Turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving and this week’s recipe should give you an idea or two. Turkey cutlets are tricky. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen them on sale and decided to buy and make them, only to let them go just a couple minutes too long and find myself serving shoe leather for dinner.

Because this cut of meat is so low in fat, not to mention so thinly sliced, it is all too easy to overcook.

It really can be a matter of seconds.  I thought to combat this tendency by creating a filling and rolling up the cutlet instead, telling myself, “Well, even if the outside is tough, surely the inside will not be.”

I went the Mediterranean route, with spinach and feta.  Normally I would also have used breadcrumbs as a binder to the filling, but my sister is always asking about low-carb dishes, and almonds are a healthy fat (not to mention the added punch of protein), so I thought to grind them up and use them instead.

I thought the flavor and texture was great, but the almonds are definitely present in the mix, so if you are feeling wary, use the breadcrumbs instead.

Breadcrumbs will just melt into the filling rather than make their presence known.

This ends up being a very healthy meal, because even though you are using cheese, the flavor of the feta is so strong that you don’t really need much of it.

Plus you’re adding the spinach to the main dish. The presentation is so pretty that this is good enough to prepare for company, and no one needs to know how little work actually went into dinner.

Make sure you take out the toothpicks before serving.

Rachel Chaddock can be reached by email at rachels.recipes@yahoo.com. She welcomes reader questions and requests. You can also follow her on Twitter, or friend her on Facebook.

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Turkey Roll-ups with Spinach, Feta and Almonds

4 turkey cutlets, pounded flat to 1/8 inch

9 ounces baby spinach

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup blanched slivered almonds, ground fine (or breadcrumbs)

¼ cup feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté until you can just smell it (about a minute). Add spinach and toss in the garlic and oil, cook for about 5 minutes or until thoroughly cooked down. Transfer spinach mixture to a colander and let cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out all excess moisture and then chop the spinach fine. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add feta cheese, olives, salt and pepper, and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of the spinach mixture over each of the turkey cutlets, spreading evenly over the meat. Starting with the shorter end, roll up turkey like a jelly roll; secure the meat with toothpicks. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the turkey rolls on each side for about 2 minutes per side, or 8-10 minutes total. Remove the turkey to a platter and tent with foil.

Pour chicken stock into the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits. Let stock reduce for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Swirl butter in pan to melt. Serve turkey roll-ups with sauce poured over.