineapples at the Thanksgiving table myself), but, with anything else, there are ways around it.
One key way to infuse some moisture into the dish is to cook in olive or avocado oil. Unlike beef, which contains a higher amount of fat to produce grease, turkey needs some help, so adding oil to it while it cooks will help draw moisture from the ground turkey. Turkey breasts can be prepared similar to chicken breasts; brine in a warm salty solution for about 15-20 minutes before you cook and you are good to go.
Growing up, one of my favorite ways to eat turkey was to eat turkey wings that had been cooked in the crockpot with some white gravy over the top of it, or smothered in barbecue sauce. Since I've gotten a little bit older now, I find that I prefer ground turkey and cooking it like I would ground beef to mix with my rice and beans, or replacement for ground beef in meatloaf, burgers and taco bowls.
We about the love of turkey at this table, so go ahead and pass the fried turkey please!
Comments