Tasty Tuesday - Turkey Curry

   At the start of this new year, I began working out again with my personal trainer Bojan (thank you Christmas bonus!).  I get to a point each year, usually right after the holidays, where I finally have that moment of feeling ready to commit to being healthier.  Bojan helps with this as he is very strict about exercise and diet, but he is also very encouraging.  I need positive affirmations that I am doing well and am on the path towards reaching my goal, and having recognized this in me, I can tell he goes out of his way to push me but also to praise my successes.
   My first session with Bojan was last Tuesday, and I could tell he took it a little easier on me than he wanted to, but I was pooped halfway through.  I ran for 25 minutes Wednesday (15 minutes straight, five minute walking break, ten minutes running) for a personal best.  Yay!  I met with Bojan again on Friday, and this time he was no Mr. Nice Guy.  As tired as I was after our session, I also felt great.  I met with him again yesterday, and in six days I have lost 1.8 pounds!!!  I was hoping for nine pounds in six weeks, so with any luck and some hard work I'll get there. 
  Bojan is very big on eating your veggies.  He actually reccomends two days a week where you eat only fruits, veggies, and beans.  Hmmm...  That part is where I fall short sometimes.  This next recipe could certainly be adapted to fit this criteria, though, and it would have all the flavor in the world without the fat.  When trying to prepare healthier meals, I often head to the international recipes on myrecipes.com because they are so filled with flavor.  This one is no exception.  We made this for dinner on Sunday and substituted cubed chicken for turkey, and we also added snap peas.  They added a nice crispness and a coolness to the dish that balance out the heat from the cayenne pepper I threw in.  You could easily pass on the turkey completely and add chickpeas and two cups of spinach to this and it would be wonderful!  Bojan would like that!!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup turkey mixture and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil  ( I used cooking spray)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large onion)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked turkey (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes. Add flour and curry powder; sauté 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Stir in turkey and salt. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Sprinkle with cilantro.
For a creamy texture, you could add a dash of Greek yogurt, which is devine and fat free!!

Nutritional Information
Calories:229 (31% from fat)
Fat:7.9g (sat 0.8g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.3g)
Fiber:1.4g

How's everybody else's new year fitness routines coming along?