Skinnied Bacon-Wrapped Sausage Patty

I saw this recipe in my Favorite Brand Name Grilling and More Cookbook, but new that there was no way I wanted to know the nutritional information, so I did my best to skinny it down, and I did. I skinnied it down to some thing delicious and guilty-free! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1lb of ground turkey sausage (I prefer Jennie-O)
3/4 cup rolled oats
salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/3 cup sweetened applesauce (I might try cinnamon next time for fun!)
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp chopped fresh green onion
4 slices low-sodium turkey bacon (I prefer Oscar Myers. It is a new staple in our home. So good!)

Directions

-Preheat grill to about 350 degrees; oil grates with olive oil before adding meat
-In a large bowl, combine oats, salt, sage, pepper, and thyme.
-Stir in applesauce, egg, and green onion. Mix all well.
-Stir in turkey sausage until well blended.
-Form into four patties.
-Wrap each patty with a strip of bacon. Secure with toothpicks, but don't forget they are there!
-Grill each patty for about 5 minutes each side, or until fully cooked through.

Nutritional Information
This makes four servings. Each serving has about 250 calories, 11 g of fat, 1.4 g fiber, and 23 g of protein

Maple-Glazed Chicken

If you like spicy with a mix of sweetness, you will want to check out this chicken out for sure! I got this recipe from Weight Watcher's Make It in Minutes Cookbook, but made a few changes.

Ingredients

1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
2 tbsp light or low-sugar maple syrup
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Directions

-Preheat grill or oven to 500 degrees. If using the oven, coat a baking sheet with nonstick spray. If using the grill, you could spray and use a sheet aluminum foil, or just put it on the grates. It is up to you.
-Combine the paprika, salt, cinnamon, cumin, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture on the chicken breasts, so the meat is completely covered. Place the chicken on the sheet/grates. Bake/grill 15 minutes.
-While that cooks, combine the syrup, butter, and mustard in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the butter melts and mixture is combined.
-After the chicken bakes for 15 minutes, brush it with the maple glaze every 5 minutes for so until the chicken in fully cooked.

*I like to serve it with the cilantro lime rice found on this website or garlic-y egg noodles (my husbands recipe).

Nutritional Information
This makes 4 servings. Each serving has about 245 calories, 8 g fat, 710 g sodium, 1 g fiber, and 36 g protein

Chicken and Berry Nutty Rice

I absolutely loved this rice!! The mixture of salty and sweet with a bit of crunch was surprising and delicious. This was quick, easy, and tasty. The recipe was adapted from one called Creamy Chicken and Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice found in the Fall 2007 Kraft Food and Family magazine.

Ingredients

2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp each dried savory and black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup copped walnuts
1 pkg (6 0z) long grain & wild rice side dish (I used Uncle Ben's)

Directions

-- Prepare packaged rice. While it is cooking work on the chicken.
-- Add flour and seasoning in a gallon zip top bag.
-- Add oil to large skillet and heat on medium high.
-- Coat chicken with flour and add to pan. Cook 6 minutes each side, or until cooked through. Set aside, but keep warm.
-- After rice is prepared, add cranberries and nuts.
-- Serve chicken either on top of or beside chicken.

Nutritional information
Some of these numbers seem high, but the most of the fats are healthy fats from the olive oil and walnuts. This makes 4 servings. Each serving has about 550 calories, 18.8 g fat, 2.4 g fiber, and 43.5 g protein