A Healthier Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday where it is truly hard not to over indulge. I won’t skimp on the pumpkin pie but instead focus on creating delicious and healthy side dishes to help maintain balance. Below are a few that I’ll be making next week that will hopefully inspire you!

Cauliflower Mash

I love using cauliflower instead of potatoes and honestly with this one, you may not even miss the starch!

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Detoxinista

Ingredients

2 Medium-sized head of cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 3 lbs.)
6 roasted garlic cloves
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh chives, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Fill a large saucepan with about an inch of water, and insert a steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil, and add the cauliflower florets. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, allowing the cauliflower to steam for 6-8 minutes, or until fork tender. 
2. Drain the steamed cauliflower, and transfer to the bowl of a large food processor. Add in the roasted garlic cloves and seasonings, and process to your desired texture. Add a splash of almond milk or water, if needed.

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad

I serve brussels sprouts for almost every holiday meal, I love them and so do my kids. Until Chelsea and her inspiring food blog came into my life I never knew how incredible they were raw but now they’re a staple in our house. This is one of our favorites!

Serves 4 

Recipe Courtesy of Food-Life Balance

Ingredients

1 cup walnut halves

10 -12 oz (approx 3 cups) Brussels Sprouts, trimmed

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Kosher Salt

6 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup (3 oz) coarsely grated Manchego cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 min. or until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a place to cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.

2. In a food processor, shred the brussels sprouts (I pulsed them). Transfer to a medium serving bowl. Toss the brussels sprouts with the lemon juice and 1 tsp kosher salt and let stand for 5 min.

3. Add the toasted walnuts, olive oil and Manchego and toss. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Turkey and Mushroom Stuffing

Thanksgiving is not complete without stuffing but there are certainly ways to make it a bit healthier. I am looking forward to trying this twist on stuffing this year!

Serves 6 

Recipe courtesy of Bethanny

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

4 pieces sage, chopped

6-8 pieces of thyme, chopped

1/2 pound turkey sausage (choose flavor)

Splash of good white wine

1 tsp butter

1 pound assorted fresh mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup dried morels

1/2 loaf regular size 9-grain or multi-grain bread, toasted and chopped

1 egg, beaten

Directions

1.Saute chopped onion and stalks of celery in oil in a nonstick pan. Add salt, pepper, and minced garlic.

2. Add sage and thyme. Break turkey sausage into small pieces and saute in pan. Add a good splash of wine and butter.

3. Add mushrooms and morels (soak and cover them in water until soft), then add them and the mushroom water to the mixture.

4. Add 9-grain or multi-grain bread. If the mixture is dry, add more mushroom water, chicken stock, white wine or another flavored liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add 1 beaten egg to bind.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes and put on broil for last 5 minutes to make top crunchy (make sure to keep an eye on it when broiling).

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving from my kitchen to yours!

-- Jill