Apple Turkey Picadillo

This is a delightfully spicy and healthful Latin American dish that you can feel good about eating! It's an interesting blend of flavors that I have grown to love. The sweet and slightly tart granny smith apples pair well with the meaty turkey and juicy tomato.

Serve it over brown rice or tucked in a tortilla as a burrito filling. I also tossed together a little salad with sugar snap peas and balsamic vinaigrette to go with it. It's reasonably fast—takes me about 40 minutes start to finish—so I like to make it on weeknights. I hope it makes it into your rotation! 

Apple Turkey Picadillo
Adapted from Eating Well
Serves 4 (1 1/4 cup each)

Nutrition Info: 246 calories; 8 g fat; 45 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 30 g protein; 4 g fiber; 488 mg sodium

Ingredients:

•  4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 16 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 medium granny smith apples
• 2 cups chopped tomato
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
  
  
  
  
   
• Chop your fruits and veggies first. Once the cooking starts, it goes pretty fast! Then heat olive oil in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring often, about 2 minutes. 
  
  
  Add turkey and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spatula until lightly browned, for 5 to 7 minutes. It will still appear pale for now but will brown up nicely later.
  
  
  Then spice it up! Add the cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cloves, cooking for 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits that you see. Next, stir in apple, tomato and Worcestershire sauce. 
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  Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring often, until the liquid in the the pan has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 8 minutes.
  
  
  Top with a handful of green onions and serve. (The hubby likes to go light on the green onion, but I pile mine on!)
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  Sometimes I feel like Grades and I are so wrapped up in our routine of work and school that I start itching to do something spontaneous. So last Thursday, we went to a Dierks Bentley and Eli Young Band concert! We totally partied on a weeknight! And it was fabulous. 
  I had been mulling over whether to splurge and spend around $85 for the two of us for a couple of days when I had a moment of genius. I checked Craigslist and sure enough, two $25 lawn tickets were waiting for me the morning of. I scarfed them up quickly and Grades and I spent the better part of the evening curled up in a blanket listening to some of our favorite songs. Dierks definitely had us on our feet a few times though! I couldn't believe how energetic he was on stage. It was amazing that he could catch his breath enough to sing so well. He truly sounded incredible.