Alternative Thanksgiving recipes

Here are some healthier alternatives to the usual Thanksgiving spread. I'm going to try a couple of them, so I thought I'd share them with you all too.

Mashed Potatoes:
Try combining or replacing your potato fare with mashed cauliflower. Just steam the cauliflower, spray with light butter substitute and combine with fat free half and half, add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste and mix together in a blender or food processor until you reach the desired texture. You could also try adding parmesan.

Stuffing:
1 spray(s) cooking spray


12 slice(s) whole-wheat bread, cubed*

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp light butter

1 cup(s) onion(s), diced

3 medium stalk(s) celery, diced

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

2 cup(s) canned chicken broth

2 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 4-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
Arrange bread cubes on a large ungreased baking sheet in a single layer (use 2 baking sheets if there’s not enough room). Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bread from oven and set aside; leave oven set to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and celery; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Cook until herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute.
Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add bread, broth and chives; toss to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Divide into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Notes

*Leave the bread bag open and somewhat uncovered for 1 to 2 days (at room temperature) before making the recipe.

Feel free to substitute your favorite bread, such as whole grain, sourdough or a light variety.
For added flavor, you can also add about 1 cup of diced Granny Smith or McIntosh apples to the stuffing.
You can make this stuffing in advance and bake it just before serving. The stuffing will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Buttermilk Biscuits:
1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour


1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 cup(s) butter, cold

1/2 cup(s) buttermilk, cold

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour, for rolling out dough
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.
Cut cold butter into about 8 pieces. Work butter into flour mixture with a pastry cutter, knife or fork until butter forms pieces the size of small peas. (Do not blend butter in completely; dough should look lumpy.)

Make a well in center of dough and pour in buttermilk. Work buttermilk into dough just enough to moisten all of flour: start with a pastry cutter and finish by kneading dough against side of bowl about 4 to 6 times until all flour has been worked in and dough comes together. Do not overwork; small pieces of butter should still be visible.
Working on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 6- X 8-inch rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces with a sharp knife. Place biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until tops start to turn golden, about 10 to 12 minutes. Yields 1 biscuit per serving.
Notes
Hint: The less you work the dough, the better the biscuits will be.

Candied Sweet Potatoes:
1 spray(s) cooking spray


1 1/2 pound(s) sweet potato(es), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

8 oz canned crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1 Tbsp McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
Place potatoes in prepared dish. In a small bowl, combine crushed pineapple, Splenda and cinnamon; add to potatoes and toss until well mixed.
Bake, stirring after 30 minutes, until sweet potato mixture is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Green Bean Casserole alternative:
1 1/2 pound(s) green snap beans, fresh, trimmed


2 tsp olive oil

6 medium shallot(s), peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

2 Tbsp parsley, fresh, chopped

2 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions

Heat a large pot of water to a simmer. Place green beans in a steamer and steam over simmering water until tender, about 5 minutes. Run steamed green beans under cold running water for 30 seconds to stop cooking; set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often (and adding a little water to prevent sticking if necessary), until golden and tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile combine parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl.
Add green beans to skillet; toss over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper; toss to mix and coat.
Place green beans in a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle with gremolata. Yields about 3/4 cup of green beans and 1 teaspoon of gremolata per serving.

Notes
You can steam the green beans 1 day ahead and store them in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

Carmel Apple Tart:
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour


1/8 tsp table salt

4 Tbsp butter, cold, divided

1/3 cup(s) buttermilk, cold

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, for rolling out dough

4 large apple(s), Granny Smith

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup(s) sugar

1 Tbsp fat-free caramel topping
Instructions

Place oven rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 400ºF. Place cookie sheet in oven on rack.
Place 1 cup flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut 3 tablespoons cold butter into 4 to 5 pieces; work butter into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork (pieces of butter should resemble small peas). Add buttermilk and work dough until it just starts to come together (do not overwork dough; pieces of butter should still be visible).

Gather dough together into a ball and wrap well in plastic wrap. Pat dough into a hamburger shape; chill for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days).
To roll out dough, dust a large piece of wax paper with flour; set dough in middle of flour. Dust top of dough with flour and place a second large piece of wax paper on top. Roll out dough to an 11- or 12-inch circle; remove from wax paper and place in a 10-inch round cake or tart pan. Work top edge into a decorative scallop. Chill for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 days).

Peel, core and slice apples into 1/8-inch-thick slices; place in a bowl as you work and sprinkle with lemon juice. Arrange apple slices in pan in concentric circles—like a rose—starting on the outside rim; apple slices should overlap tightly. Sprinkle sugar over tart and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter.
Bake on heated cookie sheet until apples are tender but not mushy, about 40 to 45 minutes. (If apples get too brown at any point, place a loose piece of aluminum foil over tart and continue baking.)
Remove tart from oven to cool. Drizzle caramel over tart, slice into 8 pieces and serve immediately. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Notes
This recipe will work well with almost any fruit, in any combination. Try apples and pears, pears and plums, peaches, nectarines or apricots…even berries. The riper the fruit, the sweeter the tart.

Dark Chocolate Cake:
1 spray(s) cooking spray, flour (baking) variety suggested


2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cup(s) sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup(s) butter, melted

1 1/2 cup(s) hot water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup(s) sauerkraut, pureed until smooth

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and 2/3 cup of cocoa. Add melted butter, hot water and vanilla extract; mix well. Add sauerkraut and blend thoroughly.
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake in center of oven until a tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan for about 20 minutes and then turn out onto a baking rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cocoa powder before slicing into 14 pieces. Yields 1 slice per serving.

Notes
You can easily change the flavor of this cake by adding strong coffee instead of the hot water or adding cayenne pepper and cinnamon with the vanilla.


*** Have fun and happy Thanksgiving everyone!