Roast Turkey with Lemon Couscous
Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader’s Digest Canada
Servings Prep Time
4servings 20minutes
Cook Time
1 3/4hours
Servings Prep Time
4servings 20minutes
Cook Time
1 3/4hours
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Halve the lemons lengthwise and squeeze all the juice into a cup. Pull the pulp from each lemon half to leave a shell. Discard the pulp. Cut a thin slice off the base of each lemon so it will stand firmly when upturned. Set aside.
  3. Place the couscous in a bowl. Add 1/3 cup lemon juice, the spices, 3 cups stock, the apricots and mint, and mix well. Soak for 10 minutes or until the couscous has absorbed all the stock.
  4. In a roasting pan, add turkey and couscous. Spoon 1 tablespoons lemon juice over. Cover loosely with oiled foil and roast for 1 3⁄4 hours. Baste with the juices occasionally, and remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking to brown the skin. The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.
  5. Meanwhile, fill the lemon halves with couscous. Spread the rest of the lemon couscous in a small ovenproof dish and sit the filled lemon halves on top. Cover with foil and place in the oven for the last 20 minutes of the turkey’s roasting time. When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a board for 10 minutes. Skim the fat from the surface of the juices in the pan, then add the sherry and the remaining stock. Bring to a boil on the stove, scraping up the browned bits. Boil for 5 minutes. Season with pepper.
  6. Serve with the couscous-filled lemons, the extra lemon couscous and the pan sauce. Garnish with mint.
Recipe Notes

Per serving: 529 calories, 65 g protein, 20 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 157 mg cholesterol, 17 g total carbohydrate, 8 g sugars, 2 g fibre, 758 mg sodium

Couscous is low in fat and high in starchy carbohydrate. It closely resembles pasta in nutritional value. It is high in thiamine and niacin, as well as protein.