For the Holidays: Roasted Turkey Breast and Farro-Endive Salad with Brown Butter Apple Compote

For the Holidays: Roasted Turkey Breast and Farro-Endive Salad with Brown Butter Apple Compote

  Hey there moon children and fellow kitchen witches! Raven here, and I'm about to share another delicious family favorite from the witchen. This particular dish is not one I created - from time to time we will order a Blue Apron (they tend to offer a nice array of eclectic dishes) to check out a new try on an old favorite, and this happened to be a recipe that we fell for and have recreated ourselves more than once! I figured I'd share in time for Thanksgiving as it is a turkey dish, and could easily be a lovely dinner for two on this or any other holiday. So lets get to brewing up a batch of goodness!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Minutes to Cook: 30-40 minutes

Number of Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 Turkey Breast (for roasting)

2/3 cup semi-pearled farro

1 apple

1 lemon

1 white endive (romaine is an OK sub if you cannot locate endives)

1 bunch chives

2 tbsp butter

1 shallot

1 tbsp whole grain Dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey (i use organic, raw honey)


Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the honey out of the fridge if you do store yours in the fridge, and let it sit until it is room temperature. This can take awhile depending on how long you've had your honey in the fridge. Also get a medium cauldron (or any medium pan will do), add some sea salt and bring it to a boil.

2. Season the turkey with salt and pepper on both sides. Add 2 tsp olive oil in a large skilled and brown the turkey on both sides (5-7 mins per side), skin side down.  

3. Leave the fond (leftovers from searing the meat) in the frying pan, and set aside. Cover a large baking sheet with tinfoil, place the turkey in the center, and pop it in the now pre-heated oven. Roast the beast for anywhere from 15-17 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Once done, place aside and let rest for at least five minutes.

4. While the bird is roasting, add the farro to the boiling water and cook for around 18 minutes, or until soft. Drain and return to pot. 

5. While the farro boils, prep the produce. Make sure to wash all fresh produce and dry it before you slice into it to avoid any unwanted bacteria. We want these meals to make our digestive systems feel nourished! Peel and finely chop the shallot. Cut off and discard the root of the endive, thinly slice crosswise - do the same if using lettuce instead. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Core and dice the apple. Chop chives. 

6. Next we add 2 tsp of olive oil to the pan of reserved fond, and heat on medium-high until it gets hot. Add half the chopped shallot, season with a little sea salt (or pink himalayan salt) and pepper to taste, then once it starts to get soft (about a minute) add the endive or lettuce. Cook another 1-2 minutes, until that gets soft, then add the juice of 2 lemon wedges and half the honey to the mix. Stir constantly for 30 seconds to a minute, then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Wipe the pan and place back on the stove top. 

7. Heat the butter in the same pan over medium high heat, stirring continuously until brown and has a nutty aroma. Add the diced apple and the rest of the shallot. Season with some pepper and sea salt to taste. Cook while frequently stirring, around 1-2 minutes, then add the juice of the other 2 lemon wedges and the rest of the honey. Set aside.

8. Add the cooked endive, mustard, half the sliced chives, and a light drizzle of olive oil to the cooked farro. Stir to combine. 

9. Thinly slice the rested turkey crosswise. Serve with the salad, and top with the compote. A sprinkle of sliced chives as a garnish, and you've got yourself one tasty turkey dinner!

I hope you enjoyed this dish as much as we do! If you made it feel free to include what you liked or didn't like about the recipe in the comments below! I personally think apples and turkey are such a fall-taste combination that you don't even need stuffing or any of the other table-laden holiday treats that often leave you feeling stuffed and bloated for several days after eating. To feel even LESS bloated from this one - hold off on a lot of the salt. It's really not necessary, especially considering the salt they put in the turkey to preserve it! Tofurkey is definitely a subsitution that is available for those of you on the veggie path, and please do let me know if you wind up trying it that way. 

If you are on 21 day fix or counting your macros, this recipe would account for: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 green, 4  tsp, 1 purple.