Going Cold Turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, slivered or thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup Marsala, sherry or water
1 (2 3/4- to 3-pound) head Savoy cabbage
21/2 pounds ground turkey
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped parsley
2 cups cooked quinoa
Coarsely ground black pepper
4 to 6 cups boiling reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for cabbage.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and browned, about 15 minutes. Add Marsala and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated.
3. Cut around core of cabbage to release leaves. Working in batches, drop leaves in boiling water; cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and cool. (You’ll need 12 large and 12 small cabbage leaves.)
4. Combine turkey, carrots, sage, salt, garlic and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Fold in quinoa and onions. Season with pepper.
5. Preheat oven to 375F.
6. Place 1/3 cup meat mixture onto 1 large cabbage leaf. Mash down slightly and lay a small leaf on top. Place another 1/3 cup meat mixture on top. Fold in sides and roll up leaf firmly from bottom. Place in a 5-quart casserole dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture to make 12 rolls. Place tightly into pan and top with any extra cabbage. Pour enough boiling chicken broth into pan to come most of the way up the sides of casserole. Cover with foil.
7. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand 15 to 20 minutes, covered. Cabbage should be tender enough to cut with a fork.
8. To serve, place rolls on soup plates and ladle broth over. Makes 12 rolls. Serves 8.
Recipe by Nancy Krcek Allen, "Forget the Bird," Nov. 2009.

Per serving: 340 calories, 12g fat, 75mg chol., 32g prot., 26g carbs., 8g fiber, 890mg sodium.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 (4-pound) pork loin
12 ounces shallots, peeled and halved or quartered (about 2 cups)
3 medium unpeeled pears, cut into wedges
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3 garlic cloves, sliced
Fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. In a large zip-top plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons oil, soy sauce and lemon juice. Add pork and coat evenly. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 450F.
3. In a roasting pan, toss shallots and pears with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove meat from marinade and drain, reserving marinade. Make slits in top of pork; insert sliced garlic and thyme sprigs. Place pork in roasting pan in center of pear mixture. Roast 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325F and cook until meat reaches 145 to 150F, about 40 minutes.
4. While meat roasts, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Pour in broth and reserved marinade; whisk to break up lumps. Cook until thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in thyme. Remove from heat.
5. Remove pork from oven. Let meat stand 5 minutes before slicing. (If shallots are not well caramelized, remove pork and set in warm place, covered with foil. Increase oven temperature to 400F, place shallots and pears back in oven, and cook until caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes more.)
6. Reheat gravy over low heat. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice pork and serve with gravy. Serves 8.
Recipe by Nancy Krcek Allen, "Going Cold Turkey," Nov. 2009.

Per serving: 470 calories, 17g fat, 155mg chol., 54g prot., 24g carbs., 3g fiber, 700mg sodium.

1/2 cup finely ground toasted walnuts
1 cup lightly toasted plain breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
Coarsely ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), trimmed
2 tablespoons chilled butter

1. Combine walnuts, breadcrumbs and sage in a medium bowl. Add butter and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; stir until blended. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
2. Combine chicken broth, white wine, thyme sprigs and remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1 cup and a rich amber color, about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 425F. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and pepper on chicken breasts. Place flat-side down in the pan. Cook until chicken is golden brown on bottom, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Turn chicken over and mound breadcrumb mixture evenly on top of each breast, pressing lightly to adhere. (Some topping may fall into pan.) Transfer pan to oven and bake until topping is golden brown and chicken is thoroughly cooked, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to a serving plate and cover with foil. Add broth mixture to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom. Boil over medium-high heat until reduced to about 3⁄4 cup. Reduce heat to medium-low; add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted before adding more. Add 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Drizzle sauce over chicken just before serving.
Serves 4.
Recipe by Julie Hession, Fall 2009 Relish Supplement and "Forget the Bird," Nov. 2009.

Per serving: 670 calories, 31g fat, 155mg chol., 52g prot., 40g carbs., 2g fiber, 1220mg sodium.