Turkey With Pecan-Cherry Stuffing

Ingredients:
1 fresh or frozen boneless turkey breast (about 3 to 4 pounds)
2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 cup peach, apricot or plum preserves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1. Thaw turkey breast, if frozen. Remove skin and discard. Cut slices three-fourths of the way through turkey at 1-inch intervals.
2. Stir together rice, pecans, cherries and poultry seasoning in large bowl. Stuff rice mixture between slices. If necessary skewer turkey lengthwise to hold it together.
3. Place turkey in slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 5 to 6 hours or until turkey registers 170ºF on meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast, not touching stuffing.
4. Stir together preserves and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over turkey. Cover; let stand for 5 minutes. Remove skewer before serving. (Makes 8 servings.)

Tip: Skinless cuts of poultry are best for the slow cooker because the skin can shrivel and curl during cooking.

(Recipe taken from CROCK-POT® Slow Cooker Recipes, 2009 Issue.)

NOTE:  I would select cranberries for this recipe if using it in the fall when cranberries are more plentiful. And, there is a lot of nutritional value in this little berry and its juice! Cranberry juice prevents E. coli bacteria from sticking to the cells of the urinary tract, so it flushes out of the body in the urine. Cranberries also contain a potent vasodilator which opens up bronchial tubes, and is a good source of Vitamin C to help enhance immunity and aid in calcium absorption.

Truly fresh cranberries will bounce if you drop them and are quite firm to the touch. They should be shiny and plump and range in color from bright light red to dark red. Shriveled berries or those with brown spots should be avoided. Frozen cranberries are also available year-round. One 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries will yield about 3 cups whole or 2-1/2 cups chopped.