Healthy Holiday Recipes

Healthy Holiday Recipes

Here are some healthy ways to celebrate the holidays. Try these tasty ways to prepare traditional dishes like Toasted Pecan, Cider and Cornbread Dressing, Turkey Gravy with Pan Drippings, Potato Latkes, and Double Crust Cherry Pie. We also suggest ways to make healthy leftovers from turkey like Southwestern Turkey and Marvelous Microwave Turkey, two casseroles which are simple and delicious. To keep your weight in check during the holidays, take a look at our Healthy Holiday Eating Tips.

Toasted Pecan, Cider, and Cornbread Dressing

Basic cornbread dressing is made extra crunchy and irresistible when combined with lots of toasted pecans and moistened with sweet apple cider.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 bag (16 ounces) cornbread stuffing crumbs
• 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• 2½ cups apple cider or apple juice
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the celery and onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. On a cookie sheet, toast pecans at 375° F, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, mix the sautéed vegetables together with the cornbread stuffing crumbs.
5. Mix in the pecans and ground sage.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the cider or juice and butter; heat over medium heat until the butter is completely melted.
7. Pour over the stuffing mixture, mixing well.
8. Season the dressing with salt and pepper.
9. Place dressing in a buttered casserole and bake at 325° until hot and crusty, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Yield: Makes enough dressing for a 16 to 20 pound turkey

Nutritional Information:

Per ½ cup serving:

• 115 calories
• 2 g. protein
• 13 g. carbohydrates
• 7 g. fat
• 5 mg. Cholesterol
• 142 mg sodium

Homemade Turkey Gravy with Pan Drippings

Homemade Turkey Gravy with pan drippings give you plenty of taste with no waste.

Ingredients:

• Turkey pan drippings
• Milk or broth
• ½ cup flour or ¼ cup cornstarch
• Cooked turkey giblets (if desired)

Directions:

1. Pour turkey drippings into a 4 cup measuring cup.
2. Place ¼ cup fat from drippings back into roasting pan or saucepan.
3. Spoon any remaining fat from drippings and discard.
4. Add broth or milk to drippings to make 4 cups.
5. Blend ½ cup flour (¼ cup cornstarch) into fat in pan.
6. Gradually blend in liquid until smooth.
7. Bring to a boil, stir and simmer about 5 minutes.
8. Add finely chopped cooked giblets, if desired.

Yield: 4 cups gravy

Chanukah Homemade Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes
• 4 egg whites or ½ cup egg substitute
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 teaspoons flour
• ¼ cup oil for frying.

Directions:

1. Peel and grate potatoes.
2. Mix all ingredients together except oil.
3. Pour oil into frying pan and heat potato mixture by Tablespoon onto frying pan.
4. Fry latkes until golden brown and then turn on other side.

Yield: 6 servings. Great with apple sauce.

Double Crust Cherry Pie

Flaky Oil Pastry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ cup salad oil
• 5 Tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. Sift together flour and salt.
2. Pour the salad oil and cold water into a measuring cup, without stirring.
3. Add all at once to the flour mixture.
4. Stir lightly with fork.
5. Form into two balls; flatten dough slightly.
6. Roll each between two 12 inch squares of waxed paper. (First dampen the table slightly so paper won't slip.)
7. When dough is rolled in circle to edges of paper, it will be the right thickness for crust.
8. Peel off top sheet of waxed paper and fit dough, paper side up, into pie plate.
9. Remove paper.
10. Finish pie shell.

Yield: Enough pastry for one 8 or 9 inch double crust pie.

Cherry Pie (two crust)

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups sugar
• 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup juice from cherries
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 3 cups canned pitted tart red cherries (water pack)
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon red food coloring

Directions:

1. Combine ½ cup sugar with cornstarch.
2. Stir in cherry juice.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, till mixture thickens and bubbles; cook one minute longer.
4. Add remaining sugar, cherries, butter, and food coloring. (Mixture will be very thick.)
5. Let stand while preparing pastry.
6. Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry; fill.
7. Adjust top crust, cutting slits to let steam escape.
8. Bake at 400° for 55 minutes.

Southwestern Turkey

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked and cubed turkey
• ½ cup chopped bell peppers
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 2/3 cup skim milk
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¾ shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare a pie pan with cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine turkey, peppers and onions. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine egg whites, milk, flour, salt and pepper. Pour over turkey mixture.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Add cheese and bake for 3 more minutes.

Marvelous Microwave Turkey

Ingredients:

• 1 cup instant rice
• 1 cup bouillon
• 1/3 cup white wine
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1/3 teaspoon rosemary, crumbled
• 2 cups leftover cooked turkey
• 1 jar (6-8 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

1. In 1- to 1½-quart microwave dish combine rice, broth, wine, and rosemary.
2. Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
3. Cook in microwave on High 5 minutes.
4. Arrange remaining ingredients over rice; cover loosely and cook on High 2 minutes longer, until rice softens and casserole is heated through.

Yield: 4 servings