Sometimes you kind of hit the mark, but not quite.  The Raspberry Pie bars were not what Tony had in mind.  He wanted to have the standard pie.  Oh well.  He loved the bars anyway.  Sometimes you think you know what your spouse wants, but not always.  I guess I am going to figure out how to do a standard pie within our dietary limitations.

This week I’m keeping it simple because I want to make the Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream for my birthday.  I loved that recipe so much, I have to make it again.  I am starting with a recipe for Sausage and Bok Choy Grain Bowl with Creamy Tahini Dressing from Seasonal Cravings.  The big thing here are knocking down the sodium.  Otherwise things look really good.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I swapped out the white rice for brown rice to add more nutrition and fiber.
• I swapped out the chicken sausage for ground turkey to lower the saturated fat and sodium.
• I increased the servings from 2 to 4 to lower the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Sausage and Bok Choy Grain Bowl with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Serves 4

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
• 1 small head of boy choy, ends trimmed off
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• Olive oil
• Garlic

Tahini Dressing

• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoon water
• Dash of sriracha, optional
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a sheet pan place cubed butternut squash and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for about 25 minutes, toss gently with a spatula once during cooking.
2. Mix the ground turkey, sage, onion powder and garlic powder. 
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and let warm a minute. Add turkey mixture and cook until fully browned.  Add garlic, onions, and bok choy. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes tossing gently.
4. Make dressing: Toss all dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk well. Add more or less water as needed to get to desired consistency.
5. Place rice in a bowl and add sausage and vegetable mixture. Add roasted butternut squash and drizzle with tahini dressing. Serve with fresh herbs and sunflower seeds.