THYME TURKEY with ROAST PUMPKIN

I love cooking with turkey as I actually like the taste more than chicken. I found a wonderful butcher at Greenslopes- Rock N Roll Butcher- that sells turkey steaks at a very reasonable price. This meal was created as I was walking my big kelpie; I tend to get my best cooking ideas when I am walking him, so we walk together everyday! 

Ingredients

• baking paper 
• 450g turkey steak, fat removed and cut into even pieces
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 heaped tablespoon lemon thyme or thyme leaves, fresh or dried, stems discarded 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 400g pumpkin, deseeded, peeled and chopped into even 3cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 1/2 a leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 4 handfuls of mixed lettuce, washed and roughly torn/chopped 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a medium to large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the turkey, mustard, thyme, vinegar and 1 teaspoon oil in a medium bowl, stirring well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

3. Once the turkey is marinating, toss 1 teaspoon oil, pumpkin pieces, maple syrup and pepper in a medium bowl. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and / or just starting to become golden. 

4. Once the turkey had marinated for 8 minutes, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium frypan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant and just starting to become golden. Remove from heat and add the turkey to the pan, keeping the heat over medium-low. Cook the turkey for 4 minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the turkey to sit in the pan for 5 minutes. After this time pick the biggest few pieces of turkey and cut them in half, checking that the turkey is white and no longer pink. If it is still slightly pink, cook for another minute. 

5. Toss the cooked turkey, leek, pumpkin and lettuce in a large serving bowl. Serve with extra thyme leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 40 minutes 

SALT & PEPPER TURKEY QUINOA SALAD

Recipes come from the oddest places, if you keep your eyes and mind open. I was relaxing on the beach this Saturday after a brutal but rewarding week of work and renovating and stumbled upon this summery recipe. Where did I find it, you may ask? To answer this question you need to understand one thing about me. I hardly ever read gossip websites, I never watch reality tv shows (unless they are renovation or food related!) and I am about 5-10 years behind which celebrity is dating whom. That being said, when I am truly in need of relaxing, I buy a gossip magazine (usually Who or OK) and sit alone on the beach reading it cover to cover. Call it an indulgence, a guilty pleasure, whatever you wish. I cherish this time of escapism. And in this pages of Who's most recent addition was one recipe, which turned out to be delicious, packed with protein and healthy. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained twice
• salt & pepper 
• 400g turkey fillets, cut into 2 even portions
• 1 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 2 large handfuls of kale, shredded 
• 1/4 large iceberg lettuce,  shredded
• 200g green beans, trimmed & cut into small pieces
• 1 pink lady apple, thinly sliced
• Optional - 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint and/or coriander 

Dressing

• the jest & juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

Cooking 

1. In a saucepan cover the quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the water is almost all absorbed. Add the kale to the pan and cover, cooking for a further 2 minutes. Remove the quinoa & kale from the stove and rinse well with cold water, then drain and set aside. 

2. Whilst the quinoa is cooking, prepare the turkey by massaging a small amount of salt and pepper into each fillet. 

3. In a medium frypan heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the fillets and cook for 2 minutes each side, then add 1/3 cup of water, cover with a lid, turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 minutes. After this time, turn off the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well to combine. Season to taste and a splash of water at a time if the dressing seems too thick. 

5. Slice the cooked turkey into thin strips. Place the quinoa and kale in a large serving bowl, then top with the shredded lettuce, beans, apple slices and herbs, if using. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes