Spice Roasted Turkey Breast with Rocket, Beetroot and Mozzarella Salad and Pan Roasted Potatoes

There are of course a lot of people who would never think of having turkey for dinner in the middle of February. It is widely perceived as being a dish for Christmas or Thanksgiving and eaten only at these times of year. Turkey is, however, available in most of our supermarkets all year round and makes a delicious, low fat dinner in a great many ways, at any time of year.

This recipe is for two people and uses a turkey breast fillet of just over a pound.

Ingredients

1 turkey breast fillet
3 large potatoes
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves
Mozzarella ball of approx. 4oz
1 small cooked beetroot (bought vacuum packed - not pickled)
1 tsp hot chilli powder
Salt and black pepper

Method

The potatoes should be peeled and chopped in to chunks. They should be added to a pot of cold water and put on to a high heat until the water boils. The heat should then be reduced to a simmer for twenty minutes. The potatoes should be drained and added to cold water for a few minutes to cool. They should then be placed in a Tupperware dish and refrigerated while the remainder of the meal is prepared.

The chilli powder should be seasoned with salt and pepper and rubbed in to the turkey breast. This can be done a couple of hours in advance if desired. The turkey should then be wrapped in a loose foil package, placed in a baking tray and in to the oven, preheated to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6, for twenty-five minutes per pound.

The turkey should be removed from the oven and checks made to ensure it is fully cooked. Stick a fork or skewer in to the thickest part and check that the juices run clear. Refold the foil package and set aside to rest while the potatoes are pan roasted and the salad prepared.

The potatoes should be firstly dried in a clean tea towel. They should then be deep fried for six to eight minutes until crisp and golden.

While the potatoes are frying, the mozzarella and beetroot should be roughly diced and mixed with the rocket in a bowl.

The turkey should be sliced and plated along with the salad. The roasted potatoes should be drianed on kitchen paper and added last of all.

Steak, Rocket and Red Onion Sandwich with Real Chips

A steak sandwich is very often served on its own, either as a lunch dish, or perhaps even as an impromptu snack. Equally, however, a steak sandwich can make an excellent dinner when served in this fashion with real chips and does not take overly long to prepare. Also, when making a steak sandwich such as this, it is the cheapest cut of steak which should be used and nothing as elaborate as fillet or sirloin.

The recipe for making the chips which accompnay the steak can be found on several locations on this blog or simply by clicking here. I will therefore provide below instructions only for cooking the steak sandwich.

Ingredients (Serves Two, along with the Chips)

1/2lb slice of steak (often sold as sandwich steak)
12" French style stick loaf
1/2 red onion
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves
2 tbsp horseradish sauce
A little sunflower oil for frying

Method

Although using a steak mallet would be akin to sacrilege on a piece of quality steak, tougher and cheaper cuts of steak which we are going to use for making sandwiches can well do with a bit of a beating prior to cooking. The fibres in the flesh are much tougher than in quality cuts of steak and even proper cooking and resting procedures can do with a little assistance in breaking them down. A reasonable amount of force (don't overdo it!) should therefore be used to pound the steak evenly across its entire surface.

A little sunflower oil should then be added to a non-stick frying pan and brought up to a very high heat. The steak of course can also be grilled or griddled, in which case it should be the steak which is lightly oiled. The steak should then be fried - depending upon its thickness - for around a couple of minutes each side.

While the steak is cooking, the bread stick should be halved in two horizontally and the horseradish sauce spread evenly over each half. The rocket leaves should then be added to the bottom half of the roll.

When the steak is cooked, it should be removed from the pan, set on a warmed plate and covered with foil to rest for a couple of minutes. The red onion should then be sliced and the pieces quickly fried in the juices of the steak.

The rested steak should be cut to size as required and the pieces placed atop the rocket leaves, with the hot onions added last of all. The top may then be added to the bread, pressed down firmly and sliced in half to be served with the hot chips.

Steak/Meat tenderiser Mallets on Amazon.com/Amazon.co.uk

If you don't have a meat tenderising mallet, below are a couple of deals - one each from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk - which you may find to be of interest.

Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Bacon with Garlic Mushrooms

Chicken is unquestionably a very versatile cooking ingredient. We can cook it in so many different ways and so many incredibly simple and healthy chicken recipes are also incredibly delicious. This easy recipe simply involves baking the chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and serving them with some equally simply prepared garlic mushrooms, on a bed of fresh rocket leaves.

Ingredients (Per person)

1 chicken breast fillet
2 slices of unsmoked bacon
8 small button mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp of dried sage
1 tbsp olive oil
Generous handful of fresh rocket leaves

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas mark 6. Place a large sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray. Wrap the bacon slices carefully around the chicken breasts, encasing them as much as posssible and then lay them on the foil. Fold the foil to form a loose but sealed parcel.

Place the tray in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and check that the chicken is thoroughly cooked by sticking it with a fork or skewer and ensuring the juices run clear. Leave to rest while you prepare the mushrooms.

Gently heat the olive oil in a non-stick saucepan and add the garlic and the sage. After about a minute, add the mushrooms and stir well for a couple of minutes with a wooden spoon to evenly heat them through.

Add the rocket to each plate, sit the wrapped chicken breasts on top and surround with the mushrooms. I promise you that this will provide a very tasty dinner tonight or any night.