Here’s an alternative for your Passover meal Don’t pass over turkey for holiday

March 31, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

Boneless, skinless turkey breast can make for a healthy meal. But it doesn’t exactly scream excitement.

This is where a little creative pounding can come in handy. By using a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound thin turkey breast cutlets, you are able to stuff and roll the meat.

The resulting roulade not only looks impressive, all trussed up with twine, but when cut it creates elegant pinwheel slices.

Preparing a turkey roulade for Passover is a nice alternative to the classic stuffed capon or breast of veal, as long as you make a stuffing that isn’t based on breadcrumbs.

In many stuffing recipes, matzo bread (broken into pieces) or matzo meal can be substituted for the standard leavened bread, which is forbidden during Passover. But there are other alternatives, as well.

Dried fruits and nuts make an excellent dressing for turkey or roast chicken, and their concentrated flavors and inherent richness mean you won’t need much additional fat.

In many Jewish regional traditions, rice is considered kosher for Passover since it technically is a grass seed and not a grain. Wild rice in particular makes a nice stuffing, especially when combined with dried fruits, such as apricots or dates.

The same is true of quinoa, which is the seed of a grass.

The quinoa-mushroom stuffing for this roulade is based on a pilaf created by Laura Frankel, author of “Jewish Cook for All Seasons.” The stuffing also can be made and served as a standalone side-dish, as well.