COACH STACY'S HEALTHY U

Have you already grown weary of leftover turkey sandwiches?  Here are four healthy and delicious ways to prepare those 14 pounds of leftover turkey meat.

Turkey Tetrazzini (a favorite from my childhood – from www.eatingwell.com)

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb. turkey breast cutlets, ¼ in. thick

2 ½ cups sliced mushrooms, (about 8 ounces)

3 TBS all-purpose flour

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup dry sherry

1 cup low-fat milk

2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

½ cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Heat 1 TBS oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add turkey and cook until lightly golden, 2-3 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the remaining 1 TBS oil in the pan.  Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until browned, 4-6 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat.  Stir in broth and sherry; bring to a simmer.  Continue simmering, stirring constantly, until the mixture is slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add milk, peas and peppers; return to a simmer, stirring often.  Cook until thick and slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.  Stir in Parmesan and pepper.  Return the turkey and any accumulated juices to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Yields 4 servings.

Per serving: 330 calories, 10 g fat (2 g sat), 54 mg cholesterol, 18 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein, 2 g fiber, 452 mg sodium, 234 g potassium

Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa (from www.cookinglight.com)

Salsa

1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 TBS chopped green onions

1 TBS fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 Anjou pear, cored and finely diced

1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced

Quesadillas

Cooking spray

¼ cup (2 in. thick) slices green onions

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

2 cups chopped cooked turkey

½ cup fat-free sour cream

To prepare salsa, combine first 7 ingredients.  Cover and chill.

To prepare quesadillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add ¼ cup sliced onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.  Remove onions from pan; reduce heat to medium.  Sprinkle 2 TBS cheese over each of 4 tortillas.  Top each cheese-covered tortilla with one fourth of onions, ½ cup turkey, 2 TBS cheese, and 1 tortilla.

Recoat pan with cooking spray.  Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts.  Repeat with remaining quesadillas.  Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.  Serve with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Yields 8 servings

Per serving: 356 calories, 9.7 g fat (4.2 saturated), 19.4 g protein, 47.8 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 42 mg cholesterol, 372 mg sodium

Leftover Turkey Chili/Stew (from http://cheaphealthyood.blogspot.com)

1 TBS olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 1 ½ lbs. leftover turkey, cut into ½ in chunks

21 ounces diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can kidney beans, liquid included

1 14-ounce can black beans, liquid included

1 TBS dried oregano

1 TBS dried basil

1 ½ TBS chili powder

2 tsp cumin

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 TBS red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft.  Add the turkey and cook just long enough so it’s warm.  Add the tomatoes, beans, oregano, basil, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and red wine vinegar.  Stir.  Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45-50 minutes.  Remove cover and let liquid reduce for 15-20 minutes.  If necessary, season to taste.  Serve with grated cheddar (optional).

Yields 6 servings

Per serving: 327 calories, 10.6 g fat

Turkey Lasagna (from www.health.com)

2 TBS vegetable oil

1 ¼ cups chopped onion

¾ cup chopped green bell pepper

1 (8 ounce) package presliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, minced

10 ounces chopped turkey breast

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 (26 ounce) bottle tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Bertoli)

¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (16 ounce) carton fat-free cottage cheese

Cooking spray

8 cooked lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic.  Sauté 5 minutes or until tender.   Add turkey; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in seasoning and sauce.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Combine Parmesan, salt, black pepper, eggs and cottage cheese.  Spread 1 cup turkey mixture in bottom of a 13 X 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Arrange 4 noodles over turkey mixture; top with half of Parmesan mixture and 2 cups turkey mixture.  Repeat layers, ending with turkey mixture.  Sprinkle with mozzarella.  Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Yields 9 servings

Per serving: 283 calories, 8.7 g fat (2.8 g saturated), 21.2 g protein, 28.5 g carbohydrates, 6.9 g fiber, 73 mg cholesterol, 838 mg sodium