Gotta Piccata
When you substitute turkey breast slices for veal cutlets in a traditional piccata recipe, the most noticeable difference will be the thickness of your wallet. The fresh slices, labeled cutlets by some processors, are moderately priced and readily available in the supermarket meat case.
Team the piccata with green beans bathed in an aged, mellow balsamic vinegar, accented by garlic and herbs.
Pick up a loaf of bread and a package of your favorite flavor of biscotti to serve with coffee for dessert. The menu is easily doubled, but add a few minutes to the countdown schedule.
Menu (UNDER 30 MINUTES)
Turkey Piccata
Italian Green Beans with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Bread
Coffee or Espresso
Biscotti
COUNTDOWN
30 minutes before: Assemble ingredients and begin preparing turkey breast slices.
20 minutes before: Prepare vinaigrette. Prepare beans for cooking.
15 minutes before: Start sauteing turkey breast slices.
10 minutes before: Start cooking beans, remove turkey breast slices, saute mushrooms.
5 minutes before: Return turkey breast slices to skillet.
3 minutes before: Drain beans, toss with dressing.
INGREDIENTS
STAPLES
Balsamic vinegar
Basil, fresh or dried
Butter
Dry white wine
Flour
Minced garlic
Lemon
Salt, pepper
Thyme, fresh or dried
SHOPPING LIST
1 package biscotti
1 loaf bread
1/2 pound Italian green beans
1/4 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 pound turkey breast slices
TURKEY PICCATA
1/2 pound (4 to 5) turkey breast slices
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 pound sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup dry white wine
Lemon peel twists
Make several cuts through membrane on outer edges of turkey slices to prevent curling. Place 3 tablespoons flour in plastic bag. Add breast slices, 1 at time, dredge with flour, then pound very thin. Add remaining flour as needed.
Cut larger slices into 2 pieces if desired. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon juice.
Saute turkey slices quickly in single layer in lemon butter until very lightly browned on both sides. Remove turkey slices.
Add mushrooms to skillet and saute lightly. Stir in wine. Bring liquid to boil, scraping browned bits from sides and bottom of pan.
Return turkey slices to pan. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently about 5 minutes. Serve turkey slices with sauce spooned over. Garnish with twists of lemon peel.
2 servings. Each serving:
394 calories; 295 mg sodium; 111 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 0.47 gram fiber.
GREEN BEANS WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
1/2 pound green beans
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or 1/8 teaspoon dried
Salt, pepper
Wash and snap ends from beans.
Place beans in 2-quart saucepan. Add 1/2 inch water. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until tender-crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
While beans are cooking, combine vinegar, garlic, thyme and basil in small ramekin and set aside.
Drizzle vinegar mixture over hot beans and toss to distribute evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2 servings. Each serving:
46 calories; 154 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.28 grams fiber.
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Kitchen Tip
Preparing the turkey slices in a plastic bag practically eliminates cleanup. Use a heavy-duty freezer bag that can withstand the pounding and leave the end open slightly so the air can escape.
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SHORT CUTS
If you’ve got an extra 10 minutes, add fettuccine tossed with butter and Parmesan to the menu. Fresh fettuccine cooks in 3 minutes, as against 10 to 12 minutes for the dried variety.
Use the cooking pan rather than an additional bowl to toss the beans with the dressing to reduce cleanup. If making the fettuccine, use the same trick to toss the pasta with butter and cheese.
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Kitchen Tip
Green beans are frequently called “string†beans or “snap†beans. But most of the beans you find in the grocery store these days don’t have strings and don’t need to be snapped. To find out if they do, partly break off one end and pull. If a string unzips down one or both sides, the beans need to be snapped. If not, simply trim the stem ends.
