Asian Turkey Salad

A few years ago, I had an Asian-style beef dish that a friend had prepared from "Supper Works".  It was quite tasty, so I replicated it at home.  I've switched out the beef for turkey in this recipe, but any lean ground meat would work well with the flavours!

This is a super easy dish to make -- it's quick and would be a forerunner for a busy weeknight dinner!  Here's the step by step:

Warm a heavy pot or large frying pan over medium-high heat and add in 2 onions that have been diced and sautee until golden brown.  I usually add a dash of salt for flavour as well while I am sauteing the onions.  I use my Le Cruset pot so I don't need any added oil, but you may have to give your pan a light mist of oil to fry up the onions. 

Once the onions are translucent, add in 1lb of extra lean ground turkey.

Break it up with a spoon and cook it until it's almost done.

While the turkey is cooking, strain one can of sliced water chestnuts and chop them up into a large dice.  

Add the water chestnuts to the turkey mixture along with 3 tbsp of Hoisin sauce.  You can buy Hoisin sauce, or you can make your own clean version -- like this one or this one.  

Chop up a few green onions and a handful of fresh basil (Thai basil works best if you have that available to you) and add it to the works just before serving.

Easy as that, dinner is ready!  I simply chop up a bed of lettuce and add the Asian Turkey ontop and finish it off with a little more fresh basil!  Yum!!  Enjoy!!

Asian Turkey Salad

Makes 3 - 4 servings

2 onions (about 200 g each), diced
1 tsp salt
1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 bunch of green onions (green part only), chopped
large handful of basil, finely chopped + additional for garnish
1-2 heads of butter lettuce, chopped

1. Over a large skillet or Le Cruset pot on medium-high heat, sautee the onion until translucent.  Add in a pinch of salt or so for added flavour.
2. Add in the ground turkey and break it up with a spoon, while mixing occasionally
3. When the turkey is almost done, add in the water chesnuts and Hoisin sauce and heat through until the turkey is finished cooking
4. Before serving, stir in the green onion and basil.
5. Chop up the lettuce and arrange on dinner plates
6. Top each plate of lettuce with the Asian turkey and garish with some additional basil.