GIMME LEAN SAUSAGE AND TOMATO
A plant meat and veggie saute. Tastier and more satisfying than the animal counterpart! No leap needed here. Low-fat too!
Makes 6-1/2 cups
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. diced sweet onion, 1/2 inch squares
14 oz. tube Gimme Lean Meatless Sausage, thawed
28 oz. can stewed tomatoes including the liquid
8 oz. bag fresh spinach
1/2 c. froz. petite peas, thawed
1/2 c. froz. cut green beans, thawed
1 t. dried basil, crushed
1/2 t. garlic powder
fresh grind black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 T. fresh lemon squeeze plus wedges for garnish
chopped fresh basil for garnish
Melt olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauce till translucent.
Pinch off pieces of sausage into skillet. Brown on one side, then stir, while cutting pieces into smaller ones with edge of metal spatula. Continue to saute till firm and browned on most sides.
Add tomatoes to skillet, cutting large pieces into smaller ones. Stir.
Add spinach, peas and green beans. Stir as best you can, then cover and cook till spinach wilts and becomes more manageable.
Remove cover and add basil, garlic powder, black pepper and salt to taste. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring as needed.
Add lemon juice, stir and serve.
Garnish each serving with chopped fresh basil and a lemon wedge.
Notes: The Gimme Lean Sausage is fat-free. One tablespoon of oil to sauce in is not much per serving. If one cup makes one serving, then you’re getting 1/6th of a tablespoon of oil per serving, which is half a teaspoon. It’s mostly fat-free as you can see, but doesn’t taste the part. Gimme Lean is a high quality sausage.
If you have leftovers, then when reheating to serve, do so on high enough heat to firm up the sausage as much as possible. For leftovers, evaporate the liquid in the skillet to dry out the plant meat. That’s the one down side, which is why I usually make it and serve it right away. It’s still good leftover, it’s just different.
Because I’m dieting here, I don’t add a starch to the dish. The dish can stand alone and is both filling and satisfying. However, if you want rice, potato, bread or pasta to extend the meal, then go ahead. It’s all up to you.
Use a good quality stewed tomato.
FAT-FREE CHEF™ 