8.30.2013

Family Favorites-Turkey and Roasted Vegetables with Cous Cous

I cannot begin to tell you where I got this recipe, whether I made it up myself or if I saw it in a magazine...I just don't know.  I do, however, know that it was the first dish I ever made using ground turkey. It has become the most popular menu item in our household....both the kids love it and it has served us well over the years. It was also one of the first meals my son learned to cook once he moved out on his own. This makes a mama proud!

There is so much you can do with this, so don't feel confined to follow this recipe precisely, but try it this way once and then see where your mind takes you. Not only is it satisfying, it's HEALTHY! Very low in fat and very high in all the fiber, nutrients and other stuff we need.  Sorry I don't have pictures of the final product, to me, it really is as simple as making a PB&J, so I just never shot pictorial proof.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

-1 pkg Jennie-O Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast
-2-3 zucchini
-2-3 yellow (summer) squash
-3 bell peppers (assorted colors)
-1 white onion
-3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
-1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
-2 tsp onion powder
-½ tsp kosher salt
-½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
-1 TBS Italian seasoning
-1 TBS low or sodium-free soy sauce
-1 pkg couscous
-1 tsp curry powder
-1 tsp celery seed
-2 TBS fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped

Preparation

Vegetables:
  • Preheat oven to 400° F
  • Thoroughly wash vegetables
  • Cut zucchini and squash into ¼-inch slices
  • Core, seed, and cut bell peppers into 1-inch strips
  • Peel and cut onion into wedges (Cut in half, halve again, and halve each remaining piece)
  • In large mixing bowl combine vegetables, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic and olive oil
  • Toss until vegetables are evenly coated with oil and seasonings
  • Spread over large baking sheet
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once for even roasting.



Turkey
  • Begin turkey preparation as soon as vegetables are in oven
  • In skillet, brown turkey on medium heat
  • Once turkey is crumbled, after 5 minutes or so, add marinade and soy sauce, stirring well to coat meat
  • Stir often and remove from heat when most liquid has evaporated, but don’t overcook, or turkey will be dry and hard.
Couscous
  • While turkey is browning, start couscous.
  • Following package directions, bring water to boil on high heat.
  • Add curry powder, celery seed, and parsley to water as it heats.
  • Once water is boiling, add couscous, and stir thoroughly to incorporate spices.
  • Do NOT leave on heat, as couscous will boil and explode.
  • Remove from heat, and cover. Let sit until ready to serve, then fluff with a fork to combine all the added ingredients.

Presentation

You can combine turkey and vegetables, or plate them separately. Here, we just pile everything on top of the cous cous and leave the fancy presentations to the gourmet chefs. However, roasted vegetables quickly lose heat so it’s best not to remove them from oven until you are ready to eat. Serve with soy sauce.

This dish serves four to five people. Very low in fat, yet packed full of flavor, this is a quick, easy and versatile meal that you can use often. For different variations, change up the vegetables used for roasting, use any other flavor of Mrs. Dash Marinade, or serve with sticky rice instead of couscous.


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