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Mindful Holiday Eating

December 2nd, 2009

Holiday Recipes For Living Well

The holiday season is filled with recipes from family, religious and social traditions and many of us have favorites we make year after year.  In fact, the foods we eat are often what make the holidays special.  Here are a few ideas to consider if you want to try something new or simply make your old favorites more nutritious. 

Cauliflower “Mashed” Potatoes    mashed cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1/8 skim milk
Salt & pepper
Paprika
Cook cauliflower until fork tender. Place cauliflower (in pieces), skim milk, salt and pepper in blender. Whip until smooth. Pour cauliflower into small baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika and bake in hot oven until bubbly.

Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

cranberry sauce

2 c. fresh cranberries
6 tbsp. raisins
6 oz. frozen apple juice, undiluted
1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
Combine all ingredients. Simmer gently until cranberries are all popped. This may be served warm or chilled. 

Optional Additional Ingredients: walnuts, cut up fruit such as pineapple, cherries, apples, or apricots.  Serves six.

Sugar Free Apple Pie Apple Pie

1 double crust pastry for 9 inch pie
   (better yet, use whole wheat pastry)
3/4 c. (or 6 oz.) frozen apple juice concentrate
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Dash cloves and allspice
3 1/2 c. fresh, sliced apples
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. butter
Roll out half of your pastry to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Trim excess to overlap only 1 inch. In large sauce pan, heat undiluted apple juice concentrate and spices. Add apple slices; cook on medium heat a few minutes until partly tender. Transfer apple slices to small bowl. Set aside apple juice mixture. In another small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, stirring until they form a smooth mixture. Add cornstarch mixture to juice in sauce pan; cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Add apples to sauce mixture, removing it from heat. Allow mixture to cool slightly. Fill the unbaked pastry shell with pie filling. Dot top of fruit with butter. Roll out top crust; fit over top of filled pie plate. Trim pastry to 1 inch beyond rim, forming a high, fluted edge. Cut several slits in top of pastry. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6 servings: 78 calories, 25 mg. sodium, 2.2 grams fat.


Simple Ways to Make Holiday Meals More Nutritious
   ~Use whole wheat or whole grain breads and flour in cooking & baking.
   ~Drizzle vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, beans etc)
     with a small amount of olive oil, add slices of fresh garlic and bake in
     oven at 375 for 45-60 minutes.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or
     sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese just before serving.
   ~Use non or low fat plain Greek yogurt instead of Sour Cream in
     recipes.
   ~Skip the appetizers and have your guests arrive in time for the meal.
   ~Mash potatoes with the skins on.
   ~Adding garlic, yogurt, horseradish or chives to mashed potatoes
     increases flavor and allows you to reduce butter or other fat.
   ~Have fresh fruit (not juice) available at every meal. 
   ~Substitute brown rice for white rice and whole grain pasta for semolina
     pasta in recipes.  Be sure to adjust spices and cooking time.

holly garland

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