Jerusalem Artichoke/Parsnip Puree with Chicken Sausage

Thanksgiving leftovers have created the most superb dish I have had in some time, and I think it can be duplicated.
Four Jerusalem artichokes were a present from an acquaintance who has a yard full she has been harvesting. I sacrificed one root that I broke into pieces and introduced into the loam at the back of the garden just as the bad weather hit. I hope they will contribute yellow sunflower-like flowers next spring, and plenty of sunchokes in the fall.
I cleaned and chunked the remaining three sunchoke roots, unpeeled, with two parsnips,cooking them in a couple of inches of salted water before draining them into yet another glass casserole dish with some fat-free half and half and chunks of a low-fat herb cheese, thrown into the oven at the last minute.
The leftovers were intriguing, but lack something. I spooned them into a glass baking dish and cobbled up a garlic-heavy bechamel sauce, using cornstarch, a little grated parmesan and evaporated milk, plus snippets of leftover turkey bacon from breakfast, which made them a little more acceptable to Mom.
However, there were still some leftovers Sunday night, and I ventured into new territory.
Into a small non-stick skillet, I added a little water, two Beeman's smoked gouda/artichoke chicken sausages, about 1/2 tsp. harissa paste from a tube, an equal amount of Bufalo Chipotle sauce, and some garlic paste, also from a tube.
The sausages cooked in about five minutes. I cut them up and added the leftover Jerusalem artichoke and parsnip casserole, plus a little evaporated milk to extend the sauce. I smashed up a few of the largest chunks of Jerusalem artichoke and parsnip, and it turned into the most exquisite puree plus sausage chunks, something that could be served in a ramekin in the finest restaurant without apology.
I'm eating it in a bowl right now, and it's so tasty, it has snapped me right out of a profound funk.
Thanks, again.

Thanksgiving 2010

The challenge: Expected guests stymied by sub-zero weather in Eastern Oregon. Thanksgiving, just me and the Mama, which means producing the full Thanksgiving meal deal sans sugar or too much fat. I was awakened at 6:05 by Mama, who was over-compensating over the prospect of a holiday long enjoyed in her family. She was immediately on the phone to Louisiana and other parts north and east.

Our Thanksgiving 2010 Menu:

Roast Turkey Breast with Herb/Garlic Rub
Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes
Low-Fat Gravy (made with chicken broth)
Homemade Cornbread-Herb Dressing
Sourdough Whole Wheat & Spelt Rolls
Cranberry Sauce with Fresh and Dried Cranberries and Orange Zest
Jerusalem Artichokes/Parsnips with Fat-Free 1/2&1/2 and Low-Fat Herb Cheese
Red Cabbage & Apple in the Scandinavian Style
Baked Yams with Splenda Brown Sugar, Orange Juice & Grated Orange Peel
Home-Canned No-Sugar Bread & Butter Pickles
Dessert:
Home-Canned Green Tomato Mincemeat Baked Between Layers of Phyllo Dough
No-Sugar, Low-fat Pumpkin Pie with Whole Wheat Pastry Flour - Spelt Crust
Sparkling Cranberry-Apple Cider

Shortly after 6 a.m., I put on some coffee and immediately set to work on the cranberry sauce and the red cabbage, using a head which had been grown by my former bosses at their Bear Creek farm. This small head had languished in the crisper drawer in a paper bag, but it needed only the removal of a couple of layers, as is the great advantage with cabbage. It was cut in thin ribbons and cooked with two chopped apples, onion, erythritol and a little rice wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar and red wine plus a few spices, including cloves and allspice.
The frozen cranberries joined a few dried ones, plus erythritol, grated orange peel and orange juice.
The cornbread dressing went together easily with three leftover corn muffins and a whole wheat heel from the freezer, plus three stalks of celery, half a chopped onion, chicken broth, Eggbeaters and lots of dried parsley, marjoram, thyme, sage, garlic, etc. It was not baked with the turkey breast, which was rubbed with herbs, garlic and onion powder, but had its own casserole dish.
I made a Jerusalem artichoke/parsnip casserole, cooking them briefly in water, then adding them to a glass casserole dish with some fat-free half and half and chunks of a low-fat herb cheese, thrown into the oven at the last minute as the turkey neared perfection.
The phyllo dough was layered into a square glass baking dish, brushed with a little low-fat butter every few layers and sprinkled with a little erythritol, brandy, cinnamon, fresh orange juice and orange zest.
It was twice-baked, as we were not hungry for dessert for more than five hours. The second baking crisped it up (uncovered) and I thought it was great. Mom likes more traditional desserts, and put some light Coolwhip on it. Oh well.
The pumpkin pie crust was an adaptation of a recipe found on the side of the Bob's Red Mill spelt flour package. I added a little whole wheat pastry flour and some light (1/2 and 1/2) butter to the dough, which was patted into the glass pie dish. It did not extend up the side, but for a low-fat crust it was quite satisfying and tender.
The pumpkin filling got the usual canned pumpkin treatment with evaporated milk, spices --- cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg --- and Eggbeaters, plus some dark molasses, erythritol and a little agave syrup (there would have been more but the silly bottle would not open).
The whole meal was ready by about quarter to 1 p.m.
I was tired, had broken a nail, and my feet hurt. I had taken some skin off my index finger trying to get into the icy back of the van to get out the new cardtable, but I was otherwise unscathed.
It was all pretty tasty. Next time I will add more sweetener --- maybe Safeway's Splenda maple syrup --- to the pumpkin pie filling. I won't bake the rolls as early and I will definitely not try to cool them on two spread-apart cooling racks set over Mom's plastic placemats. I owe her a new set, as one has a hole from the hot roll pan.
We had dessert this evening, just before "Jeopardy."
The last time I saw Mom, she was trying to find matching pieces of a new 1,000-piece wild bird puzzle spread out on the new card table.
I'm sequestered in my bedroom on the computer, waiting for the freezing rain to hit.
As Scarlett said,"Tomorrow is another day." There's always the leftovers, some of which are in a cooler out on the porch, which is why freezing rain isn't always a bad thing.