Thanksgiving fills our minds with images of golden, mouthwatering turkey, mountains of mashed potatoes, and all the sweet pumpkin pie you can eat. As wonderful as the holiday can be — from giving thanks to spending time with loved ones — it can also be stressful for people who are trying to reach their fitness and nutrition goals. That’s why we want to give you some recipes that are a little more healthy but just as delicious.
Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts
SERVINGS: 24 SWEET POTATO ROUNDS
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato sliced into ¼ in. rounds
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 pinch ground cinnamon
Herbed Ricotta:
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp + 1 tsp honey
salt to taste
For Serving:
1 cup raw walnuts, roasted and chopped
¾ cup dried cranberries
honey
Instructions:
1. Combine ingredients for the herbed ricotta in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the sweet potato slices to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground cinnamon. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning on both sides of the sweet potato rounds. Arrange rounds on a large baking sheet (or two if necessary). Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds, then bake for another 17 to 20 minutes, or until rounds are cooked through and crispy on the edges.
3. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet. Ten minutes before the potato rounds are finished cooking, place the walnuts in the oven to roast.
4. Remove sweet potato rounds and walnuts from the oven. Place walnuts on a cutting board and chop.
5. Place oven on high broil setting and move the oven rack second to the top shelf. Place a dollop of herbed ricotta on each sweet potato round and place in the oven for 2 minutes, just until ricotta is melty and warm.
6. Top rounds with chopped roasted walnuts and dried cranberries. Drizzle with honey and serve!
Thanks to the Roasted Root for this yummy sweet potato recipe!
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Serving: 6
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
3 large shallots, sliced 1/8 in thick
1/4 cup almond meal or flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
7 tbsp olive oil, divided
10 oz white or brown button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
6 medium cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans, tips snipped off
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dry bay leaves
1 cup vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Place the cashews in a medium-sized bowl, and cover them with water until they are completely submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Once the cashews have soaked, drain them and rinse thoroughly. Place the cashews in a blender or food processor and add 1/2 cup of water. Process on high speed until pureed into a thick cream consistency.
2. Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels. Place the shallot slices in a medium bowl and sprinkle the almond meal, arrowroot flour, ground pepper, and salt over the shallots. Toss to evenly coat the shallots. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan on high. Once the oil starts to shimmer (but before it starts to smoke) reduce the heat slightly to medium-high and add the coated shallots and fry them, stirring constantly, until they are golden brown, about five minutes or so. Once they are golden brown, move them to the baking sheet.
3. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the sauté pan or skillet and turn to medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they are brown, about 5-7 minutes depending on how thick the mushrooms are. Pour the mushrooms and any accumulated liquid, into a heatproof bowl.
4. Add the final 2 tablespoons of oil to the sauté pan or skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook until they soften about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the green beans, thyme, bay leaves, pureed cashews and vegetable stock. Cook, stirring frequently until the beans are slightly tender but crisp in the center, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and liquid and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the green beans are tender and the sauce has thickened. Once done, season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the thyme and bay leaves before plating and sprinkle the fried shallots over the green beans before serving.
Thanks to Irvin Lin for this vegan-friendly twist on a classic!
Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Serving: 12 Spears
Ingredients:
12 asparagus spears
6 prosciutto slices/strips
A little ghee for frying
Instructions:
1. Wash asparagus and cut 2 cm off the ends. Cut prosciutto strips into two halves, going lengthways, you should end up with 12 strips.
2. Place each prosciutto strip on a chopping board at a 45-degree angle. Place one of the asparagus spears on top of the meat, perpendicular to it. The tip of the asparagus should be lined up with the bottom of the prosciutto strip. Wrap the bottom end of the prosciutto over the asparagus and holding the meat tight, start rolling the asparagus up. The prosciutto strip will wrap around the whole length of the spear because it’s on an angle.
3. Heat some ghee in a large, flat frying pan to sizzling hot. Fry wrapped asparagus spears for 1-2 minutes on each side or until prosciutto is brown and crispy.
Thanks to Amanda Jakubik for this delicious recipe!
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Tempeh
Serving: 4
Ingredients:
¼ cup uncooked wild rice
¼ cup uncooked brown basmati rice
1 ½ cups water or vegetable stock, a pinch of sea salt
1 large butternut squash
2 tbsp plus ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
8 ounces tempeh
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
A pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Seeds from ½ pomegranate
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place the wild and basmati rice in a pot or rice cooker with water or stock and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the liquid is absorbed (about 45 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Cut the squash lengthwise so that you have one piece that is more than half (about two-thirds) and the other about one-third. Scoop out and discard seeds and rub the larger piece with ½ tsp of olive oil. Place flesh-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Peel the other piece and cut it into ½ inch cubes. Place the cubes in a bowl, toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and spread in a single layer on the second baking sheet. Roast both for 35 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside.
4. In a castiron skillet over medium heat, saute the shallots and garlic in the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the celery and saute for 2 minutes longer. Crumble the tempeh and add it to the pan. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and maple syrup and pour over the tempeh. Fold to combine the continue sauteing to heat through.
5. Fluff the grain and add it to the tempeh mixture. Fold in the pepper flakes, cubed squash with the stuffing, allow it to overflow generously. Top with pomegranate seeds, slice into 4 equal portions and serve.
Thanks to Pickles and Honey for this amazing recipe!
Vegetarian Wild Mushroom Gravy
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp salt
8 oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup dry sherry
3 cups mushroom stock or vegetable broth
1 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp butter (or Earth Balance)
⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 1 minute. Add thyme, salt, and mushrooms and saute about 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned. Add sherry and cook until the liquid evaporates. Stir in broth.
2. Bring to a boil and cook until gravy is reduced to about 2 cups (about 14 minutes).
3. Whisk together flour and water in a small bowl. Add mixture to skillet; return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; stir in butter 1 tablespoon at a time and pepper.
Thanks to Nicole and Oh My Veggies for this yummy gravy alternative!
Herbed Wild Rice and Quinoa Stuffing
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil + more for greasing the baking dish + more for drizzling over the top
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery chopped about ½ cup
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves minced
1 tsp kosher salt + more to taste
½ cup dry-ish white wine
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups uncooked wild rice blend
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
1 ½ cups dried cranberries
1 cup raw pecans, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley + ¼ cup more for topping after baking
¼ cup fresh sage leaves, minced
Instructions:
1. Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil. When hot, add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, garlic, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for one more minute. Stir in wine, then add broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in the wild rice blend and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and cover again. Cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 more minutes. Stir in the cranberries, pecans, 1/2 cup parsley, and sage. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Remove from heat.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Rub a large (9-inch x 13-inch is best) casserole dish with a little olive oil. Lightly scoop the rice mixture into the casserole dish, lightly mounding it instead of mashing it down.
3. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with remaining chopped parsley. Serve.
Thanks to Kitchen Treaty for this amazing recipe!
Paleo Cranberry Sauce
Serving: 8
Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup honey or maple syrup to taste
Instructions:
1. Combine cranberries, orange juice, and honey or maple syrup in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, until berries pop and sauce thickens, about 10 – 15 minutes.
2. Cool completely and refrigerate.
3. Serve at room temperature.
Thanks to Lisa and Cook, Eat, Well for this easy recipe!