talking turkey with you chickens (plus turkey paprikash for 10+ mos)
Besides on Thanksgiving, we don't eat much turkey. Well, not counting sliced turkey deli meat. The truth is that I don't think of turkey as coming in any way other than the whole bird. And who wants to deal with that more than once a year? But this week, I noticed antibiotic free turkey tenderloins on Fresh Direct. Over the years, I feel like I've repeatedly heard about turkey being better for you than chicken. So, I thought, what the hell. But, in true Stacie fashion, I bought the turkey before checking the validity of the turkey health claim. Oh well. I think I just wanted to try something new that wasn't too high maintenance. And turkey caught my eye.
As it turns out, nutritionally speaking, turkey and chicken are pretty much the same. Turkey is leaner--less fat and fewer calories. So maybe all the chatter about it being better for you is the result of our pathological fat-free, super low calorie mind set. (Even though I just poked fun, mamas trying to lose baby weight might consider turkey over chicken for just this reason.) You can compare the relative health benefits and nutritional profiles of turkey and chicken for yourself. Here, too (beef is included in this comparison). See? Six in one, half dozen in the other. I will say, though, I preferred working with the turkey tenderloins. They were, well, less fatty, and not nearly as slimy (yes, that's the technical cook's term) as chicken.
At $5.99/lb through Fresh Direct, the turkey was still affordable, though not quite as inexpensive as chicken. It was comparably priced to a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but more expensive than the $3.99/lb price for a family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or the boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I usually buy. As for taste, I found the turkey tenderloin to work a lot like chicken breast. I made Paprikash and the turkey absorbed the flavor of dish's seasonings and sauce. If I wanted the flavor of the meat to take center stage or I wanted juicy meat, like if I were grilling or broiling meat with a simple rub, I'd definitely opt for the more flavorful chicken thighs over either turkey or chicken breast.
So, I'm sold on turkey for saucy dishes like this Paprikash even if just for the fact that turkey was more pleasant to work with. I'm also sold on this Paprikash. It was simple, quick, and tasty for the whole family. (I tried adding peas to Isaac's portion, but he was ADAMANT about them being on the side... I feel a new phase coming on!)
So there you have it, my chickens. Hope I cleared up the turkey talk. Now go make this:
Turkey Paprikash
adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food
(for adults and kids 10+ months already eating poultry and sour cream)
salt and pepper
1 lb organic, whole wheat Rotelle pasta (or egg noodles for a more traditional plating)
2 pounds organic turkey tenderloin or breast, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons paprika (I used 1 1/2 tbs sweet and 1/2 tbs smoked paprika; while any paprika will do, the type and quality will definitely make a difference in this dish)
1 tablespoon organic olive oil
1 tablespoon organic butter
1 medium organic onion, chopped
1 can (28 ounces) organic whole peeled tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup organic reduced-fat sour cream (feel free to use the full fat kind, especially if you're feeding a child under 2-years-old)
1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, toss turkey with 1 tablespoon paprika, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, brown turkey and set aside.
3. Once all the turkey is cooked, add butter to your pan. When it starts to sizzle, add onion. Saute scraping up any brown bits from the turkey. Cook until tender and all of the onions take on a nice red/brown color.
4. Return turkey to pan, along with any accumulated juices. Add tomatoes one by one, crushing with your hands. Pour in remaining juice and add remaining paprika and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens up a bit, about 20 minutes. (You don't want the sauce to reduce too much or it won't coat the pasta, but you also don't want it to be too thin. The sauce is just right when it takes a moment to pull back together as you run a spatula through it.)
5. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. (I added the sour cream immediately upon removing the pan from heat and the sour cream curdled a tiny bit. It wasn't a big deal either for appearance or taste, but I'd wait a tiny bit longer next time.) Serve over noodles.
I just realized that this would also be a great recipe for my shredded chicken, frozen spinach, can of beans experiment. I'd go with chickpeas. Yum.
-S
related posts: 1 rotisserie chicken + 1 box frozen spinach + 1 can of beans = 6 easy dinners
