Turkey Carrot-Nut Loaf

I did make this loaf some time ago but never managed to post about it. The recipe is from one of my favourite cookbooks, the How-to Book of Healthy Cooking. It is the first time I tried this recipe and it is very tasty, and at 361 calories per serving and only 4gr. of saturated fat it is healthy indeed. I have to admit though, that my version of the recipe was fatter as I used full-fat ingredients where the recipe called for low- or non-fat items. I had it with fresh asparagus and a Rainbow Coleslaw salad, also from the same book.

The interesting thing about this book is that it chooses a main theme, in this case a Vegetable and Nut Loaf, explains the cooking technique "mix chopped vegetables with nuts and bake like a meat loaf. Use any combination of unsalted nuts", followed by pictures of all stages of the recipe preparation. Then it adds two or three variations of the same basic concept. My turkey loaf is one of the variations.

The original recipe for the Turkey Loaf suggests that we sauté the vegetables in 2 teaspoons of oil. I understand that this reduces the amount of overall fat, but I always had trouble sautéing in a smidge of oil so I used a little over 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons). I decided on the Rainbow Coleslaw salad because I had all the ingredients on hand and the white cabbage needed to be used. Unfortunately, the colour scheme is about the same as the turkey loaf so it ain't that smart on the photography department. Oh! Well!

Turkey and Carrot Nut Loaf
From "The How'to Book of Healthy Cooking", page 199

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil (I used 4 teaspoons of olive oil)
1 lb carrots, coarsely shreddeded
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used 4)
8 oz. mushrooms finely chopped
1 1/2 cups unsalted mixed nuts
8 oz lean ground turkey
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
1 egg white (I used 1 egg)
2 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper

I chopped all the vegetables in the food processor with the steel blade. The carrots were a litle finer than "coarsely shredded" but it did not detract from the final product. I actually think it made it better.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the carrots and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes more or until softened.

In the food processor finely chop the nuts. I used a mix of almonds, peanuts, cashews, some walnuts and sunflower seeds -- a little bit of what I always have around. Remove the vegetables from the heat and stir in the nuts with the turkey, rice, egg, scallions, salt and pepper, until blended.

Pack the mixture into a foil-lined loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes in a 350F (180C) oven, or until firm to the touch in the centre.

Serves 6

Rainbow Coleslaw
From "The How'to Book of Healthy Cooking", page 294

2 oz white cabbage, shredded
2 oz green cabbage, shredded
2 oz red cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup spinach, shredded
1/2 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons non-fat yogurt (I used full-fat)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise (I used regular)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (I did not use)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of curry powder (I did not use)

Thinly shred the cabbage leaves cutting lenghtwise or crosswise across the cabbage, depending on the size of the shred desired. For this I used the mandoline. Place the shredded cabbage in a large bowl with the shredded carrot, spinach, red pepper, and red onion. In a small bowl, make the dressing by mixing all the remaining ingredients together.

Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss together until well-coated. Cover and refriegerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.