Wednesday, August 18, 2010

IWAD #10- Turkey in August

So, last Monday night after IWAD Brandy called me from Hawaii and told me she saw an ad on craigslist for a soux chef. At first I was like, really?! How weird! Then I got what she was saying! She was coming home! So, then I played along and asked when she could start and she said tomorrow! If I had known I would have waited, but this wee she's back, but unfortunately Mark is gone overseas for work. I can't wait for us to all enjoy an IWAD night together again! Next week my Mom will be joining Brandy and I, so I am pretty excited about that! We'll have to make something extra special!

Last night I made "Turkey Piccata" with white rice for the entree and for dessert...yep, I had all of the ingredients and we had "Orange Granita with Balsamic and Mint Strawberries". It is pretty obvious that not many people are intersested in eating turkey in August because at the grocery store there were 4 turkey breasts on the shelf. I have personally never bought turkey breasts, but really? 4? Anyways, they were down to 2 after I snatched up 2 for myself. Remember a while back I made "Chicken Piccata"? Well, this turkey one has nothing on that delicious chicken one! This one is defnitely easier, but I would go the hard route and make the chicken instead. It was good, but not great.

As for the dessert- I thought it was very good. I have to admit that I was a bit leary of the idea of eating strawberried marinated in balsamic vinegar, but it was actually a really good combination with the sweetness of the granita. I could have done without the mint leaves if there is a way to get the mint flavor without the actual leaves I would go that route. The orange granita was pretty easy to make, but I found that it melted very quickly and turned the dessert into a strawberry soup. Anyways, it's worth trying!

"Turkey Piccata"

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pound turkey breast, cut into short strips
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • Grated peel of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 cups cooked rice (optional)
Slow Cooker Directions
  1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add turkey strips and shake well to coat. Heat butter and oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey strips; brown on all sides. Arrange in single layer in slow cooker.
  2. Pour broth into skillet; cook 2 minutes, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Pour into slow cooker. Add lemon peel and juice. Cover; cook on LOW 2 hours. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serve over rice, if desired.
"Orange Granita with Balsamic and Mint Strawberries"

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups Florida orange juice, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons fresh mint, cut into long, thin strips
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  1. Place sugar, 1/4 cup orange juice and pepper, if desired, in small saucepan; bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups orange juice and lemon juice.
  2. Pour mixture into 13x9-inch shallow pan and place in freezer.
  3. Every few minutes, stir and scrape mixture with spoon to create an icy texture. This pocedure takes about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on freezer temperature.
  4. Combine strawberries, mint and balsamic vinegar in small bowl; marinate while granita freezes.
  5. To serve, place 2 ounces granita in individual dessert bowls; top with 3 ounces strawberry mixture.

1 comment:

  1. Brandy's Reaction/Scoring (1-5):
    Score Course Reaction
    6 - Appetizer: 6=No Score (no appetizer)
    2 - Main Course: Good staple for dinner. Although honestly I hardly recall the details of this dinner now.
    4 - Dessert: No good. Kim described this to me right before I dug in as "strawberry soup," and while I agree that's a good name for it, we might not agree as much on the taste. ;)

    ReplyDelete