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Recipe Corner: Healthy Thanksgiving Swaps

WakeMed Health & Hospitals Community Health & Wellness, Diet & Nutrition

These lighter Thanksgiving swaps are sure to leave you deliciously satisfied without the guilt. Give them a try!

View a printable version of these recipes.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

herb-roasted-turkey-vegetables

Prep Time: 20 m | Total Time: 1 h 10 m

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts (about 1 pound each)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and brush with oil.
  2. In a small bowl, combine parsley, garlic, sage, lemon zest, and olive oil, and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  3. Lay turkey breast flat on a cutting board, smooth side facing up. Lay a knife (a large one works best), parallel to the board, against breast center. Slice lengthwise, essentially cutting breast in half to make it flatter. But don’t cut all the way through— leave the other long side attached, so you can open it like a book and lay it flat.
  4. Spread half the herb mixture on each breast. Spread over 3/4 of the flattened breasts.
  5. Starting at the side of the breast with the filling, roll breast lengthwise and place on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. (If you’re worried about the breast falling apart, try tying it together with kitchen twine or securing the seam with toothpicks.) Brush tops of breasts with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the center temperature reads 165 degrees. (No thermometer? Just make sure meat is fully cooked and showing no pink.)
  7. To serve, slice at a diagonal to show the awesome swirl.

[via Greatist]

Festive Roast Pork

roasted-pork-loin

Prep Time: 10 m | Total Time: 1 h 20 m

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup dry cooking sherry or chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ground mustard
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (4 to 5 pounds)

Apricot Sauce

  • 1 jar (10 to 12 ounces) apricot preserves
  • 2 tablespoons dry cooking sherry or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large plastic bag or glass dish, combine the first six ingredients; mix well.
  2. Add pork roast, turning to coat all sides.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, turning occasionally.
  4. Drain and discard marinade. Place roast with fat side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
  5. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
  6. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine apricot sauce ingredients.
  7. Cook and stir until well mixed and heated through.
  8. Serve with roast.

[via Taste of Home]

Mashed Cauliflower

mashed-cauliflower

Prep Time: 10 m | Total Time: 25 m

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium heads cauliflower, florets removed
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 c. milk
  • kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped chives, for garnish
  • Butter, for serving

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets and cook until tender, 10 minutes. Drain well, pressing with paper towels or a clean dish towel to remove as much excess water as possible.
  2. Return to pot and mash cauliflower with a potato masher until smooth and no large chunks remain.
  3. Stir in cream cheese and milk and season with salt and pepper and mash until completely combined and creamy. (Add a couple tablespoons more milk until you reach desired consistency.)
  4. Garnish with chives, season with more pepper, and top with a pat of butter.

[Lindsay Funston via Delish]

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

butternut-squash-soup

Prep Time: 20 m | Total Time: 2 h 15 m

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 pounds whole butternut squash
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 7 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 6 thyme sprigs
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise pod
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Step 1

  1. Peel and seed squash, reserving peels, trimmings, and seeds.
  2. Cube peeled and seeded squash.
  3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon oil; swirl to coat.
  5. Add squash scraps; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
  6. Add 7 cups water, allspice, and next 5 ingredients (through anise).
  7. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes.
  8. Strain mixture into a large bowl; discard solids.

Step 2

  1. Wipe pan clean with paper towels; heat over medium heat.
  2. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil and onion; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add cubed squash; cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add reserved broth and salt; bring to a boil.
  5. Cover and simmer 40 minutes or until squash is very tender.

Step 3

  1. Place half of squash mixture in a blender.
  2. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender.
  3. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters).
  4. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture.
  5. Stir in vinegar and red pepper.
  6. Ladle soup into shallow bowls. Top evenly with pomegranate and cilantro.

[via Cooking Light]

Light & Luscious Pumpkin Pie

pumpkin-pie-slice

Prep Time: 35 m | Total Time: 1 h 45 m

INGREDIENTS

Oil Pastry

  • 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup cooking oil
  • 3 tablespoons fat-free milk

Pumpkin Filling

  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
  • ⅓ cup sugar or sugar substitute equivalent to ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup evaporated fat-free milk

DIRECTIONS

  1. To prepare pastry: Stir together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil and milk all at once to the flour mixture. Stir lightly with a fork. Form into a ball.
  2. Preheat oven to 450°F. On a well-floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten the dough; roll from center to edge into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer the pastry, wrap it around the rolling pin.
  3. Unroll the pastry into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease the pastry into the pie plate, being careful not to stretch. Trim the pastry to ½ inch beyond the edge of the pie plate. Fold under the extra pastry; flute or crimp edge as desired. Do not prick.
  4. Line the pastry with a double thickness of heavy foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack while preparing the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
  5. To prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, honey, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add egg and vanilla. Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour the filling into the baked pastry shell.
  6. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake until the filling appears set, 40 to 45 minutes (the edges of the filling may crack slightly).
  7. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. If desired, serve with dessert topping.

[by Diabetic Living Magazine via Eating Well]

Apple Crisp

apple-crisp

Prep Time: 15 m | Total Time: 1 h

INGREDIENTS

Filling

  • 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped small
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
For the Filling:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together. Place into 7 to 8-ounce ramekins.

Topping:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Blend the butter into the mixture until it forms pea size lumps. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over filling.
  3. Bake crisps for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

[The Neelys via Food Network]

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