Roast Turkey Breast with Chipotle Chili Sauce - Healthy Food Tip and Recipe

healthy food tip and recipe

Today's Recipe If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...
One of the best things about the holidays are leftovers so when you have left over turkey try serving it with this delicious, tangy sauce.
Roast Turkey Breast with Chipotle Chili Sauce
Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:

• Sliced Turkey Breast
• Sauce:
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 4 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1-2 canned chipotle chilies, minced fine
• 3 TBS Dijon mustard
• 3 TBS tomato paste
• 3 TBS blackstrap molasses
• 1 TBS + 11/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 TBS chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Mince onion and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Healthy Sauté onion in broth for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
4. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes, letting sauce thicken slightly.
5. Slice turkey and serve with sauce. (For a smoother consistency sauce you can strain before serving.)

Serves 6 Printer Friendly Version of Roast Turkey Breast with Chipotle Chili Sauce
In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Roast Turkey Breast with Chipotle Chili Sauce
Healthy Food Tip

The Latest News about Turkey

Multiple studies have pointed to key differences in the health risk associated with high intake of red meats like beef versus high intake of white meats like turkey. In the case of red meats, high intake has been associated with increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and increased risk of colon cancer. High intake of white meats - including turkey - has not been associated with these health problems in a majority of studies.

What's New and Beneficial About Turkey

• Studies now show a clear difference between intake of red meats (like beef) and intake of white meats (like turkey) with respect to certain activities in our digestive tract. One particularly interesting study has determined that formation of N-nitroso compounds in the large intestine is much more likely to occur from high intake of red meats like beef than from high intake of white meats like turkey. Since excessive formation of N-nitroso compounds is associated with increased risk of colon cancer, this finding points to a special benefit that may be provided by turkey and other white meats in comparison to red meats.
• Turkey has recently been shown to fall into a group of high-protein foods (including tuna and egg whites) that can help keep post-meal insulin levels within a desirable range.
• The feeding of turkeys can make a significant difference in their body composition and health benefits. Recent research has made it clear that the amount of total fat in turkey, the composition of this fat (including its amount of omega-3 fatty acids), and the protein content of turkey all closely depend upon the diet that the turkey has been fed. Studies involving the use of linseed oil (flax oil), fish oil, and coconut oil in poultry feed all show a relationship between these fat-based feed components and the composition of the turkey meat. Interestingly, the use of coconut oil in poultry feed has also been associated with an ability of this ingredient to lower risk of infection in the turkeys from Campylobacter bacteria and Salmonella bacteria. Investigators have hypothesized that it's the caprylic acid in the coconut oil that may be primarily responsible for this decreased risk of infection.
• The physical health of the turkeys prior to slaughter can also make a significant difference in nutrient content. Researchers have recently shown that meat from turkeys fed plant oils containing alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, the basic building block for other more complicated omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA) will only contain these more complicated omega-3 fatty acids if the turkeys were healthy prior to slaughter. In other words, if the turkeys were not in good health at the time when they consumed feed with ALA, their bodies were not capable of metabolizing ALA into EPA and DHA and those more complicated omega-3 fatty acids were not found in the final turkey meat.

WHFoods Recommendations

One of the great advantages of turkey is that much of the fat can be easily removed making it a very lean source of protein. We recommend roasting turkey to keep it moist and bring out is best flavor. Turkey dries out quickly so it is important not to overcook it; it is also important not to undercook it. For more on the Healthiest Way of Cooking Turkey see the How to Enjoy section of the turkey write-up on the website. While usually associated with the holidays, turkey can be enjoyed year round.

Health Benefits

Turkey provides numerous health benefits including:

• Can be a low-fat source of protein
• Low on glycemic index scale

For more details on turkey's health benefits, see this section of our turkey write-up.

Nutritional Profile

Turkey is a very good source of protein, providing 65% of the DV in a four-ounce portion. Along with protein, turkey is a very good source of immune-supportive selenium. In addition, it is a good source of energy-enhancing niacin, vitamin B6, and phosphorus. Turkey can also be a source of other important nutrients, depending on the diet that was consumed by the animals. For example, it is possible for turkey to contain valuable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids if omega-3 containing fats were regularly included in the animals' diet and the animal was in good health during its life.
For more on this nutrient-rich food, including references related to this Latest News, see our write-up on turkey.