Anyone else sad about the holidays being over? Now everyone is talking about Dry January, eating healthy, blah blah. No, I still want all the yummy holiday food but I’m sure my body would feel better if I lightened up a few meals. I found turkey breast cutlets at the grocery store and thought I would fry them up with all the flavors of Thanksgiving but maybe put them over a salad because we have been having oddly warm weather. Best of both worlds : )
Apples and celery are great this time of year for adding freshness and crunch to a salad. Adding cheddar cheese, toasted pecans, and cranberries also tastes delicious and sticks with the theme. Use whatever dressing you’ve got on hand or mix together a little olive oil, orange juice, and vinegar. We also served this meal with roasted sweet potatoes, because aren't they always a good idea?
For the Fried Turkey Cutlets:
1 short stack of Ritz Crackers, smashed into crumbs (or 1/2 cup of bread crumbs)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp onion powder
1 lb turkey cutlets, flattened to 1/4 inch thick, 1/2 inch max
1 egg whisked with a splash of water
Olive Oil
First dust the turkey cutlets with a little bit of salt and pepper and set aside. In a large shallow bowl mix the crumbs, flour, sage, thyme, and onion powder. Now mix the egg with splash of water in a separate bowl.
In a large skillet pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and maybe fill it 1/4 inch deep. You don’t want to fill it so high that it splatters out of the pan, but you want enough so that it will easily cover the bottom half of your turkey cutlets. Turn it onto medium heat. You want the oil to be hot, but not boiling…just the occasional gently bubble or else it might burn and will taste gross : (
Dip the turkey cutlet into the egg mixture coating on all sides and then dip it into the flour mixture and make sure to coat it evenly. Shake off any excess flour and then gently put it into the hot olive oil. You can make 2-3 at a time but make sure there is ample room in the pan and that they are not touching each other. Do not move for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is browned all the way through. Once you have a nice golden brown color, flip the cutlets and until they are evenly cooked on the other side. Set your oven to warm and transfer the finished cutlets to a baking pan lined with brown paper or paper towels to soak up any extra oil to keep warm in the oven while you continue working on the others.
Slice against the grain and serve on top of salad or with your favorite sides. So Good!
