One meal planning challenge for me has been to `lighten up' for my family's and my health. My husband and I were both raised on `meat and potatoes' so it has been a difficult change. But we are making gradual progress.

One way to lighten up is by substituting ground turkey for ground beef. To us, this is a huge taste difference and hard to get used to when we're used to the ground beef flavor. However, I have found recipes made especially for ground turkey and they are much better. The `Turkey Medallions With Orange Teriyaki Sauce' recipe you'll find below is one such recipe. It is delicious and is almost a complete meal by itself with the meat and vegetables.

But to round the meal out and make it more filling, serve it with `Hawaiian Bread' (recipe below) or thickly sliced French bread from the local bakery that has been warmed in the oven. If you are trying to lighten up, go easy on the butter (if any at all).

The Meal:

• Turkey Medallions with Orange Teriyaki Sauce

Turkey Medallions with Orange Teriyaki Sauce

2 Tsp olive oil
1/2 of a small onion -- minced
1 celery stalk -- minced
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Lb lean ground turkey
2 Tsp prepared Horseradish
chopped parsley
6 small carrots cut in 1-inch pieces
1/4 Lb Pea Pods
1/3 C Orange Juice
1 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1 Tsp Flour
Parsley Sprigs For Garnish

1. In 1 quart saucepan over medium high heat, in olive oil, cook celery, onion, salt & ground ginger till tender.

2. In medium bowl, mix ground turkey, vegetable mixture, horseradish & 1 tbsp chopped parsley till blended. Shape mixture into 8, 3-inch round medallions.

3. In 12" skillet over medium high heat, in 1 tbsp hot olive oil, cook medallions till golden brown on both sides & turkey loses pink color, about 10 minutes. Arrange on platter, keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan over high heat in 1" boiling water heat carrots to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover & simmer 5 minutes or till tender-crisp. Stir in pea pods & cook, covered, 2 minutes. Drain. Arrange vegetables with turkey on platter. In a cup mix orange juice, teriyaki sauce, flour, 1 tbsp chopped parsley & 1/3 cup water till smooth; stir into skillet over high heat to boiling stirring to loosen bits. Boil 1 minute. Pour over medallions.

Hawaiian Bread for the bread machine

This is for a 1 1/2 lb loaf

Mash 1 overripe banana in a 1 cup measuring cup. Finish filling with crushed pineapple.

1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup potato flakes
3 cups bread flour
4 Tbsp margarine
1 1/2 tsp quick yeast

Add ingredients according to your machine's instructions. Bake in bread machine on light.

Hope you enjoy this meal. In the meantime, keep your eyes open for Meal 3.

About The Author

Copyright, Monica Resinger

Monica is a married, stay-at-home mom who is a freelance writer and publisher of three home and garden ezines. To read more of Monica's articles, go here: http://www.geocities.com/plantldy.geo/articles.html. To find out more about her home and garden ezines, go here: http://www.geocities.com/plantldy.geo