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.

Citrus and Herb Baked Salmon Fillet with Pan Roasted Potatoes

Salmon is often referred to as the King of Fish. This name is appropriate for a variety of reasons, including its superb healthful properties. Eating salmon as part of a balanced diet is highly recommended, not least for the benefits the Omega-3 fatty acids it contains provide. The problem we can encounter with salmon, however, where it is something we perhaps try to eat every week, is that the salmon recipes we have can become boring and stale. Bearing this in mind, I came up with this recipe, which is a simple tweak of a classic salmon recipe but introduces some slightly different flavours which are less common.

Ingredients per Serving

1 piece of salmon fillet
1 large potato
6 or 7 Brussels sprouts
4 thin slices of lime
3 basil leaves
Salt and white pepper
Sunflower oil

Method

These pan roasted potatoes are prepared in a similar way to how I prepare chips/French fries but I don't bother with the refrigeration step in this instance. It is still necessary to begin preparing the potatoes, however, well in advance of anything else.

The potato should be peeled and chopped in to manageable sized pieces. The pieces should be placed in to a pot of cold water, brought to a boil and simmered for twenty minutes. They should then be carefully drained and returned to the pot with more cold water to cool.

When the potatoes are cool, they should be thoroughly drained and carefully patted dry in a clean tea towel. They should be given their first deep fry in sunflower oil for about six or seven minutes until they only just begin to colour. They should be spread on some kitchen paper and covered to cool while the remainder of the meal is started.

The salmon is going to be baked in a foil parcel. A little sunflower oil should be added to the centre of a large sheet of tinfoil in a baking tray. The salmon should be placed skin side down on the oil. The sunflower oil is simply to prevent it from sticking to the foil and spoiling presentation. Three of the slices of lime should be laid on top of the fillet, each holding a basil leaf in place as shown. Salt and white pepper should be used to lightly season. The package should be wrapped loosely but be sure it is sealed and the tray placed in to the oven - preheated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 - for twelve to fifteen minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fillet.

The Brussels sprouts should be washed and any loose or damaged leaves removed and discarded. They should be added to a pot of boiling, slightly salted water and simmered for ten minutes only. When the sprouts have been on for five minutes, the potatoes should be put back in to the deep frier for a further five minutes or until golden brown.

The baking tray should be removed from the oven and the foil very carefully opened. Beware of escaping steam. The lime slices and basil leaves should be removed and discarded and the fillet transferred to the serving plate with a fish slice. The sprouts should be drained and added to the plate, while the roasted potatoes should be drained on fresh kitchen paper before being added alongside.

In the image at the top of this post, I have used the fourth lime slice to make a small twist as a final garnish. Alternatively, as below, the salmon fillet can merely be served with the lime and basil with which it cooked still in place.

You can find more of my healthy salmon recipes by clicking here.

Steak and Black Pudding Pie with Pan Roasted Potatoes and Honey Glazed Carrots

This steak and black pudding (blood sausage) pie recipe is one which I devised myself but the concept is not of my creation and I only learned of it through coincidence. About a week ago, a family member of mine visited the small Scottish town of Aberfoyle and happened to go in to a local butcher's shop. This particular shop was selling a variation of the traditional Scotch Pie, incorporating steak and black pudding instead of the more traditional minced/ground lamb. I became the lucky recipient of two of these pies for a taste and I enjoyed them so much, I decided to come up with my own version. Rather than create the smaller, individual pies, however, I thought I would make a puff pastry pie, capable of serving two people.

Ingredients

1/2lb stewing steak
1 6oz black pudding
5oz puff pastry
2 pints fresh beef stock
Beaten egg for glazing

4 medium potatoes

2 large carrots
1 tbsp liquid honey
Pinch of grated nutmeg

Method

The stewing steak will firstly have to be cooked. It should be added to a large pot and quickly browned and sealed over a high heat. The beef stock should be added and brought to a simmer. Different cuts of steak will take different lengths of time to tenderise in this way, from one to two hours. When the steak is tender, the heat should be turned off, the pot covered and the steak allowed to cool for at least half an hour.

While the steak is stewing, the potatoes should be peeled and chopped in to bite-sized pieces. They should be added to a pot of cold water, the water brought to a boil and simmered for around twenty-five minutes until soft. They should then be drained and added to a pot or basin of cold water to cool completely.

When the steak is cooled, the oven should be put on to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. The steak should then be added to a pie dish. The black pudding should be sliced in to 1/2" thick discs and arranged on top as shown. If you can only get slices of larger black pudding, simply chop it in to smaller pieces and arrange it in a similar fashion. Be sure to remove and discard the rind that may still be on it. Enough stock should then be added to come to within an inch of the top of the pie dish rim.

The pastry should then be rolled out large enough to slightly more than cover the pie dish, laid on top and pressed down to seal around the edges. The pie should be glazed with the beaten egg, steam vents cut in the top and placed in to the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes, until the pastry is risen and golden.

When the pie is ready, it should be removed from the oven and left to rest briefly while the carrots and potatoes are cooked. The carrots should be scraped, sliced and chopped in to approximately two inch pieces before being stirred in the mixture of honey and nutmeg in a bowl. They should then be spread on a baking sheet and placed in to the still hot oven for fifteen minutes.

The potatoes should be drained and dried in a clean tea towel. They should then be deep fried in hot oil for eight to ten minutes, until beautifully golden, and drained on some kitchen towel. The dish can then be plated up and served.