Christmas Roast Turkey Roll with Cranberry Macadamia Quinoa Stuffing

By Amy Crawford

This was an (initially overwhelming) first for me - cooking with turkey, that is. Having asked my butcher for what I thought was going to be large chicken breast-like fillets there I was hauling a whole (boned) turkey home (all 2.5kgs of it in fact), staring at it in fear on my kitchen bench. What on earth, I said to side-kick Sarah, am I going to do with this?! 

The point of this introduction is to assure any other turkey novices out there, fear not. As a turkey breast 'virgin' I succeeded first go, thereby proving you need little skill to succeed with this dish. 

The real point of this post however, is to share in some Christmas cheer and of course inspire healthier, whole food choices for your festivities. Teamed with this beautiful festive salad of zucchini, asparagus and hazelnut (of which we will be sharing with you next week) you can't go wrong. If you've some cranberry relish in your pantry, whip it out. 

Now go 'gobble gobble' folks and enjoy those leftovers, if you are so lucky.

You will need:
1 - 1.5 kilogram turkey breast roll*
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup white wine (or stock or broth)
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped, soaked in water to moisten
1/2 cup macadamias, finely chopped
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 spring onions, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sprig rosemary, leaves only, finely chopped (2-3 tablespoons)
A couple of good pinches Celtic sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Place your cranberries in a small bowl of water to moisten them whilst you prepare the rest of your stuffing.

Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in small frying pan over medium heat. Add the spring onions and garlic and sauté until golden. Remove from heat.

Drain the cranberries of excess water and place into a large mixing bowl with the cooked quinoa, macadamias and rosemary leaves. Stir in the onion and garlic mix. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the turkey breast skin side down on a board. Starting from one long edge, fill the stuffing along the centre of the turkey. Roll the turkey up tightly along the long edges to secure the stuffing. Secure into a neat roll with twine at 3cm intervals along the roll.

Melt 2 tablespoons coconut oil in the baking dish in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently lay the turkey roll into the baking dish and turn to coat with the oil. Keep the skin side of the turkey in contact with the baking tray. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Place the turkey in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven, pour the wine (or stock) over the turkey and return to the oven. Roast for a further 30 minutes, basting the turkey with the wine at 10 minute intervals. By now your turkey should look lovely and golden. Check the turkey is cooked through by piercing with a skewer. If cooked the juices will run clear. (If the juice is still slightly pink return to the oven).

Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, remove the string and cut into slices with a large sharp knife. Serve hot or cold.

*Pre-prepared turkey breast rolls are available at most butchers, be sure to call ahead to order. Alternatively, purchase the whole turkey breast and butterfly/prepare yourself as we did. Simply slice the turkey along the seam lengthways, flatten it out and then use a meat hammer to tenderise. Our turkey was approximately three - four centimetres in thickness. Be aware that if your turkey is thicker or thinner it will affect the cooking time. 

Merry Christmas everyone. A reminder that if you need any last minute Christmas recipe inspiration simply type "Christmas" into our website search function (top right). 

Now, anyone know how to make gravy? A healthy gluten free version, that is..