Turkey Sausage and Chestnut Dressing

Turkey Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing

Adapted from Everyday Italian

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium green apple, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium red apple, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Smart Balance Light
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 oz. dried cranberries
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage, meat removed from casing
• 10 oz. steamed whole chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 3/4 lb. day old cornbread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 cup organic, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium saute pan add the apples, onion, 1 tablespoon oil and Smart Balance. Cook over a medium low heat for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Add the wine, cranberries, and salt and pepper, simmer for about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.
4. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add turkey sausage meat and break up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
5. In a medium bowl toss together the fruit and onion mixture, the sausage, the chestnuts, the cornbread and red pepper flakes. Combine all the ingredients.
6. Add the chicken stock and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan.
7. Gently place into a casserole dish and top with the remaining Parmesan.
8. Place in middle rack and bake until top is golden brown, 45 minutes.

Spinach & Havarti Casserole

Spinach & Havarti Casserole

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INGREDIENTS

• 5 - 10oz. packages frozen spinach
• 16 oz. container 1% cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat evaporated milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1 bunch green onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp onion powder (I would suggest substituting with minced garlic.)
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz. grated havarti cheese
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Defrost spinach and squeeze out excess liquid.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and spread into a large casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Serve alone or with pita chips as dip.

Spinach Artichoke Tofu Dip

This is an excellent appetizer or snack. It is full of vegetables, tofu, and calcium. It tastes indulgent, but it's not! Except for the cheese and tofu, this dip can be made completely fat-free! Even with the tofu and cheese, it remains very low in fat. I loved the creamy texture, but next time I may replace the yogurt with more sour cream and throw in some more parmesan. My only reason is that I enjoy a tarter, tangier dip. I would also replace the fresh mozzarella with shredded lowfat; I just needed to use up the fresh before it spoiled.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

INGREDIENTS

• 2 14oz. cans water-packed artichokes
• 1 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed free of water
• 4 ounces silken tofu
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup lowfat or fat-free sour cream
• 1/3 cup lowfat or fat-free plain yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 bonnoncini of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• extra parmesan for sprinkling on top

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. In a blender or food processor puree the artichokes, spinach, onion, tofu, and garlic.
3. In a separate medium bowl whisk together the parmesan cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and salt.
4. Stir in the artichoke puree and pour mixture into a medium-sized baking dish (or multiple smaller dishes).
5. Arrange mozzarella slices on top. Sprinkle the top with more parmesan. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese on the top starts to brown, about 45 minutes. For a browner top, place under a broiler on high for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve with grape tomatoes, sauteed until burst in a tiny amount of sundried tomato oil.
   

Mmm... also, as you notice here, the top of the mozzarella is a bit greasy. Before I served this, I blotted away the oil with a paper towel. If you use reduced fat mozzarella, this should be less of a problem. If you aren't too worried about fat, this would be even more decadent with some toasted pinenuts sprinkled on top. Yum...