Gobble Gobble All Year 'Round

Turkey is good for you. A great source of B vitamins that give you energy and also help your body cope with stress — something most of us need on a daily basis. Here's the short list of B vitamins found in turkey: niacin, B6, and B12. All of them little bodyguards for your sanity. Turkey's vitamin cocktail also helps patch up DNA and that will keep your cells in good repair.

Not to mention, turkey is one of the leanest meat sources around. Four ounces of turkey breast, even served with a small piece of yummy skin, has less than 1 gram of saturated fat. That’s nothing compared with the 4.5 grams found in the same amount of flank steak or killer ham with up to 5.5 grams of fat. And the leftovers make great sandwiches in a hurry -- yummy enough to keep me away from the deadly drive-thru window that got me needing the Flat Belly Diet! in the first place!

SPICY ORANGE-PEPPER TURKEY BREAST

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup orange juice

1 (5 to 7 pound bone-in) turkey breast

1/2 cup low-fat low sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons dry white wine or cooking sherry

In a small microwave-safe bowl stir together ginger, pepper, cumin, and marmalade. Microwave 1 minute on high. Remove from microwave oven and stir in juice, oil and soy. Blend well. In a large cooking bag combine turkey and orange mixture. Seal bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, turning occasionally to marinate evenly.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove turkey from bag, discard marinade. Return turkey to cooking bag and reseal. Place bagged turkey in a roasting pan. Cook at 325 degrees F for approximately 2-1/4 hours, following manufacturer suggested directions on cooking bag packaging for bone-in turkey breast.

Once breast is cooked, let stand while preparing sauce. Pour 1/2 cup of pan juices and 1/2 cup chicken broth into a small sauce pan. Heat to a low boil. In a small bowl blend together well the wine or sherry and cornstarch. Add to simmering broth mixture and stir until thickened. If desired add a dash of more red pepper flakes. Don't forget the cranberry sauce. Three slices weighing about 4 ounces with 2 tablespoons of sauce are about 300 calories. Feeds 8-10 people.