Thanksgiving Alternatives

It's that time of the year again for us in the United States where the more fortunate one's get to spend time with their family and having an amazing meal together.   Of course there are many that aren't as fortunate so please donate some food to a local food bank, even if it's a few cans so a family or people can have a nice meal too!

Anyway back to cooking!  As much as I love the food at Thanksgiving I don't like the pounds it can put on, no matter how good it tastes.  SO here are two dish alternatives to the famous candied sweet potatoes (315 cal a serving) and the green bean casserole (my personal favorite  but it can be up to 175 cal a serving).

Don't let the phrase "  its better for you" deter you from trying these dishes because they taste just as good as the original dishes, if not better!   I made these two recipes along with the Brined Turkey recipe, which is also on this blog, and everyone's tummies and mouths were happy in the end.


The first recipe is the alternative to my favorite dish, this recipes is simple, and not time consuming which is always good when cooking holiday dishes.  It can get overwhelming trying to prepare more than one dish at one time!  This is a great dish for those that can't have the dairy in the casserole version or are cutting back on their sodium intake.   Use veggie broth if you are a vegetarian or vegan, or have some coming over to eat.

Green Beans with Shallots

photo credit: womens health.com

Ingredients
1/4 cup of olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 large shallots, peeled, and quartered
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium chicken broth or veggie broth
2 lbs of green beans, trimmed


Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil

2. While the water is heating, pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan over a medium heat.  Add the shallots.  Reduce the heat to a medium-low and sauté until the shallots are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the broth, 3/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper, stir well.  Remove from heat.

3. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook them for 5 mintues. Drain and toss the beans the shallot mixture.  Serve immediately and enjoy! 

serving: 1/2 cup = 107 cal, 7 g fat, 12 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein




Now onto our second dish!  Candied yams or sweet potatoes are amazing, who doesn't love melted marshmallow and brown sugar?   Well, as much as I do, I'm trying to make better choices with food in my life.  For those of you that are on a diet, want to eat more healthy, or maybe have restrictions like diabetes this is a great alternative!  It has chili and cinnamon in it, both which help break down fat-cells and help you consumer fewer calories!  Cinnamon is a great natural way to keep you blood sugar down, plus it tastes and smells delicious in this dish!

Chili Spiced Mashed Sweet Potatoes

 photo credit: everyday health.com 

Ingredients

4 large sweet potatoes ( 3 1/2 lbs total)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chili powder


Directions


1. Bake the sweet potatoes in a 425 F oven until they are soft, about 70 mins (test them with a fork, if they are soft they are done).  Remove the sweet potato from the oven and allow them to cool before handling them.  No one want to play hot potato and burn their hands!
2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, cinnamon, and the chili powder.

3. Scoop out the insides of the potato and place them into a larger mixing bowl.  Pour the orange juice mixture over the sweet potatoes and mash well, then serve.






serving size : 1/2 cup > 191 cal, 1g fat (0 sat fat), 45 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 3 g protein






(Recipe credit: women's health magazine)

Potato Leek Soup

 Since the fall season is here, with winter sneaking up behind the corner, it means its soup time!
I love soup, it's so comforting and warming on a cold day.    Especially here in Portland Oregon where its both cold and rainy!

Potato leek is one of my personal favorites and since I live only a block away from a saturday farmers market I decided to try out this recipe from a book.  So I bought some fresh leeks, and potatoes and gave this recipe a go.  Since I live by myself now I had to cut this recipe down but here is the full recipe which serves 8 cups worth of delicious, creamy leek soup!


Ingredients:
6 tsp butter or oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 2-3 cloves, but I always add more!)
2 cups water
2 cups half-and-half (obviously use a soy version if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, trader joe's carries one)
4 cups cubed yukon gold potatoes or any small gold potatoes (about 3-4)
2 cups celery chopped, plus leaves (4 stalks)
1/8 tsp turmeric ( I didn't have any so I used curry powder)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp salt plus dash or to taste
1 cup finely cubed extra firm tofu **optional, but add for more protein**
1/2 cup frozen corn **optional**
1 1/2 cups finely slicked leeks (2 leeks, white part only)
1 tsp dried rosemary or 2 tsp minced fresh
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds **optional**


1.  Heat 2 teaspoons of butter or oil in a 4 quart pot over high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until it just begins to brown.  Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

2. Add the water, half-and-half, potato, celery, turmeric, pepper, and 1 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and gently bring to a boil.  Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

3. Meanwhile, if including the tofu, heat 2 teaspoons of the butter or oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tofu and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pan-fry for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is golden brown on most sides.  Once the potatoes are tender, add the tofu, and corn to the soup.    Skip this is you aren't adding the corn or the tofu!

4.  In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter or oil over medium-high heat.  Add the leek and the remaining salt and sauté for a few minutes until the leek begins to brown.  Add this to the soup along with the rosemary.

5. Simmer the soup for a few more minutes.  Remove from the heat and ladle into bowls.  Garnish with toasted almonds (optional) and serve!

**Blended Variation
If you want a thicker consistency, blend 2 to 3 cups of the soup adding the tofu, corn, and leek.

Cook time is 35 mins


Recipe credit: Wai Lana's favorite soups
Photo: mine (pardon the horrid quality of my pictures I need to charge my Nikon d50)

Braised Tofu in Caramel Sauce

Sometimes I just crave tofu, I know isn't that a bit strange? I found this recipe in an old SUNSET magazine and decided to give it a go.   If you like tofu this is delicious! So if you are vegetarian or maybe having some vegetarian friends over for dinner this can be an appetizer or paired with hot cooked rice and a stir fry!

Ingredients:

1 pound firm tofu ( I only used half of this amount)

3 Tablespoons of sugar

3 Tablespoons of soy sauce ( I used the lite soy sauce and it tasted fine)

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 Tablespoon minced ginger ( I didn't have any and once again it tasted fine without it)

1 clove garlic, peeled, and minced

2 tablespoons of thinly sliced green onions, including the tops.

1/8 teaspoons of pepper (or to taste)

1/2 cup hot water, you will need this for step 2

1.  Cut tofu into 2 by 3 inch, 1/2 thick slices, and pat dry to get out the water.

2. Place sugar in a 10-12 inch frying pan over a medium-high heat; shake pan often until sugar is melted and amber colored, 2-3 mins.  Add 1/2 cup hot water( mixture will bubble) and stir over medium heat until caramelized sugar is dissolved.

3.Stir in soy sauce, shallots, ginger, and garlic; stir often over high heat until boiling.  Layer tofu pieces in a single layer in sauce.  Simmer, uncovered over a medium-low heat for 5 mins.  With a wide spatula, turn pieces over until hot and evenly coated with sauce, 3-4 mins longer of cooking after you flip the pieces.

4. Transfer the tofu and sauce to a serving dish or plate and sprinkle the tops with green onions and pepper. 

ENJOY!

Per serving: 219 calories (89 from fat), 19 g protein, 18 g carbs, 0 mg chol, and 790 mg sodium.

Recipe credit: Sunset Magazine pg. 138

Photo: mine