This Dad’s Diet dish is only 322 calories!

Those who know me know that the Sausage and Grape dish is a staple. I discovered it while touring Italy a few years ago and though considered a staple comfort dish in the North of Italy, it seemed exotic here in the West. If you’ve never tasted grapes with sausage and potato on the same fork, you haven’t lived!

But for guys on the Dad’s Diet, this dish has added value because it’s only 322 calories! One boiled potato is 118; 10 grapes per serving is 34; the feta chicken sausages are 120 each; and a slice of calabrese bread for dipping in the amazing sauce is just 50. Total: 322.

Traditionally, the dish is made with 2 sausages per serving, twice as many grapes, and a larger mound of mashed potatoes. But this dish tastes exactly the same and will fill you. It will also make your taste buds dance!

INGREDIENTS (to serve 2)

2 Chicken Feta & Spinach Sausages (you can replace with Italian or English Breakfast Sausages but the calorie count goes up)
2 white potatoes (about 2-3″)
2 tbsn butter (split into 1 tbsn each)
1 tbsn balsamic vinegar
20 red grapes (you can use green if you prefer since this sausage is chicken based)

METHOD

1. Put one tablespoon of butter into an ovenproof pan and turn heat to 400. Pull out when melted (about 1 min)
2. Clean grapes of stems and wash. Place them in the pan and place in oven for 10 minutes while it’s still heating up.
3. Cut potatoes into small pieces, put in boiling water in a small pot (enough to cover the pieces) and leave until you can pierce a piece of potato and it falls off the fork
4. Boil sausages in a frying pan filled with water for about 5 minutes. This gets rid of any grease and pre-cooks the sausage.
5. Place sausages in the pan with the grapes. Cook at 400 for 8 min. Turn sausages over and cook for another 8 min.
6. When potatoes are boiled, remove water and mash them in the pot till ready to serve. Add the other tspn of butter and mix.
7. Place sausages and grapes on serving plates and put half the mashed potatoes on each plate
8. Add balsamic to oven dish and heat up to make a sauce (with all the bits still there). Pour over the sausages and grapes and serve!