21 Feb Sick of ground turkey? Go tenderloin!

We just need a break!

We’re big fans of ground turkey in our house. We eat it at least one time per week! Sadly, we’ve hit the wall with ground turkey, folks-its time to switch things up and pull out other lean meat alternatives.

Tonight, we are still working with the turkey family-but this time, it’s turkey tenderloin.

Purchase tenderloin either fresh or pre-packaged. If you purchase fresh, it may be a bit more expensive, but it won’t have any of the “preservatives” you’ll find in pre-packaged tenderloins. I’m using a pre-packaged loin tonight, which means whatever I use to marinade, rub or season with, I’ll make sure it’s naturally low in salt as there will already be plenty in the package.

My friend and colleague Wendy Jo Peterson is working on a cookbook. She sent me a quick and easy marinade for the turkey that consisted of Greek yogurt, cumin, paprika, mint and lemon. I know you are going to ask me amounts here–but WJP and I cook the same way–mostly by feel, not my amounts. Here’s a guestimate:

Hello, Tenderloin!

Mediterranean Turkey Tenderloins
1 pre-packaged turkey tenderloin (mine had 2 loins per 1 bag)
3-4 cups Greek yogurt
3 T cumin ( I love cumin)
2 T paprika
juice of 1 lemon
handful of coarsely chopped mint leaves
Lemon yogurt sauce

Place turkey and all ingredients into a gallon sized plastic baggie. Roll turkey around in the marinade to make sure it’s well coated. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.  Pre-heat oven to 350. Remove turkey from baggie and discard.  Place turkey flat on a baking sheet or pan.  Cook until internal temperature registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Be careful NOT to overcook.  Serves 6.

For sauce: 1 small container of Chobani lemon yogurt, 2 t.cumin and 1t. paprika.  Stir well and serve w/turkey.

Tips:

• Turkey is very lean which means it will dry out quickly due to lack of fat. DO NOT overcook the meat!
• The above measurements are estimates-feel free to use your best judgement.
• If you want a more basic turkey, just season with salt, pepper and olive oil and follow baking directions. This turkey can be used for salads, soups, in wraps, sandwiches, nachos or anything you use chicken for in your usual meal rotation.
• We added sauteed green beans with almonds, salad with strawberries and sauteed potatoes & onions for a tasty dinner-with plenty of leftovers!

Check out the Eatturkey.com for more turkey recipes and Chobani.com for more yogurt recipes.