Chicken Sausage Patties

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. It is a healthy sausage with a very good flavor. You can make it into sausage patties or crumble and brown it and use it in a recipe calling for crumbled pork sausage. I haven't tried it yet, but I imagine it would even be good on pizza.

The photo above shows it being served with scrambled eggs and onions and cheese, served on toast.

Chicken Sausage Patties

1 Tbl. butter

1 green apple, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. fennel seed

1.5 pounds ground chicken breast

1.5 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. sweet paprika

Extra-virgin olive ooil

Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add apples and onions and season with a little salt, pepper, and fennel seeds. Gently saute the mixture 5 minutes to soften and remove from heat to cool.

Heat a griddle pan or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning, allspice, paprika and a healthy drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add in the apples, onions, and fennel and mix the sausage. Score meat into 4 sections and form 3 small, thin patties from each section, 2.5 inches across, 12 small patties total. Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side and serve warm.

Tiramisu

Healthy tiramisu doesn't seem like a reality. This recipe isn't exactly healthy, but it has far less fat and calories than the traditional recipe.

We enjoyed it as a birthday cake this weekend at a gathering of family where the majority was celebrating a January or February birthday.

Tiramisu

2 cartons (8 oz. each) - OR 1-16 oz. carton - fat free or light dairy sour cream

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel), softened

2/3 cup sugar or Splenda

1/4 cup fat free milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup strong coffee

2 Tbl. coffee liqueur or strong coffee

2 pkg. (3 oz. each) ladyfingers, split

2 Tbl. sifted unsweetened cocoa powder

1. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed till mixture is smooth.

2. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of coffee and coffee liqueur.

3. In a 9x13 glass pan arrange one package of the ladyfingers, cut sides up. Brush with 1/2 of the coffee mixture and spread with 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining ladyfingers, coffee mixture, and cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with two tablespoons cocoa powder. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. (Can be stored covered in the refrigerator up to one day.) Makes 15 servings.

Quick and Healthy Oatmeal

There is no need to buy instant flavored oatmeal packets, which are expensive and processed to the point where this wonderful whole grain loses quite a bit of its health benefits.

Old-fashioned oatmeal can be microwaved in just a few minutes and you can add your own combination of ingredients to your taste.

Oatmeal

1/2 cup old-fashioned (not quick or instant) oatmeal

3/4 cup water

fruit (a banana, a handful of berries [fresh or frozen], peaches [canned, fresh, or frozen], applesauce)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 packet Splenda coffee flavors

Fat-free half and half

Mix oatmeal, water, and fruit in a medium bowl. Be sure the bowl is large enough so that the oatmeal doesn't boil over in the microwave. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add half and half and stir slightly until it is the consistency that you like. Sprinkle flavor packet and nuts over the top.

Note: you do not need to defrost the frozen fruit before using.

My favorite combinations:

blueberries + french vanilla flavor packet

a banana + french vanilla flavor packet

peaches + french vanilla flavor packet

applesauce (I use one of the single serve) + cinnamon flavor packet

canned pumpkin (about 1/4 cup) + cinnamon flavor packet

strawberries + french vanilla flavor packet

...the combinations are endless!