Seasoning's the secret to homemade turkey sausage
A nourishing breakfast - one with real staying power - includes protein, but many people tell me they're in a rut, breakfast protein-wise. Happily, there are plenty of tasty and convenient solutions. First, there's no need to limit yourself to typical breakfast foods. Who says you can't start the day with some hummus and pita, a tuna sandwich or a bowl of lentil soup?
On the more classic end of the spectrum, there are eggs, of course, which seem to say "good morning" on the plate; milk (most people don't realize that a cup of milk has more protein than a large egg); yogurt; nuts and nut butters; and seeds. Health-conscious food lovers steer clear of breakfast meats such as sausage, with its saturated fat and nitrates. But if you are like me, you yearn for sausage's lip-smacking, savory flavor.
The accompanying recipe answers the call, adding another healthful breakfast protein to the arsenal and satisfying those sausage cravings as well.
These homemade turkey sausage patties are simple to prepare and can be refrigerated or frozen in advance. You mix into the meat a medley of quintessential breakfast-sausage seasonings: fennel seed, sage, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and a pinch of allspice; turkey's neutral flavor is the ideal carrier. Then you form the mixture into disks that are smaller than hamburger patties. Be sure to buy ground dark-meat turkey or ground turkey sold as 93 percent lean, instead of a "low-fat" kind, because some fat is needed to achieve that rich sausage essence. Besides, even with that much fat, the meat qualifies as lean.
You can serve these patties just as you would other breakfast sausage: alongside eggs or pancakes, for example. But they also make a perfect, tasty protein for these breakfast sandwiches, stacked on whole-grain English muffins with a juicy slice of tomato, some spinach leaves and slices of buttery avocado.
• Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian, nutritionist and author. Krieger blogs and offers a weekly newsletter at elliekrieger.com or follow her on Twitter @Ellie_Krieger.