This was originally a rich chicken dish made with lots of cream and sherry, peas, and pimientos, and served on hot buttered toast points or in pastry shells. There are as many stories about its origin as there are versions of the recipe. It likely made its debut at the Brighton Beach Hotel in New York at the turn of the 19th century, created by the chef in honor of the owner, Mr. E. Clark King II. I went with a green-pepper version and added celery seeds to the sauce because that’s how I like my à la king. If you can’t live without the pimientos, feel free to add them—they will have virtually no impact on the fat and calorie content.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　1 pound turkey breast meat, cut into 1-inch chunks

　　1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　Nonstick cooking spray

　　1 small yellow onion, cut into fine dice

　　1 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth

　　1 tablespoon cornstarch

　　1/4 teaspoon celery seeds

　　1/2 cup frozen peas

　　1/3 cup Greek yogurt

　　

Step 1

Heat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Skewer the turkey cubes and bell pepper on 4 metal skewers, and season the turkey with salt and pepper to taste. When the grill is hot, spray the skewers with cooking spray. Grill the kebabs, turning them occasionally, until the turkey is light golden brown and just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the kebabs to a serving platter, and cover it with foil to keep them warm.

　　

Step 2

While the turkey is cooking, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. When the saucepan is hot, spray it with cooking spray. Add the onion and sauté until almost translucent, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, whisk the chicken broth into the cornstarch in a small bowl.

　　

Step 4

Whisk the broth mixture into the onion. Stirring constantly, bring the broth to a boil. Add the celery seeds and peas, return the sauce to a simmer, and cook until it has thickened, about 4 minutes.

　　

Step 5

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, if desired, spoon it over the kebabs, and serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Fat: 25g (before), 3g (after)

　　

Step 7

Calories: 530 (before), 192 (after)

　　

Step 8

Protein: 30g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 9g

　　

Step 10

Cholesterol: 77mg

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 397mg

　　Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito. Copyright © 2010 by Rocco DiSpirito. Published by Random House Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Hailed as the "Leading Chef of his Generation" by Gourmet magazine, Rocco DiSpirito received the James Beard Award for his first cookbook, Flavor. He went on to author Rocco's Italian-American (2004), Rocco's Five Minute Flavor (2005), Rocco's Real-Life Recipes (2007), and Rocco Gets Real (2009). DiSpirito also starred in the Food Network series Melting Pot, the NBC hit reality series The Restaurant, and the A&E series Rocco Gets Real.