Grilled Italian Turkey Sausage with Cucumber Salsa

Ingredients

1 ½ lg Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch cubes

½ cup Green Onions, sliced

¼ cup fresh Cilantro, chopped

3 TBLspoon White Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoon Sugar Substitute

3/4 teaspoon Salt

¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

6 Italian Turkey Sausage Links

 (for a cooked weight of 4 oz each – alter number of sausages for total number of portions desired) 

Directions

In small bowl combine Cucumber, Onion, Cilantro, Vinegar, Sugar substitute, Salt and Pepper flakes. Cover and refrigerate several hours.  Preheat charcoal grill for direct-heat cooking. Grill Sausages 4 to 5 minutes per side, until 160 degrees is reached on meat thermometer and meat is no longer pink in center.  

To serve, top each 4 oz portion of Sausage with ½ cup Salsa and enjoy!

Serves 3 to 4. 

Abstinent Measuring

Each serving = 1 protein, 1 condiment

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

2 Cucumbers, each about 7 inches long

½ teaspoon Salt

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

2 packets artificial Sweetener

2 minced Green Onions

¼ teaspoon Celery Salt

½ teaspoon Dill

Salt and Pepper (amount to your preference)

Directions

Peel and seed Cucumbers; cut into very thin slices and place in large bowl.  Sprinkle Cucumbers with Salt, ½ TBLspoon Vinegar and ¼ packet Artificial Sweetener.  Gently toss and let stand 20 minutes.  Drain Cucumbers, gently pressing out liquid.  Pat slices dry on paper towels.  In a lidded container big enough to hold all the sliced Cucumbers with room to spare, mix the Vinegar and  Spices.   Add Cucumber slices, pop on the lid, and shake the container gently to mix. Chill Cucumbers in fridge until it’s time to eat!

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Ensalada Pepino

Ingredients

4 Cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 Red Onion, sliced in rings

1 cup Jicama, sliced

1 Tomato, sliced

2 Tblspoon Splenda or other Artificial Sweetener, Splenda is a 1:1 replacement for sugar

2 Tblspoon Lemon Juice

2 Tblspoon White Vinegar

Sprinkling of Paprika

Directions

Combine all except paprika. Chill over-night. Toss in Paprika before serving..

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

*contribution from Area II Cookbook 2004

Cucumber Salad

A nice cucumber salad adds to a summer dinner when it’s just too hot to heat up the kitchen cooking.  This is German Deli style, meaning it’s vinegary as opposed to creamy. 

Ingredients

6 Pickling Cucumbers, Sliced super thin (mandolin slicer works great)

1 medium Yellow, Vidalia or Sweet East Texas Onion, sliced super thin (goal is 1 cup of sliced Onion)

¼ cup White Vinegar

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/8 cup Olive or Grape Seed Oil

1 teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ teaspoon dried or ½ teaspoon fresh Dill Weed (fresh is preferred)

Optional

1 Jalapeño, minced

Directions

Chop, mix and store in Glass bowl.  Best if you can let it mingle and meld for at least 2 hours.  Serve Cool.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup = 1 vegetable

Serving Suggestions:  I like it in combination with Chopped Fresh Tomato Salad (Tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, vinegar, oil, salt.  Same recipe as above: substitute Tomatoes for Cucumbers, use less Onion and dice the Onion.  Great with anything grilled

Gazpacho of Sorts

Not your usual Mexican GAZPACHO this is cooked.. Enjoy, you will be surprised this is delicious IF you like cold soup!

Ingredients

2 small onion, chopped

2 large cucumber peeled, seeded and chopped

2 small bell peppers seeded and chopped

6 tomato peeled and chopped

2/3 cup veg or chicken broth

3 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup vinegar

2 cups tomato juice

2 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons brown sugar or substitute

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper-salt

3 teaspoons dill weed or more to taste

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Optional

3 eggs for thickness

Garnish

4-5 large sprigs watercress

2 large firm tomato, seeded

1 bell pepper

2 cucumbers seeded

Directions

Begin by pureeing all the Vegetables in the blender, together with the Eggs, Oil, Broth, Vinegar and Tomato Juice and Spices. (You may have to do half at a time depending on the size of your container). Add all the remaining ingredients except the Mayonnaise, and empty into a pot. Heat very slowly stirring constantly with a wire whisk; simmer this way for no longer than 4 the 5 minutes; just prior to boil. Take it off the heat and continue stirring with the whisk occasionally as it cools. Add the Mayonnaise and put back in the blender, at high-speed, for a very short time.

Pour into serving bowl and chill at least 3 hours. Sprinkle watercress on top before serving.

Garnish

In a separate bowl, place Garnish ingredients all coarsely chopped with cucumber seeded but not peeled. . Serve in separate bowl for diners to apply to their tastes.

Abstinent Measuring

1 cup of soup as 1 vegetable and count garnish if used separately.

Oil and mayo = 1 teaspoon oil

You may delete the eggs therefore not having to use it as a protein.

Count the eggs as a 1/8th protein.

Notes

Ingredients can be cut in half. This does not freeze well, will keep in back of refrigerator for no more than 5 days.