Barley Sausage Skillet

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking barley
Cooking spray
8 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
2 tablespoons Madeira wine
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper



Place broth in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Add barley to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring to crumble. Transfer to a bowl. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Return sausage to pan. Stir in Madeira; sauté 2 minutes. Add barley; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in basil and black pepper.

Kentucky Hot Brown

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Marsala or cream sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper


Remaining ingredients:
6 (1 1/2-ounce) slices hearty white bread, toasted and cut in half diagonally
3/4 pound shredded cooked turkey breast
12 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled


Preheat broiler.

To prepare sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add flour, stirring with a whisk; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheddar and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper), stirring until cheeses melt. Remove from heat.

Arrange 2 toast halves in the bottom of each of 6 gratin dishes or ovenproof plates. Arrange 2 ounces turkey over each serving. Top each serving with about 1/3 cup sauce, 2 tomato slices, and 1 teaspoon Parmesan. Broil for 2 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Turkey Tamale Potpie

Filling:
Cooking spray
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey; cook 5 minutes or until turkey loses its pink color. Add chili powder, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and beans; cook 3 minutes. Spoon turkey mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moist. Spread cornmeal mixture evenly over turkey mixture. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until topping is golden.

--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Bacon-wrapped Turkey Burgers

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 bacon slices (about 4 oz. total)
4 ounces münster cheese, thinly sliced
4 hamburger buns or rolls (4 in. wide), cut in half horizontally


1. Add mustard, ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, and salt; mix well.

2. Divide turkey mixture into four equal portions; shape each into an evenly thick 4-inch-wide round. Wrap a slice of bacon snugly in a ring around edge of each patty, overlapping ends and securing with a toothpick. If making ahead, lay patties in a single layer on a plate, cover airtight, and chill up to 1 day.

3. Lay turkey patties on a lightly oiled grill over a solid bed of medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds); cover grill and open vents. Cook patties until browned on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn with a wide spatula and continue to cook until patties feel firm when pressed and are no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 4 to 7 minutes longer.

4. Cover meat evenly with cheese and lay buns, cut side down, on grill; cover and cook until cheese is melted and buns are toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.





--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Asparagus-Turkey Wraps with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

The red pepper aioli makes a great base for pimento cheese.


24 asparagus spears
1 red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4 romaine lettuce leaves
8 (1-ounce) slices cooked turkey breast
2 cups alfalfa sprouts


Preheat broiler.

Snap off the tough ends of asparagus. Steam asparagus, covered, 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Place the bell pepper, honey, juice, salt, and ground red pepper in a blender; process until smooth. Combine bell pepper mixture and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture evenly over each tortilla. Layer each tortilla with 1 romaine leaf, 2 turkey slices, 1/2 cup sprouts, and 6 asparagus spears; roll up. Serve with remaining mayonnaise mixture.


--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Turkey/Chicken Cutlets with Orange-Cranberry Pan Sauce

Since there are just two of us, I usually make this with only a single boneless chicken breast pounded flat. It's a great weeknight supper with some broccoli and brown rice. This is one of the few recipes I would give 5 stars.

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 (2-ounce) turkey or chicken cutlets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Melt butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.

While butter melts, sprinkle cutlets with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge cutlets in flour; shake off excess flour.

Increase heat to medium-high; heat 2 minutes or until butter turns golden brown. Add cutlets to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove cutlets from pan; keep warm. Add juice, mustard, and cranberries to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 2/3 cup (about 5 minutes). Serve sauce over cutlets.

-- Adapted from Cooking Light magazine