Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is known for great food and time with family and friends. When it comes to food we never think of healthy food. I’ve compiled a whole thanksgiving meal that leans towards the healthier side.

Creamy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes- Cut the carbs by replacing potatoes for Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower

3/4 cup Non-Fat Greek Yogurt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Rinse the cauliflower and cut and separate into florets.
2. Steam cauliflower for 10 minutes or until soft.
3. Remove cauliflower from steamer and place in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.
4. Add remaining ingredients to bowl.
5. Stir with an electric mixer or hand masher, breaking up cauliflower florets into pieces until mixed and desired consistency is achieved.

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries

1/2 cup honey

1 cinnamon stick

zest of one large orange

1 cup distilled water

1. Put everything in a pot, and cook over medium high heat for about 30-45mins
2. When most of the liquid is cooked out, turn your stove down to a simmer.
3. The longer you let this simmer, the thicker the sauce will get. Don’t let all the liquid cook out or it will burn. Stir more frequently near the end.
4. Allow to cool before serving.

Sweet Potato Stuffing

10 pieces Sprouted Grain Bread, cubed & toasted

1 large Sweet Potato – cut into 1/4 inch rounds

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

a few pinches of dried Thyme

a few pinches of cracked Black Pepper

a few pinches of Garlic Salt

a few pinches of Smoked Paprika

1 cup Celery, chopped

1 cup Leeks, chopped

a few cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

1 large Apple diced (about 1 cup)

2 large Eggs, whisked

2 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

Toasting the Bread

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes.
3. Lay bread in a single layer on a sheet pan.
4. Sprinkle olive oil over the bread cubes.
5. Toast bread for about 8-10 minutes until lightly browned, tossing once to evenly cook.
6. Set aside to cool.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

1. While you are toasting your bread you can roast the sweet potatoes too.
2. Toss sweet potatoes with a splash of olive oil, some thyme, garlic salt, pepper & smoked paprika.
3. Place cut sweet potatoes in a single layer on the sheet pan.
4. Roast potatoes for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned & softened.
5. Set aside to cool.

Stuffing

1. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter a 9 X 13 oven safe casserole dish.
2. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat with the olive oil.
3. Add leeks, celery, garlic and a pinch of each spice again. Heat about 5 minutes until softened, stirring frequently.
4. Add theapples and parsley. Cook a couple of minutes.
5. Put toasted bread in a large bowl. Add leek mixture, eggs & broth and mix well to combine.
6. Press a layer of stuffing into the casserole dish, add a layer of sweet potatoes. Top with another layer of stuffing and sweet potatoes.
7. bake for about 45 minutes until golden brown on top.
8. Add a handful of toasted chopped walnuts or pecans.

Herbed Roasted Turkey with Calvados Gravy

Dry rub and turkey

4 bay leaves

2 tbsp.  kosher salt

1 tsp. ground pepper, plus more to taste

1 12- to 14-pound turkey

For roasting and gravy

2 tbsp.  of olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh sage plus 2 tablespoons, divided

2 cups hot water

3-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 tbsp.  cornstarch

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 cup apple brandy, such as Calvados

1. To dry-rub turkey: Grind bay leaves in a clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with salt and pepper. Remove any giblets from the turkey. Loosen the skin over the breast, legs and thighs and rub the meat with the salt mixture. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours.
2. To roast turkey: Position oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 475°F.
3. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Combine olive oil and 1/4 cup sage in a small bowl. Rub the mixture under the skin over the breast, legs and thighs. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey and tie the legs together with kitchen string, if desired. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set in the roasting pan. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Roast the turkey for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Pour hot water into the pan. Continue roasting, tenting the breast or legs with foil if the skin is getting too dark, until a thermometer inserted horizontally into the deepest part of the thigh without touching bone registers 165°F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (If your turkey is larger than 14 pounds, plan to add an extra 15 minutes of roasting time for each additional pound.)
6. Carefully transfer the turkey to a clean cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
7. To prepare gravy: Pour pan juices from the roasting pan into a large glass measuring cup (leave any browned bits in the pan). Place the measuring cup in the freezer until the fat rises to the top, about 10 minutes. (Or pour into a fat separator and pour the defatted juices into a large measuring cup.)
8. Transfer 3 tablespoons of fat from the separated pan juices back to the roasting pan (discard any remaining fat). Add enough broth (or stock) to the defatted juices to total 4 cups liquid. Whisk 1/2 cup broth (or stock) with flour in a separate small bowl until smooth.
9. Set the roasting pan over two burners on medium-high heat. Add shallots and the remaining 2 tablespoons sage; cook, whisking, until the shallots soften and the pan drippings are browning, about 2 minutes. Pour in brandy; cook, whisking to scrape up the browned bits, until almost evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the broth-juices mixture and bring to a boil; boil for 4 minutes. Whisk the flour mixture again and add to the pan. Cook, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens, 1 to 3 minutes more. Carefully pour the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Taste and season with pepper. Transfer to a serving container. Serve the turkey with the gravy.

Delicious Pumpkin Pie

Crust

1 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 tbsp. coconut oil

2 tbsp. honey

1. Mix all the above ingredients together and press in the bottom of your pie pan.

Filling

8 oz. low fat cream cheese

8 oz. plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup

1/3 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. cinnamon and nutmeg

Blend until smooth, pour into piecrust and bake for 50 minutes at 350-degrees.

Hope you try some of these great healthier creations on Thanksgiving Day recipes.

Recipes thanks to eatingwell.com and danettemay.com