Now that I’m back from my latest travels, I’ve been slowly getting back into my normal routine. I am trying to eat 30 grams of protein per meal as recommended by the dietitian I was working with, Hannah Freese, RD. She has discontinued her business but she helped me so much with controlling my weight and to follow an anti-inflammatory diet after my joint replacement surgeries. I now only eat two meals daily and these little turkey sausages have really helped me start my day out right. Quite frankly, it is hard to eat 30 grams of protein at breakfast but this recipe helps a lot. I've noticed that when I stick to her guidelines, I am not as hungry during the day plus I have no urge to snack. Each of these patties are 2 oz. of ground turkey meat or 14 grams of protein; the egg is 7 grams of protein, I'll have a slice of toast (Ezekiel bread) with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter which is another 9 grams of protein and then I've met my goal of 30 grams. Another breakfast is a bowl of oatmeal (5 g. protein) with 1/4 cup walnuts (5 g. protein) and blueberries and milk (8 g. protein). If I add a sausage patty (14 g. protein) that brings it up to 32 g. protein. That added boost of protein from the turkey sausage really makes a big difference. Or sometimes I'll have apple slices with 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter (8 g. protein) and a cup of milk (8 g protein) with two eggs (14 g protein) if I don't have sausage patties. Or oatmeal with a hard boiled egg. There are lots of combinations. I don't use much cheese because I'm trying to keep my saturated fat intake below 20 grams per day and I don't eat yogurt because plain yogurt is too sour for me and I try to avoid sugar and sugar substitutes. So, it's all a challenge, but it can be done. I will often scramble my egg with some sautéed green or red bell pepper with a little olive oil and have some fruit on the side. If I have oatmeal, I like blueberries in my oatmeal along with the walnuts. This breakfast will hold me over until dinner which is usually an early dinner for me around 5:00pm which again, is usually a lean protein with a salad or veggie and some fruit. And don't forget the dark chocolate! That is thrown in there periodically to satisfy that ever-present sugar craving! I can't get away from that. Another thing that helps me with cravings is sipping green tea. Hannah called that a "bridge" to the next meal. Maybe add a little dark chocolate to that "bridge" and I'm happy.
Makes eight 2-oz. patties
1 lb. ground turkey
1 apple
1 Tbsp. ginger, peeled and grated
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil (divided)
1. Place the ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Pat it with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
2. Peel, core and grate the apple using a box grater.
3. Squeeze out the excess juice from the apple and discard. I used a paper towel to soak up the juice.
4. Add the apple to the turkey along with the ginger, Italian seasoning, apple cider vinegar and salt.
5. Gently mix to combine, then form the meat mixture into thin patties, approximately 3 inches in diameter.
6. In a large skillet or frying pan, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, cook the sausage patties for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
I will freeze these so they are available each morning when I feel like an egg and sausage for breakfast. I let them sauté in the pan for awhile until I cook the egg.
These will freeze well for up to three months or keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
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