Brunch for Fathers day for the original copy officer captain Family and OCS of 270,036 VAs

Happy Fathers day, I made it heart healthy, diabetic friendly and found some good recipes. I'll make a dinner menu also so you can have this as your light lunch.

Everything" Stuffing

My family goes crazy for this stuffing that I make in the slow cooker. It freezes well so we can enjoy it long after Thanksgiving has passed. —Bette Votral, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage

• 4 cups seasoned stuffing cubes

• 1-1/2 cups crushed cornbread stuffing

• 1/2 cup chopped toasted chestnuts or pecans

• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon rubbed sage

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

• 1-3/4 cups sliced baby Portobello mushrooms

• 1 package (5 ounces) sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 medium apple, peeled and chopped

• 1 celery rib, chopped

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth

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Directions

• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles; drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the stuffing cubes, cornbread stuffing, chestnuts, parsley, sage, salt and pepper.

• In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion, apple and celery in butter until tender. Stir into stuffing mixture. Add enough broth to reach desired moistness. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, stirring once.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 267 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 21mg cholesterol, 796mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 3g fiber), 8g protein.

Dad's Lemony Grilled Chicken

Lemon juice, onions and garlic add tangy flavor to chicken when firing up the grill. —Mike Schulz, Tawas City, Michigan

Ingredients

• 1 cup olive oil

• 2/3 cup lemon juice

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 8 chicken drumsticks (2 pounds)

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 pounds)

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• In a small bowl, whisk the first 5 ingredients until blended; stir in onions. Pour 1-1/2 cups marinade into a large shallow dish. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

• Prepare grill for indirect heat. Drain chicken, discarding marinade in dish. Place chicken on grill rack, skin side up. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 15 minutes. Turn; grill until a thermometer reads 170°-175°, 15-20 minutes longer, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Nutrition Facts 1 chicken drumstick and thigh: 528 calories, 39g fat (8g saturated fat), 129mg cholesterol, 318mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (3g sugars, 1g fiber), 38g protein.

Ribbon Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Zucchini, cucumbers and carrots are peeled into “ribbons” for this citrusy salad. We like to serve it for parties and special occasions. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini

• 1 medium cucumber

• 1 medium carrot

• 3 medium oranges

• 3 cups fresh baby spinach

• 4 green onions, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon onion flakes

• 1/2 cup golden raisins, optional

• VINAIGRETTE:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

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Directions

• Using a vegetable peeler, shave zucchini, cucumber and carrot lengthwise into very thin strips.

• Finely grate enough zest from oranges to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut 1 orange crosswise in half; squeeze juice from orange to measure 1/2 cup. Reserve zest and juice for vinaigrette. Cut a thin slice from the top and bottom of remaining oranges; stand oranges upright on a cutting board. With a knife, cut off peel and outer membrane from orange. Cut along the membrane of each segment to remove fruit.

• In a large bowl, combine spinach, orange sections, green onions, walnuts, salt, pepper and, if desired, raisins. Add vegetable ribbons; gently toss to combine. In a small bowl, combine vinaigrette ingredients. Add reserved orange zest and juice; whisk until blended. Drizzle half of the vinaigrette over salad; toss to coat. Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

Nutrition Facts 1-1/2 cups: 162 calories, 12g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 240mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1/2 starch.

Recipes

Buttery Almond Green Beans

Toasted almonds add crunch to this no-fuss treatment for fresh beans. They get extra flavor from convenient onion soup mix and Parmesan cheese. —Edna Hoffman, Hebron, Indiana

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

• 2 cups water

• 1 envelope onion soup mix

• 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 teaspoon onion flakes

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted

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Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine the beans, water and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until beans are crisp-tender, 15-20 minutes.

• In a small bowl, combine the almonds, cheese and paprika. Drain beans; drizzle with butter and sprinkle with almond mixture. Toss to coat.

Nutrition Facts 3/4 cup: 179 calories, 14g fat (6g saturated fat), 24mg cholesterol, 407mg sodium, 13g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 5g fiber), 5g protein.

Cranberry Bacon Galette

Sweet, smoky, tangy, fresh…the flavors in this distinctive appetizer are sure to perk up taste buds for dinner. I sprinkle the warm squares with basil and add a dollop or two of a mascarpone cheese topping. —Merry Graham, Newhall, California

Ingredients

• 1 carton (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese

• 1 tablespoon orange marmalade

• 1 tablespoon jellied cranberry sauce

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 cup chopped red onion

• 1 cup dried cranberries

• 3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 3 tablespoons cranberry-tangerine juice

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

• 5 cooked bacon strips, crumbled

• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil

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• Preheat oven to 400°. For topping, in a small bowl, combine cheese, marmalade and cranberry sauce. Refrigerate until serving.

• In a large skillet, cook sugar over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes or until it just begins to melt. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

• Stir in cranberries, mushrooms, oil, lemon pepper, salt and paprika; cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat. Stir in juice; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes.

• On a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, unfold puff pastry sheet and form a 10-in. square, using a rolling pin if necessary. With a ruler, cut a 10x2-in. rectangle with a long sharp knife or pastry wheel. From the 10x2-in. strip, cut two 10x1/2-in. strips and two 7x1/2-in. strips. Remove and discard trimmings. Prick the remaining 10x8-in. pastry base all over with a fork. Brush water 1/2 in. around edges of pastry base. Place the 10x1/2-in. and 7x1/2-in. strips along edges to form sides. Press lightly.

• Spread cranberry mixture to edges; sprinkle with bacon. Bake 18-22 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Serve warm with topping.

Nutrition Facts 1 piece: 355 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated fat), 38mg cholesterol, 299mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 3g fiber), 6g protein.