Download your free Delicious Living 2009 Quick and Easy Holiday Cookbook for more mouthwatering meals.
Love Thanksgiving dinner but not the next morning’s groans and weight gain? This year, instead of gobbling a traditional meal weighed down with saturated fat, calories, and no-fiber carbs, tuck into a Thanksgiving feast featuring healthy twists on familiar favorites. Trade predictable mashed white potatoes—yummy but mostly starch—for delicious, vitamin-rich mashed sweet potatoes flavored with orange zest and warm spices. Rather than plain brussels sprouts, jazz up fresh-off-the-stalk sprouts with a mustard glaze and heart-healthy hazelnuts. Bread stuffing, a comfort-food fave, goes guilt-free with fortified whole grains, fresh herbs, and colorful vegetables, adding fiber, phytonutrients, and flavor. And, because no Thanksgiving is complete without a pitcher of gravy, try our foolproof lump-free version made without an ounce of fat. Even pumpkin pie gets a healthy lift with a high-fiber walnut crust and tofu-and-yogurt whipped topping. You and your guests will be grateful, indeed.
Herb Roasted Turkey with Foolproof Gravy
Serves 8, with leftovers / Prep tips: Have a few feet of kitchen twine on hand to truss the turkey. Adding broth to the roasting pan helps moisten the meat as it cooks. Ingredient tip: Enhance your gravy’s flavor by seeking out house-made turkey or chicken broth from your butcher or favorite natural foods market. Canned or boxed broth may be used in a pinch. View recipe.
Cranberry Sauce with Apple and Sage
Makes 1 2/3 cups / Apple juice concentrate sweetens the cranberries naturally while adding additional fall flavor. View recipe.
Herbed Bread and Vegetable Stuffing
Serves 8 / Prep tips: Try using sprouted whole-grain bread for added texture and nuttiness. Serving tip: If some of your guests are vegetarian, use the stuffing to fill portobello mushroom caps; brush caps with olive oil, fill, and bake at 375 degrees until tender. View recipe.
Orange-and-Spice Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 8 / Ingredient tip: Look for orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with dark skins, often labeled as garnet yams. They are sweeter and have a higher moisture content than pale-fleshed sweet potatoes. View recipe.
Mustard-Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts
Serves 8 / Ingredient tip: Look for brussels sprouts sold still on the stalk; they’re fresher and easy to snap off when ready to cook. Small sprouts tend to be sweeter and more tender. Prep tip: To toast hazelnuts, bake raw nuts at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, then rub vigorously with a towel to remove papery skins. View recipe.
Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Crust
Serves 12 / This delicious, press-in crust has a sandy texture similar to a graham cracker crust. To prevent it from getting soggy, store pie at room temperature instead of refrigerating. It will keep well for two days at room temperature; five days refrigerated. Ingredient tip: Be sure your spices are fresh for maximum flavor. Serving tip: The orange-scented, tofu-and-yogurt topping nicely balances the sweet pie; but you can indulge in whipped cream, of course. View recipe.
Turkey day timeline
TUESDAY
• Purchase all ingredients.
• Make dough for piecrust. Refrigerate.
WEDNESDAY
• Bake piecrust; finish making pie and whipped topping.
• Toast hazelnuts.
• Make stuffing; refrigerate in a covered ovenproof dish.
THURSDAY
4 hours before dinner:
• Prep and roast turkey
While turkey roasts:
• Cut sweet potatoes and cover with water in a saucepan.
• Trim and halve brussels sprouts. Have them ready to go in a steamer basket.
• Take stuffing out of fridge to warm up a bit.
• Set table.
After turkey finishes roasting:
• Place turkey on a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
• Turn oven to 350 degrees. Reheat stuffing (25–35 minutes).
• Make gravy; start sweet potatoes to cook.
• Finish sweet potatoes; cover and keep warm.
• Make brussels sprouts 20 minutes before serving time.
