In the beautifully written "Under the Tuscan Sun," Frances Mayes takes us on a wonderful journey through the hills and history of Tuscany, Italy. You can hear the bees and smell the fruit and food aromas.

Her recipes are written in the authentic cooking style of Italy ... a dab here, a handful there, but here I have added more specific measurements.

The rest of the meal is as simple and fresh as the book. Serve a basic pasta or rice dish to sop up the juices, add a garden salad. Dessert might possibly be fresh cherries steeped in red wine.

Menu

Tuscan Turkey Breast With Olives

Pasta or Rice

Garden Salad

Cherries Steeped in Red Wine

Tuscan Turkey Breast With Olives

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 (2-ounce) turkey breast cutlets

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup vermouth

juice of 1 lemon

1 cup mixed green and black olives, pitted

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high until hot. Add the turkey cutlets and saute quickly, turning and cooking until almost done. Remove to platter to keep warm. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil and then add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the vermouth, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Return turkey to pan and add lemon juice and olives. Adjust salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes or until turkey is done. Stir in a handful of parsley and serve.

Per serving: 288 calories, 2 grams saturated fat, 1 gram polyunsaturated fat, 7 grams complex carbohydrates

Pub Date: 6/17/98