What to fix for Thanksgiving dinner part 5

My good friend Lisa was asking about some healthy appetizers to serve at her thanksgiving feast!!! Here are 3 AWESOME cucumber recipes, more to come!!!

Mediterranean stuffed cucumbers

Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, cut into twelve 1" pieces (I stripped some of the peel off for prettiness)
1/2 cup hummus (I had Athenos Greek on hand; use your favorite kind!)
1/4 cup fat free crumbled feta
8 kalamata olives, chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano


Preparation:
1) Using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out part of the cucumber like so:
2) Spoon about 2tsp of hummus into each of the cucumbers.
3) Sprinkle some crumbled feta onto each cucumber.
4) Now, place some olives onto each, followed by chopped tomatoes.
5) Finally, sprinkle oregano onto each.

That's it! Aren't they so pretty?

Here's the best part: They are only 42 calories EACH!!

Yes, you read that right...

Nutrition:
Calories 42 / Carbs 5g / Fat 2g / Protein 1g / Fiber 1g /Sodium 120mg

Smoked salmon stuffed cucumbers

Makes: 10 cucumber cups
Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 English cucumber
• Kosher salt
• 2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon minced red onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:1. With a vegetable peeler, peel cucumber until no dark green skin remains. Cut off ends of cucumber, then cut cucumber crosswise into 10 pieces. Using a small melon baller or spoon, or the tip of the vegetable peeler, scoop out inside of each piece to form a cup, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edges and on the bottom. Lightly sprinkle cucumber cups with salt, then place, cup side down, on paper-towel lined baking sheet for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients.

3. Using a small spoon, fill cucumber cups with salmon mixture. Save a peace of salmon and a small slice of red onion to garnish the top. Serve immediately. 

Smoked Salmon Cucumber Canapes

This last one is the simplest and the healthiest!!! Sometimes simple is perfect!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 200g smoked salmon
• 2 tbsp baby capers
• Juice of one lime
• Olive oil, to drizzle
• Cracked black pepper
• Sea salt

Method

1. Cut cucumber in .5cm widths. Place on serving plate.
2. Cut smoked salmon in strips and twist around to sit on each cucumber circle.
3. Top with two or three baby capers.
4. Squeeze lime juice over plate of canapés. Drizzle with olive oil. Grind pepper and salt on top.

What to fix for Thanksgiving Dinner part 4!

Apple Crisp

Prep time: 10 Minutes – Cook time: 30 Minutes – Total time: 40 Minutes
Yield: Makes 3 Servings

Ingredients:
3 Large Apples (Peeled and Sliced)
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Heaping Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
4 Tbsp stevia, Honey or Maple Syrup
1/3 Cup Almond Flour (to make this just blend almonds in your blender until they become flour)
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Pinch Salt
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (or Olive Oil)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In a bowl toss sliced apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 tbsp of stevia.
Lightly oil an 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
Add apple mixture and bake for 10 minutes.
While apples are baking mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
If you are using the coconut oil just break it up and mix it in as well as you can.
After baking the apples for 10 minutes remove them from the oven. Sprinkle and spread the topping mixture over the apples.
Place back in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
You will know the Apple Crisp is done when it is golden brown.
Place in a bowl, top with Coconut Cream Ice Cream (recipe below) and serve immediately!

Coconut Cream Ice Cream

Makes 2 Servings.

Ingredients:
2 Sliced Frozen Bananas
Pinch of Salt
3 Tablespoons of Stevia
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Light Coconut Milk
2-3 Tbsp Shredded Coconut (optional)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!

what to fix for Thanksgiving Dinner part 3!

French Green Bean Casserole W/Crispy Shallots

Dan, my husband, LOVES Green Bean Casserole!!! This is an amazing healthy recipe for it!!! Plus, you get some healthy gravy for your mashed potatoes out of the deal!  

Ingredients:


1 1/2cups of Creamy Cashew Gravy recipe (recipe below)
2 Pounds french skinny green beans
1/2 pound (8oz) or more if you like, crimini mushrooms coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup coconut oil or olive oil
8-10 shallots (approx 1 1/4 lbs)


Directions:

*Crispy Shallots can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. (instructions at bottom of the
post)

*Cashew Gravy can also be made up to three days ahead of time. As a matter of fact, putting the gravy on while it's thick from being cold works the best.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees


Saute the mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil till soft


Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for around 2 min. Drain. If you are ready to go and cook it right away then move on to the next step. If you are not going to cook immediately, you will need to shock the beans in a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking. Then proceed when ready.


In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, green beans and gravy. Mix together.


Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and top with crispy shallots.


Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 min or till the gravy begins to bubble.


Serve




* If you double this recipe you can use the full amount of the gravy recipe since it makes 3 cups worth. but, make sure to prepair extra gravy because you will use it on your mashed potatoes as well! (mashed potato recipe coming tomorrow!!!!)

Crispy Shallots:

Peel and slice the shallots into thin rings.


Heat the oil in a sauce pan or frying pan over medium/low heat until it gets to around 220 degrees.


Reduce the heat to low, then add the shallots and cook for 30 40 min or until they reach a golden brown color. Stir occasionally to ensure even browning.


Using a slotted spoon, remove shallots from the oil, drain well and let cool on paper towels. Once cooled they can be stored at room temperature, covered for a few days.



White Wine & Thyme Cashew Grain Free Gravy


Ingredients:

2 cups soaked raw cashews (1 1/2 cups un-soaked)


2 1/2 to 3 cups low sodium chicken, beef or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium sized onion (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
4-5 large garlic cloves
1/2 or more cup organic dry white wine (or 1/2 cup broth instead of wine)
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or more to taste1 tsp sea salt or more to taste (less if using already salted broth).

Coarse ground pepper to taste
Garlic powder if desired, to taste

Directions:

Soak the cashews for 4 hours then rinse and drain. Transfer to food processor


Pull the thyme (or other herb) off of the stems then smash the leaves with a large knife.You want to release the oils of the herb. Set aside.


Dice the onion & garlic then using a large frying pan, saute the onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, cook until caramelized. This will help give your gravy a nice rich color and flavor.


Transfer the onion/garlic mixture to food processor with the cashews. Set the pan aside for later use, do not clean it yet..


Add 2 cups of broth to the food processor


Blend till smooth, as smooth as you can get it. This may take 3-5 min.


Pour the cashew mixture back into the pan that you cooked the onions and garlic in. Add the thyme and cook the cashew mixture over a medium heat for a few minuets or until it thickens and darkens up a little bit. Stir/whisk constantly so that it doesn't burn.


When ready stir/whisk in the wine, lemon juice and slat/pepper. Again keep stirring letting it thicken for a few minuets. This helps develop a richer flavor. Add some or all of the left over chicken broth to reach desired thickness


You may add more liquid if needed to get a consistency you like. If it gets too thin, don't worry, just simmer for a few minutes and it will thicken up (stir often though). It will also thicken as it cools. I often make this ahead of time and reheat it adding more wine to thin when needed.


Makes three cups.


Gravy can be made a day head of time, cooled and stored in an air tight container. Reheat over a low or medium-low heat, stirring constantly till warm. Gravy is very thick when cold but thins out nicely when heated. You can add a little more broth or wine if needed.

Make a darker gravy by using roasted cashews. You can also make it darker by replacing the salt with coconut aminos

What to fix for Thanksgiving Part 2!

Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped into similarly sized pieces as potatoes
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine potatoes and onion in a bowl. Add olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper on potato mixture and stir to combine.
Pour potato mixture on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping potatoes and onions halfway through. Depending on the size of your potato and onion pieces, they may cook faster or slower. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
Remove from oven and season to taste with additional salt and pepper

What to fix for Thanksgiving dinner Part 1

What to fix for Thanksgiving dinner 

Part 1

Caramelized onion & sausage stuffing

Serves: 4


Ingredients
1lb ground turkey sausage
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 sweet potato or yam
1 container of mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
⅓ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

*Any other veggies of your choice, I really like yellow squash in mine! :)


Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil, throw diced sweet potatoes/yams on it, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender, then set aside.

While those cook, pull out a large skillet, place it under medium-high heat and place a tablespoon of oil along with your minced garlic clove and your mushrooms in it to begin to cook down. Add a bit of salt and pepper and cook until soft. Once they are done cooking, add to a large bowl.

While your mushrooms are cooking down, add a tablespoon of oil to another large skillet over medium heat and add your sliced onions. Continuously move onions around to help coat and caramelize. The caramelization will take about 10-15 minutes. Add a bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
When your mushrooms are done cooking, add your turkey sausage to the hot mushroom pan (the mushrooms have been removed at this point). Use a wooden spoon to break up sausage and cook until almost cooked through.

Once the sausage is all done, add mixture to your mushroom bowl to cool. Now beat your eggs, add to your sausage mixture, and add your chicken broth and vinegar, along with your sweet potatoes, pecans, and chopped herbs. Mix well.

You can now either use a 9×13 baking dish to place your stuffing in OR place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Either way will work.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes, then add your caramelized onions and cooked for 5 more minutes.

Eat it up!!!! OMG OMG, its so good.

7 secrets to safe splurging on Thanksgiving!!!!

The holidays can be a dreaded time if you are trying to focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. With temptation to indulge seemingly everywhere and a combination of bad weather, shorter days, busy schedules, the kids out of school… (you name it!) getting in the way of regular exercise, it can be a challenge to stick to even your basic strategy for staying on track.

Despite these challenges though it’s important not to lose sight of what’s important and remember that you can still enjoy the holidays while not completely ditching the healthy lifestyle. Staying positive and filling your heart and mind with the love and thankfulness of the season is the best way to beat stress and stay on top of the craziness. Whether you are with family and friends over this holiday weekend or far away take the time to let them know they’re in your thoughts and hearts, And reflect on all the things you're thankful for!

Here are some more great tips for taking the stress… and the excess out of the this food filled holiday without losing any of the fun or flavor :)

1. It’s okay to splurge now and then. There. I said it. Sticking to the diet plan can be a challenge sometimes. If you have been doing a good job working towards your goals let yourself enjoy some things that you wouldn’t on a normal day ;)

2. Don’t let the holiday throw you off track. Like I said, a splurge (1 or 2) is fine… but make sure it stays just that… a splurge. Don’t let yourself fall into that mental trap of giving up on everything you’ve worked so hard for because you took it easy for a day or two. (plan your splurge ahead of time and stop when you're supposed to stop, then get right back on your healthy eating plan!!!!)

3. Size matters. Well, portion size anyway! You can still sample a little bit of all the tasty treats on your Thanksgiving table without going overboard. Instead of heaping your plate with mounds of food serve out a small portion of the stuff that looks best to start. Going back for seconds is okay! Taking a little bit of time between servings will make it easier to choose reasonable serving sizes based on how hungry you actually are instead how hungry you think you are.  Take small serving sizes of everything except veggies!!! LOAD UP ON THE VEGGIES!!!!!
4. Quality Counts! You may not have much control over everything showing up on your Thanksgiving menu, and if you are at a parent or grandparent’s house you might not have any say at all. If you are preparing the meal or bringing a dish to someone else’s, try to make it something healthy and filling so you know you have at least one option to rely on. If you aren’t making anything just go for larger portions of nutrient dense foods (turkey and veggies!) and just sample the stuff that’s full of sugars and fats.  Just FYI, I ALWAYS bring something healthy to share, even when I'm not asked to!!! LOL!
5. Don’t fast for the feast. For some reason, when Thanksgiving rolls around everyone seems to take on this fasting mentality… “No food until dinner!” and “Have to save room!” You know the story… but not eating leading up to a big meal tends to make your body more likely to store fats from foods when you finally eat. Not to mention that the fasting before hand will make you more hungry and craving larger portions when the meal is finally served. Have your NORMAL small meals every 2 hours earlier in the day and get your metabolism revved up to handle that Turkey!

6. Walk it off. Thanksgiving morning is a great time for a FUN FAMILY FITNESS ACTIVITY!!!  MAKE IT A TRADITION! In my family we LOVE to run in a Turkey Trot. If you're not into that, Go for a walk in the morning before the serious cooking gets underway and family time makes getting in that workout impossible. Remember that Black Friday is good for more than just great deals… walking around the mall all day is a great way to burn some of the previous day’s calories. Even if you don’t plan on hitting the sales try to find some activity that gets you up, active and off of the couch.  Here's a link to a Turkey trot near us!!!!!

http://www.hcrunners.org/

7. Enjoy yourself! Above all this is the time of year for enjoyment and gratitude. Avoid stressing out about what your eating for the day. Think ahead and try to make reasonable choices, but if something looks really good… have a bite! Relax with your family and friends and…

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

ALL THIS WEEK I WILL BE POSTING SOME OF MY FAVORITE HEALTHY THANKSGIVING RECIPES SO KEEP CHECKING BACK!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!