As a change from the usual tomato-based sauce I decided to let my quick-to-fix chicken-feta-spinach sausages simmer in a light, white feta sauce. The result was quite good and the whole production required fewer than 30 minutes. The feta sauce was creamy and amplified rather than hid--as a tomato sauce is likely to do--the taste of the sausages. I used light milk for the sauce but, in addition to adding in feta cheese, also used a bit of light sour cream for tang and to help thicken the sauce. A touch of basil and oregano in the sauce gave it more flavor but didn't overwhelm the feta. You can, of course, serve the sausages and sauce atop pasta, but I opted for barley. The little barley pearls absorbed the tasty sauce and also provided a slightly chewy, nubby texture as well as extra whole-grain nutrition and fiber.
Chicken-Feta-Spinach Sausages in Feta Sauce -- Serves 4+
16-ounce package of chicken-feta-spinach sausages
2 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth (or reconstituted chicken "Better Than Bullion)
1/2 cup of white wine
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 cup of low-fat milk
1/2 cup of flour
1/4-1/2 cup of feta cheese crumbled
1/4 cup of low-fat sour cream
In a large skillet or chef's pan brown the chicken sausages on all sides over medium-high heat. Add the chicken broth to the pan and stir to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the basil, oregano, lemon pepper, and garlic powder, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the sausages cook in the broth for a few minutes and let the broth reduce by about a third. While the sausages cook in the broth, mix the flour with the cup of low-fat milk. Add the milk/flour mixture to the pan with the sausages and broth, stirring everything gently. Stir in the wine, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Stir in the sour cream. Serve the sausages with pasta or whatever grain you like.
