Cooking with diabetes

Turkey substitution lightens beef recipe

This dish is a lightened take on stewed beef with onions and mushrooms. Here turkey tenderloins take the place of brisket or short ribs. A variety of mushrooms lends sophistication, and white wine adds a little acid.

Quick-Braised Turkey Tenderloins With Mushrooms and Onions

1 1/2 pounds turkey tenderloins, cut into 2-to-3-inch pieces

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil, divided use

2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, beech, oyster, king trumpet and/or king oyster, large mushrooms (do not use shiitakes)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided use

1 1/2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Season turkey with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick shallow braising pan or skillet over medium-high heat. (If you don't have a pan large enough to hold all of the mushrooms, you can cook the turkey and the mushroom-onion mixture in batches and transfer to a roasting pan to finish the dish.) Working in batches, add some of the turkey pieces to the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Cook the pieces for 5 to 6 minutes, turning to brown them on every available side. Transfer to a plate.

Once all of the turkey pieces have been browned, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions and 1/8 teaspoon of salt; reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onions soften. Stir in the garlic; cook for 1 minute.

Prep the mushrooms by cutting the large ones into 1/2-inch-long strips; cut the small round ones in half and the larger round mushrooms into quarters; separate the beech mushrooms into small clusters.

Increase the heat to medium-high; add the mushrooms, and season lightly with pepper.

The mushrooms will reduce in volume significantly as they cook. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring a few times, until they are lightly browned. Stir in the wine; cook for 3 minutes, until it has all but evaporated. Add 2 cups of the broth, then return the browned turkey pieces to the pan. Stir to blend the components.

Once the broth comes to a boil, cover the pan and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then transfer to the stove top over low heat.

Combine the potato starch with the remaining 1/4 cup of the broth in a small bowl, stirring until the starch dissolves. Add to the pan and quickly stir to evenly distribute the mixture. The dish will slowly thicken. Do not let the broth come to a boil (unless you are substituting cornstarch for the potato starch).

Serve in shallow bowls, with the mushroom-onion mixture spooned over the turkey.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 270 calories, 31 g protein, 19 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 70 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium and 2 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 1.

Food on 10/01/2014

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