Pan-Seared Turkey Breast with a Saffron Cream Sauce

Pan-Seared Turkey Breast with a Saffron Cream Sauce

Turkey is something that is very versatile and served year-round in many places where we have traveled, but here in the United States it seems to be reserved for holidays. For this particular recipe, we chose to use a deboned turkey breast with the skin on. We also seasoned it with saffron, which certainly reminded us of our time in Morocco.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Cast-Iron Skillet

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Turkey Breast deboned with the skin on
  • 1 Shallot sliced thin
  • 1 clove Garlic minced
  • 2 cups Turkey or Chicken Stock
  • 1/4 tsp Saffron
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp Parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat
  • Add the turkey to the skillet skin-side down and reduce the heat to medium
  • Cook for about 15 minutes until the skin is crispy and then flip the turkey breast over
  • Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees
  • Remove the turkey from the pan, tent with aluminum foil and let rest while completing the sauce
  • Add the shallot to the skillet and cook for a minute and then add the garlic and cook for a minute longer or until the shallot is tender
  • Use a half cup of the broth to deglaze the skillet using a spoon and then add the rest of the broth and saffron. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Add the cream, salt, and pepper. Cook for another minute or two
  • Cut the turkey into single serving portions, pour the sauce over the turkey and serve with angel hair pasta

Lamb Chops Marinated with Dijon Mustard and Herbs

We enjoy having many different varieties of lamb dishes, especially during our travels, whether it be leg of lamb, lamb biryani, rack of lamb, or in this case lamb chops. Some people find lamb to be a little “gamey”, but we enjoy the robust flavor and it can stand up to a variety of spices. This is a simple recipe and yet it is quite delicious. The key to lamb is to ensure that you get the temperature right because if it is over-cooked, it can become dry, but if it isn’t cooked to mid-rare it can be chewy. We served ours with oven roasted red potatoes and brussels sprouts, which made for perfect accompaniments. You can substitute dry herbs for the fresh herbs, but use fresh herbs if at all possible as it will taste much brighter. Many people have to have mint jelly with their lamb, but if you try this more savory version, you might never go back to the mint jelly. This recipe serves 2 people.

Mustard and Herbs

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Lamb Chops (about 1 lb)
  • 1/8 cup Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 tbsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary – finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
  • 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Marinating the Lamb Chops

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the mustard, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a bowl and thoroughly mix. Salt and pepper both sides of the lamb chops. Smother all sides of the lamb chops with the mustard and herb mixture, cover, and put in the refrigerator for an hour. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for another 30 minutes in order to finish marinating and so that it cooks more evenly. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and then cook the lamb chops for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, then flip. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes and then set the chops on their fat side (assuming that they are 3/4 to 1 inch thick) for another couple of minutes. Cook until the internal temperature is 135 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cooking the Lamb Chops in a Cast-Iron Skillet
Lamb Chops with Roasted Red Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts

Enjoying a Hearty Breakfast for Dinner

We have mentioned several times that we don’t often eat in the morning, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy eating foods that are typically served for breakfast. We have cooked several different styles of breakfast for dinner over the years and are sharing a few of them here. As you can tell, when we do have breakfast for dinner, it tends to be a little more decadent and heavy than perhaps what we would eat if we had it in the morning. One of the things that we enjoy about making breakfast for dinner as the meals are usually easy to make and don’t typically take a lot of ingredients. They also tend to be meals made from items that we already have in our refrigerator or pantry.

Croissant French Toast with Caramelized Apples

Croissant French Toast – This is a slightly upscale take on French toast with caramelized apples. It is absolutely delicious and could even be done as a dessert as well as a breakfast or dinner.

Classic English Breakfast

Classic English Breakfast – One of the things that we enjoy eating wherever we travel is a classic English or Irish breakfast. It is a unique combination of eggs, beans, sausage, ham, mushrooms, blood pudding, and tomatoes.

Tasty Breakfast Skillet Meal

Breakfast Skillet – These are typically a combination of fried potatoes, eggs, cheese, and often a variety of vegetables. These can be modified to fit almost any style of food, but our version is Spanish in style.

Shrimp Frittata Just Before Putting It in the Oven

Shrimp Frittata – Frittatas are a wonderful way to take a variety of leftovers and turn them into something special. We used shrimp, which certainly made this more of a dinner than a traditional breakfast, but it was wonderful.

The Poblano Scramble

Poblano Pepper Scramble – Similar to a frittatas and omelettes, scrambles are another great way to add whatever fresh items you have on hand. They can also be modified to represent various parts of the world or country. This was definitely a Southwestern style scramble with use of the poblano peppers.

Regardless of what style of breakfast you like to have it is probably true that it can be converted to a hearty dinner. These are just a few of the ones that we have made and we certainly enjoyed them all. Do you ever have breakfast for dinner?