Turkey is a popular meat in Italy, where they don't even celebrate Thanksgiving like Americans do. Turkey has also been gaining popularity in the United States as a year round menu item. And depending on how it's prepared, turkey is generally lower in calories and fat than other meats, like beef -- yet it's big on taste.

This Milanese-style dish is no exception. The name denotes that its roots are in Milan, Italy, where many flattened and breaded meats are called Milanese. By gently pounding the cutlets you ensure uniform cooking of all the pieces. The mustard and egg mixture helps the breadcrumbs adhere to the meat, and the mustard adds a pungent taste.

By using whole-wheat breadcrumbs you get the goodness of whole grain. The coating maintains the flavor and natural juices of the meat.

You can add a healthy and colorful garnish by cutting a red pepper into quarters. Remove the seeds, brush pieces lightly with extra virgin olive oil, place them in a small baking dish and roast in a hot oven while preparing the turkey. Top each cooked cutlet with a pepper chunk and a big serving of steamed broccoli.

Milanese Turkey Cutlets

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray
  • 4 (1/4 lb.) turkey breast cutlets
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard (Dijon may be substituted)
  • 2 large eggs

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. Place cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound cutlets with wooden mallet or rolling pin into slightly thin cutlets with uniform thickness. Remove from plastic and salt and pepper both sides.
  4. Place breadcrumbs, cheese and seasoning in blender or food processor and pulse until well mixed and crumbs are fine. Place crumb mixture in shallow dish.
  5. In shallow bowl, whisk together mustard and eggs.
  6. Dip cutlets in egg mixture and then dredge in crumb mixture, ensuring that both sides are coated well. Carefully place cutlets on baking dish.
  7. Bake about 20-25 minutes or until turkey is cooked through with internal temperature of 175 degrees.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
260 calories
5 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
14 g carbohydrate
36 g protein
2 g dietary fiber
230 mg sodium