Pair turkey cutlets with roasted fennel and a rich pomegranate pan sauce for a simple yet elegant dish. Garnish with jewel-like fresh pomegranate seeds if available—they are in season from September through January. Turkey scallopini (thinner and smaller than cutlets) will also work in this recipe, but will need to be cooked in batches. Make it a meal: Nutty-tasting bulgur is delicious with this.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

4 medium fennel bulbs, cored and thickly sliced
5 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, plus 1 sprig
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
4 turkey cutlets, 1/4 inch thick (1 pound)
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss fennel, 3 teaspoons oil, chopped thyme and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring twice, until tender and golden, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, sprinkle both sides of turkey with the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add pomegranate juice and thyme sprig to the pan; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 6 to 10 minutes. Discard the thyme. Whisk together broth (or water) and cornstarch; add to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 15 seconds. Reduce heat to medium, return the turkey and any accumulated juices to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook for 1 minute. To serve, top roasted fennel with turkey and sauce.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 287 calories; 7 g fat (0 g sat, 3 g mono); 45 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 31 g protein; 7 g fiber; 513 mg sodium; 1,077 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Potassium (31% dv), Iron (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fruit, 4 very low fat meat, 1 fat

I surprised my wife by making this dish for dinner, and we both thought the pomegranate was a tasty complement to the meal (I also made the bulgur). It even made great left overs!

Anonymous, NV

This was the first time I ever made anything with pomegranate and also the first time I ever made anything with fennel. I was not sure I would like it! I was not a big fan of the roasted fennel alone, but when drizzled with some of the pomegranate sauce, it was really tasty! The recipe was also easy to make. I recommend it if you are looking for a fast, easy but unique meal.

Diane, Indianapolis, IN