BAKED SAUSAGE AND VEGGIES

A friend shared this recipe with me. It is a good way for us diabetics to have a few tasty potatoes once in awhile. I recommend cutting back a potato to only two or better yet use 3 unpeeled red potatoes.

1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or hot)
3 potatoes cut into large chunks
2 carrots, peeled and cut up
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 yellow squash cut into large chunks
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
olive oil

Lightly spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Add in the cut up veggies, pour in a little olive oil and sprinkle the seasonings in. Using your hands toss to coat all the veggies. Place the sausage across the top and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove and uncover, return to the oven to brown the sausage for 15 minutes, turn sausage to brown the other side an additional 15 minutes. 

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

• 2 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth, or dry white wine
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or scallion greens

1. Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
3. Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in vermouth (or wine); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions); return to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

• Tip: It's difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the “tender”—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers.
• Yield: 2 servings
• Per Serving: 275 calories; 15 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 84 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 373 mg sodium; 370 mg potassium.

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat

Source: Eating Well