Turkey for a New Year

With the New Year’s celebrations over, most of us are ready to get back to healthful eating, particularly the kind that requires a minimum of preparation.

This light dish made with ground turkey, lentils, tomatoes and potatoes is a whole meal when served over brown rice.

While the brown rice is steaming, prepare the ingredients for the saute. The saute itself is easy to fix and takes about 25 minutes to cook once the ingredients are assembled.

TURKEY AND LENTIL SAUTE (UNDER AN HOUR)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic, minced

Nonstick cooking spray

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup lentils

1 red boiling potato, peeled, quartered and sliced crosswise

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Saute onions and garlic over low heat in medium skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until onions are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add turkey, breaking up meat with back of spoon, and saute until all red color in meat disappears, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in chicken broth, 1 tomato, lentils, potato, salt and cumin. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potato and lentils are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in peas during last 2 minutes of cooking and heat through.

Sprinkle with cilantro and remaining chopped tomato. Serve over Steamed Brown Rice.

4 servings. Each serving without rice:

155 calories; 938 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams protein; 1.77 grams fiber.

STEAMED BROWN RICE

1 cup brown rice

1 1/4 cups water

Combine brown rice and water in small pan that will fit inside steamer. Bring water in steaming pan to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 1 hour. Check water in steamer pan during cooking and add as needed to prevent pan from boiling dry.

3 cups. Each 3/4-cup serving:

166 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.42 gram fiber.