Turkey and Broccoli Skillet

Turkey and Broccoli Slaw Skillet

A gal I know mentioned a meal she made up; she basically cooked up a pound of ground meat (turkey/chicken/beef... whatever you prefer or have on hand) and added in a bag of broccoli slaw. If you are not familiar with broccoli slaw, it's a packaged salad which is made up of shredded broccoli stems/stalks and carrots.  The gal I know did not mention adding any seasoning to her dish; she just portioned out into four or five servings and then would eat it for a healthy meal.  It sounded great but I wanted to doctor it up a bit. I remembered a recipe I had tried a long while ago.  It was Teriyaki Chicken and Veggie Lettuce Wraps (see it HERE).  I remembered that the sauce was rather healthy, easy, and tasty, and I thought it would go good with ground turkey and broccoli.  I gave it a try last week and I loved it!  The only think I'll do differently next time is not cook the vegetables quite as long. I think it would have been better if the veggies were not as soft as I cooked them.  I added some additional vegetables (onion, red bell pepper, mushroom, and garlic) and they were great additions. I think you could add in other vegetables as well based upon what you may have. I think celery would be great, as would canned water chestnuts.  I opted to add in come crushed red pepper flakes but I also think fresh ginger would be really good.  I am sure I will continue to experiment with this recipe.

You will find broccoli slaw in the produce section of your grocery store in the refrigerated area with other packaged salads and greens.  At my Kroger store, I found broccoli slaw in bags and in clear plastic containers.  I opted for a 12 ounce package but you could add in more broccoli slaw if desired.

Turkey and Broccoli Slaw Skillet
Ingredients 1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound ground lean turkey (may also use chicken or beef)
12 ounce package of broccoli slaw
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced 
1 cup white button mushrooms, thinly sliced (more if desired)
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

Crunchy Topping (optional):  
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine the tamari (or soy sauce), water, honey, cornstarch, and pepper flakes (if using).  Stir with a fork or whisk to combine; set aside.

In a small dry skillet, over medium heat, combine the sliced almonds and the sesame seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the almonds begin to brown slightly. This should take just a few minutes; watch it carefully so that the almonds/sesame seeds do not burn.

In a large skillet, over medium to medium high heat, cook/brown/crumble the ground turkey until no pink remains.  Add in the vegetables all at once and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes (you want the vegetables to still be slightly crunchy, not mushy).  Make a well in the center of the skillet, pushing the vegetables and turkey to the sides of the pan.  Add in the sauce all at once.  The sauce should thicken rather quickly. When it begins to thicken, toss all the vegetables and turkey around in the pan to coat them with the sauce.  

Serve turkey and vegetable mixture over hot cooked quinoa, brown rice, or white rice.  Top each serving with the crunchy topping and a few sprinkles of tamari (or soy sauce).

Makes 4 to 5 servings.