Turkey roulades

Method
Prep:30min  ›  Cook:35min  ›  Ready in:1hr5min 

1. Put each turkey steak between 2 sheets of cling film and, with a rolling pin, bat them out into rough squares about 5 mm (1/4 in) thick. Set these turkey escalopes aside.
2. Place the spinach in a large pan, with just the water clinging to the leaves after washing, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Drain well, squeezing out all excess liquid, then chop finely and put into a large bowl.
3. Preheat the grill. Arrange the red pepper quarters, skin side up, on the grill rack and grill for 6 minutes or until the skin is charred. Transfer the peppers to a polythene bag and seal. Leave until cool enough to handle, then peel and dice.
4. Add the red pepper to the spinach together with the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, basil and nutmeg. Season to taste. Mix well. Divide the filling among the turkey escalopes, spreading it over them evenly. Roll up each one, folding in the sides to enclose the filling, and secure with wooden cocktail sticks.
5. Put the roulades in a frying pan or sautépan that will hold them comfortably and pour over the vermouth and chicken stock. Cover tightly and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the roulades from the pan and keep hot. Bring the cooking liquid back to the boil and boil until reduced to 150 ml (5 fl oz). Stir in the crme frache and boil for a further 1–2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
7. While the liquid is reducing, cook the asparagus spears in boiling water for 2–3 minutes or until just tender. Drain, refresh with cold water and keep warm.
8. Remove and discard the cocktail sticks from the turkey roulades, then cut into neat slices. Serve garnished with the asparagus spears and with the sauce drizzled round.

Another idea

For turkey roulades with braised peppers, make the stuffing as above but without the red peppers. Heat 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan or sautépan and brown the roulades all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1 large red pepper and 1 large yellow pepper, both seeded and thickly sliced, to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole, and 1 red onion, cut into wedges, and soften for 2 minutes. Add 2 plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges, 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and 12 pitted black olives and stir well to mix with the peppers and onion. Put the roulades on top of the vegetables and pour over 90 ml (3 fl oz) chicken stock or white wine. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, turning the roulades once. Remove the cocktail sticks and cut each roulade in half diagonally. Serve on top of the braised peppers.

Plus points

Compared with most other cheeses, ricotta is relatively low in fat. It is a good source of protein, calcium, and vitamins B2 and B12. Mixing bland ricotta with a little Parmesan cheese is a good way to add flavour without increasing the fat too much. * Asparagus is a rich source of many of the B vitamins, especially folate. New research suggests that folate may have a role in helping to protect against heart disease.

Each serving provides

A, B6, B12, C, folate, niacin * B2, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, zinc * B1, E