Thanksgiving

What to do, what to do!! I love to eat all my childhood favorites, especially around the holidays! What is a person to do to maintain a heart-healthy eating plan with all the holiday fare within arm’s reach? Fear not, my friends, help is just a click away! I love the Internet ... I love the vastness  ...  I love the accessibility - I love to research!There are so many websites offering a lighter fare for food prep, but where do you start? How about one at a time. Let’s start with Thanksgiving. Assuming you are not vegetarian you will be preparing turkey. If you are vegetarian/vegan I have a hunch you can find recipes to keep you faithful to your choice. For those who just want to lighten up those heavy holiday  meals, I’d start with Vegetarian Times. Why, I hear you ask? Because taking your side dishes up a notch will get more veggies into your meals with little effort.Stuffing ... dressing? What’s the difference? Even famous chefs around the world cannot agree, but it is my opinion that if it's cooked INSIDE the bird it's stuffing and if it's cookout OUTSIDE the bird it's dressing. Now, back to the issue at hand. Is there a ‘good for you’ stuffing? Remembering moderation is important regardless of its health value (I often forget that!) ... but yes, there are some much better than others.

Fruit and Toasted Almond Stuffing
This recipe, created by Ricki Blau, won third place in Vegetarian Time's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest. Blau's family and friends range from omnivores to vegans, so when they gather for holidays she likes to prepare food they can all share. Blau put this recipe together last October when she hosted a few Canadian-American families for Thanksgiving dinner.

Ingredient List

•     12 cups oatmeal bread or whole-wheat bread cubes
•     3/4 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
•     5 Tbs. olive oil
•     1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced (2 cups)
•     2 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)
•     2 large apples, peeled and diced (3 cups)
•     3 Tbs. fresh sage, cut into thin strips
•     3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
•     1 tsp. Simply Organic Thyme Leaf
•     ½ tsp. Simply Organic Crushed Red Pepper
•     ½  tsp. freshly ground Simply Organic Black Peppercorns
•     ½  tsp. Simply Organic Ground Nutmeg
•     2 Tbs. maple syrup
•     2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
•     ½  cup dried cherries
•     3 cups no-salt vegetable broth

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225F. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet, and bake 30 to 45 minutes, or until dry and crisp. Transfer to large bowl.
2. Increase oven to 350?F. Spread almonds on baking sheet, and toast 10 minutes, or until pale brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
3. Coat 13- x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add celery, and sauté 2 minutes more. Stir in apples, sage, parsley, thyme, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and nutmeg; season with salt, if desired. Cook 5 minutes. Add maple syrup and vinegar, and remove from heat.
4. Combine apple mixture, bread cubes, almonds, and dried cherries in large bowl. Transfer to prepared baking dish, and pour broth over top. Cover with foil, and bake 40 minutes, or until stuffing begins to brown on top. If you prefer crisp stuffing, remove foil, and bake 10 minutes more.

Serves 10

Nutritional Information
    Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 343, Protein: 8g, Total fat: 15g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 46g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 380mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 17g

Looking for some side dishes to replace or enhance your usual dishes? I’m sure you know all about the sweet potato casserole that finds its way to American Thanksgiving tables ... you know the one I mean with the cute little marshmallows sprinkles on top? Right? Well, here on Everyday Health, I found a great recipe that’s a bit more heart-healthy.

Smashed Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients

•      4 pounds potatoes, sweet
•      2 tablespoon butter
•      2 tablespoon maple syrup
•      1 tablespoon chili powder
•      2 teaspoon cumin seeds
•      1 teaspoon ginger
•      1 teaspoon salt
•      ½  teaspoon pepper, black ground

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
 

• Pierce each sweet potato in several places with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack and roast until soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a cutting board; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
•  Slip off the skins and cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch slices; transfer to a large bowl. Add butter.
•  Smash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or fork until fluffy but some lumps remain.
•  Add maple syrup, chili powder, ground cumin, ginger, salt and pepper; stir to combine.

12 Servings

Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 113, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 243mg, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Total Fat: 2g, Carbs: 22g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Protein: 2g
    Carb Choices: 1.5
    Recipe Source:  Eating Well
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 1 h
    Rest Time: 10 mins
    Total Time: 1 h 20 mins

Now, let’s talk about cranberry sauce. I hope you’re not opening a can of processed cranberry jelly or even the canned whole cranberry sauce that’s also available. This only takes a minute and uses heart-healthy walnuts, too! The sugar is still there, but you can substitute whatever sweetener you like.

Heritage Lane Cranberry Sauce
"I grew up on a secluded dirt road called Heritage Lane and every Thanksgiving my family would pick wild cranberries and make this sauce for our guests," reminisces Eden Hommes, who received honorable mention in VT's 2009 Reader Recipe Contest for this recipe.

Ingredient List

• 1 cup sherry or apple cider
• 1 cup sugar
• ½  tsp. Simply Organic Cinnamon Powder
• 2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Walnut Baker's Pieces

Directions

1. Bring sherry (or cider), sugar, and cinnamon to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 1 minute, or until sugar has dissolved. Add cranberries and walnuts, and cook 8 minutes, or until cranberries have popped, stirring constantly.
2. Transfer to bowl, and chill well before serving.

Serves 6.
Nutritional Information
    Per 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 290, Protein: 3g, Total fat: 13g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 41g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 4mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 36g

All in all, most everyone needs to make a change. Many people make the decision to “blow it” because it’s the holidays and come January they’re beating themselves up. I'd rather pat myself on the back for a job well done! Wouldn't you?

More holiday recipes coming next week. I plan to stay true to myself this holiday season and keep my eye on the ball ... staying heart-healthy!