Turkey is such an under-utilised choice of protein outside the Christmas period, which may explain why it's so affordable.
This dish was created as part of a “nutritious cheap eats” series that I ran on Instagram and came to just over £5 in total at the time of purchase.
It’s a filling dinner recipe with layers of veggies and a variety of herbs keeping the nutrient content high whilst contributing tonnes of flavour.
The topping is a simple mix of ricotta and feta with an optional pinch of nutmeg, purely because I was too lazy to make a white sauce. It works and has a bit more protein going for it than white sauce would.
It is not a looker (sorry about the picture) but as we all know, looks can be deceiving, so just take my word for it, it is delicious.
You can watch the recipe via my Instagram highlights, here: Highlight link
Ingredients (feeds 4 with a side)
500g turkey thigh mince, 7% fat
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf
finely chopped leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme, rosemary & oregano or a heaped teaspoon of dried herbs
1 tsp of paprika
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
500g passata
sea salt & black pepper to season
rapeseed oil for cooking
1 large or 2 small courgettes, sliced
1 large or 2 small aubergines, sliced
250g ricotta
100g feta, crumbled
1 egg
a pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Method:
To make the sauce, pop a pan on a high heat, add a tablespoon of rapeseed oil and brown the turkey mince and onion for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, paprika, soy sauce, herbs, two good pinches of salt and season well with black pepper.
Pour in the passata, season again with salt & pepper, turn the heat down to low and let it bubble away for around half an hour until it has thickened. Check the seasoning and set aside to cool.
Grab a griddle pan and put it on a high heat.
Brush the sliced courgette and aubergine with some oil and pop in the griddle pan. Turn over once coloured. This will help to cook them and adds smokeyness (technical term there).
Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine the ricotta, feta and egg with a couple of pinches of sea salt and a pinch of nutmeg, if using. Season well with black pepper and whisk until smooth(ish).
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
To assemble, put a layer of vegetables in an ovenproof dish, followed by the sauce, followed by another layer of veg then sauce and finally a layer of veg on top. Dollop the ricotta mix on the top, smooth it out and bake for 25-35 minutes until the top has browned slightly.
Remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.