Go Smart with California Walnuts Smart Menus Program: Delicious, convenient recipes aimed at changing the way Americans eat, brought to you by best-selling author and Oprah regular Dr. Michael Roizen and James Beard award-winning cookbook author Mollie Katzen. Smart Menus is designed to help people embrace a smart eating style that’s long on taste and convenience and short on scolding. Smart recipes and tips on how to create your own smart eating style are available at www.walnuts.org/smartmenus.

This dressing features a combination of mild Italian sausage, tart apples, chunky pieces of calabrese bread, walnuts and fresh herbs. You can prepare the dressing up to one day in advance and then heat it up before serving.

Heat walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-high heat 1 to 2 minutes until walnuts are slightly toasted. Set aside and reserve.

Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with vegetable cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add rice and stir often until it turns opaque, about 2 minutes.

Stirring constantly, add chicken broth, half can at a time, adding more broth only when the previous amount has been absorbed. When adding last 1/2 can broth, stir in corn kernels. When rice is tender, risotto is creamy and corn is cooked, remove from heat. Stir in walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon risotto into warm individual serving bowls and sprinkle with chives and Parmesan topping, dividing equally.

Nutrition information per serving:
310 calories, 9g protein, 54g carbohydrates, 5g fiber, 210mg sodium, 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat.