Tasting Notes

This recipe is dinner for two.

The turkey – moist, juicy, with a rich, a bit sweet glaze, the sage and garlic, both adding extra flavour, the orzo with that bit salty Reggiano-Parmigiana cheese, the broccoli florets earthy, fresh, the lemon juice adding brightness and freshness. The cucumber salad cutting through the richness of the turkey. A great meal is the sum of all its flavours and textures, each complementing and amplifying the other flavours.

What You Need

6 florets of broccoli.

1 cup orzo.

1/2 cup frozen peas.

3/4 cup shaved Reggiano-Parmigiana.

1 boneless turkey breast – about 1 pound.

4 garlic cloves.

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil.

3 tablespoons honey.

Salt and pepper.

1 tablespoon sage leaves. We use frozen and we never throw out fresh sage leaves – the ones we can’t use fresh – but freeze them for future use.

1 medium-sized English cucumber.

1/2 green onion.

2 tablespoons white vinegar.

1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Equipment

2 medium pots.

1 medium frying pan

1 small bowl.

Method

Take your cucumber, peel off some off some of the skin but not too much because the skins because that’s where most of the nutrients are. Once done cut into thin slices add to the bowl along with the vinegar and oil. Then slice your green onion into diagonal small strips, add to the bowl. Mix and season with salt and pepper. You will notice the salad is a bit tart but it should be to serve as a counterpoint in taste to the richness of the main course. If it’s too tart for you after tasting, just add more oil till you like it.

To your medium pot, add 3 cups of water, add a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and then add your orzo, boil it for about 8 to 10 minutes or follow instructions on the package. One minute before the orzo is done, add your peas. Once done drain and set aside. Then add the cheese, reserving some of it for garnish over the orzo. Mix well, set aside.

In the other pot, add 4 cups of water, plus 1/2 teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender, pierce one with a fork to see if they are ready. Towards the end, throw in your peas. Once ready, drain, add salt, pepper, and squeeze some lemon juice over the florets. Set aside.

Take your garlic cloves, peel and dice them into small bits. Set aside.

Take your turkey breast and salt and pepper to taste on both sides.

Put two tablespoons olive oil in your frying pan. Heat the oil on medium heat and once oil shimmers add your turkey breast. Cook for two minutes on each sides. When done add 2 tablespoons of butter, your honey, the sage leaves, the garlic, and mix everything well. Watch your heat, you don’t want to burn the garlic, so you may have to turn the heat down slightly. As the breast is cooking, with a large spoon, continually baste the breast with the honey-butter mixture. Insert a thermometer into the the middle of the breast, it’s done when the thermometer registers 165 degrees Farenheit.

You are now ready to plate.

Enjoy – it’s Delicioso