Mini Turkey Meat Loaves with Red Pepper Sauce

• Recipe by Sandro Gamba

The Good News Cottage cheese is a low-fat way to keep lean turkey meat loaf moist. At Gamba’s restaurants, he cuts even more fat by cooking the meat loaves sous-vide.

Ingredients

1. 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 1 carrot, finely chopped
3. 1 celery rib, finely chopped
4. 1 garlic clove, minced
5. 1 large onion, finely chopped
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
7. 1 1/2 pounds ground lean turkey, white meat only
8. 2 large egg whites
9. 1/2 cup panko
10. 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
11. 3 red bell peppers, sliced
12. 1 thyme sprig
13. 1/2 cup water
14. 1 tablespoon half-and-half
15. 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
16. Cooked wild rice, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly oil two 6-by-3 1/2-inch metal loaf pans. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic and two-thirds of the onion; season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
2. Add the turkey and cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Add the egg whites, panko, cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Knead until blended and divide between the pans. Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°. Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler.
3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add two-thirds of the red peppers, the remaining onion and the thyme. Cover and cook over moderate heat until softened, 10 minutes. Add the water, cover and simmer until the peppers are very tender, 7 minutes. Discard the thyme. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender, add the half-and-half and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the remaining peppers and cook over moderate heat until softened, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Broil the meat loaves 4 inches from the heat until browned, 2 minutes. Turn the loaves out onto a plate and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon the pepper sauce onto plates. Top with the meat loaf and peppers. Serve with wild rice and the remaining sauce.

Notes

One Serving 505 cal, 21 gm fat, 2.9 gm sat fat, 20 gm carb, 3.3 gm fiber.