Recipe: Asian Turkey Cabbage Boats (using ground turkey and Chinese cabbage)

ASIAN TURKEY CABBAGE BOATS

"You can serve these boats with a nice hot bowl of soup or a fresh salad. Try a salad with romaine lettuce, broccoli flowerets, some thin apple slices and cucumbers all drizzled with an Asian-style vinaigrette made with vegetable oil and rice vinegar. It you want to warm your meal up a bit, you might consider adding a serving of brown rice laced with mushrooms. The result will be meal loaded with flavor and nutrition."

Canola cooking spray
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (lime may be substituted)
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. sesame seed oil
1 jalape o pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 Chinese cabbage leaves
3 Tbsp. chopped unsalted peanuts

Coat large skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Saute turkey and ginger, stirring often until turkey is browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

Drain excess liquid from turkey mixture and place in large bowl. Add onions, sugar, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, fish sauce, oils and peppers. Toss thoroughly.

Arrange Chinese cabbage leaves on serving platter. Spoon about 1/3 cup of mixture onto each leaf. Sprinkle peanuts on top and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 216 calories, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 10 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 418 mg sodium.

RECIPE NOTES:
"These turkey cabbage boats combine a variety of flavors to create a unique Asian taste and presentation.

The ginger imparts an aromatic, pungent and spicy flavor. The ginger plant is a creeping perennial indigenous to tropical Asia and other tropical areas. Ginger generally refers to the fresh or dried, whole or powdered rhizome - not the root - of the plant. In the same family as turmeric, ginger is valued for both its taste and reported medicinal properties.

Fish sauce and the peanut and sesame oils enhance the Asian flavor with brown sugar providing a subtle, yet rich sweetness. The addition of a little jalape o pepper spices things up. The peanut topping gives a nice crunch and the cool crisp cabbage cradles it all."

Source: the American Institute for Cancer Research