Recipe: Delicious Dinner - Mediterranean Turkey w/Swiss Chard Over Polenta

On Friday night, I realized I was late registering for a race and needed to get my payment in the mail ASAP.  Not wanting to miss the carrier pickup Saturday AM, I found myself walking down to my mailbox and hoisting the flag. 

Unexpectedly, as I was taking care of business, I heard someone call out "Well, good evening, Ms. Natalie."  Turns out my neighbor from down the block was out on her evening stroll.  We exchanged some basic pleasantries, and in passing, she mentioned she had been admiring my (somewhat meager) vegetable garden during her walk. 

After one last comment praising the beauty of my long forgotten Swiss chard, she continued on her way.

Realizing I hadn't really checked on my garden since planting it almost two months ago (as we have it hooked to an automated watering system and it pretty much seems to succeed on its own), the next morning I ventured out to see how things were doing.  Much to my surprise, I found I was well overdue for basil flower removal and chard harvesting, and even had a few mutant zucchinis ready to pick that had grown to the size of my leg. 

Unfortunately, I also found I had squash borer worms, and only one zucchini was a keeper.  Boo.

Borers aside, the chard was in great shape and needed to be eaten.  Inspired by our harvest, my husband came up with the below meal, which he cooked and we ate on Monday night. 

I really enjoyed this meal. The flavor of the chard was fantastic, and surprisingly delicious for basically a steamed greens based meal.  I highly recommend you cook this for yourself!!

Enjoy!


-----


Mediterranean Turkey w/Swiss Chard Over Polenta

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 (8-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 12 slices   
• 3/4 pound turkey cutlets, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips   
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1/3 cup currants
• 1/2 pound Swiss chard, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

*We actually made the polenta from scratch since we had it in the house, and substituted chicken for the turkey since we didn't see turkey cutlets when we were out grocery shopping.  And a quick note: if you are not familiar with currants, you can purchase them in the dried fruit section near the grapes and other similar fruits.

 

**If you have a peanut allergy or just prefer not to purchase peanut oil, I would hazard a guess that olive oil would work equally well in this recipe.  Though, the peanut oil does add a unique flavor.

Directions

1. Heat wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; cook polenta, turning halfway through, 3 minutes. Transfer to platter; cover.

2. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to wok; cook turkey 3 minutes. Add lemon juice, 1/2 cup broth, 1 garlic clove, and currants. Cook, stirring, 1 minute more or until turkey is cooked through. Transfer to platter with slotted spoon, reserving liquid in wok; cover.

3. Add Swiss chard and onion to wok; cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until tender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and garlic; cook, stirring, 2 minutes more.

4. Spoon the chard mixture onto a platter; top with pine nuts.



Nutritional information per the original recipe website:

Calories per serving:245
(recipe serves 4 - serving size: 3 ounces turkey, 3 slices polenta, and 1/2 cup chard)
Fat per serving:6g
Saturated fat per serving:1g
Monounsaturated fat per serving:3g
Polyunsaturated fat per serving:1g
Protein per serving:26g
Carbohydrates per serving:25g
Fiber per serving:3g
Cholesterol per serving:34mg
Iron per serving:3mg
Sodium per serving:364mg
Calcium per serving:53mg