LiveLoveFitness.com Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Like with all my meal plans I try to buy ORGANIC (or cage fee, grass fed etc) whenever possible! Here is a CLEAN spin on typical Thanksgiving fare. While it lacks in a ton of butter and cream it doesn’t lack in flavor! Wishing you and your families a happy and HEALTHY Thanksgiving!

Serve hummus and crudité (cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, etc)

Here is a great recipe from The Beauty Detox for a healthy “dip” substitute I love this with Mary’s Gone Crackers and the Multigrain Pita crackers

• 1 cup of raw, unsalted macadamia nuts
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup sundried tomato, chopped
• ¼ tsp. Celtic or Himalayan sea salt
• 2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley (any variety)
• Black pepper to taste

1. Place the macadamia nuts in the food processor with the lemon juice, and blend well. Next add the chopped sundried tomato and sea salt, and blend again. The mixture will be moist and “crumbly” but not wet at all.

2. Spoon the mixture into a bowl, and mix the chopped parsley throughout the whole mixture.

Enjoy by scooping on top of a green salad. Or wrap in collard greens with sprouts. Right before serving I like to add some fresh cracked black pepper to the top, which seems to give it an extra bit of spark.

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Pumpkin Hummus

• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed well)
• 1 cup canned organic pumpkin
• 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for a minimum of 2 hours to soften)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (give or take a little to taste, add some zest if you desire)
• 1/4 teaspoon spice blend (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger…think apple pie here!)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• olive oil as needed to thin

Blend all ingredients in high speed blender or food processor. Stop halfway through to scrape sides and be sure all flavors are being fully blended together. You can add olive oil and/or orange juice until your desired consistency is achieved. Serve with pita chips- regular or cinnamon.

Recipe from Be Vibrant Cleanse ( full program coming soon!)

Turkey on Thanksgiving is great, but don’t overdo it. Have a small serving of white meat (skip the skin), and then fill up on delicious vegetable side dishes.

•      3/4 cup uncooked wild rice (or equal amount of uncooked quinoa)

     2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped apple (including peel)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 cups diced celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup organic chicken broth 1/4 cup

slivered almonds or pine nuts, toasted

1. Rinse wild rice two to three times — until water runs clear.

2. Place wild rice and water in a 1 1/2 quart sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed, stirring frequently. Do not burn. Cook wild rice for about 30 minutes. (If you’re using quinoa, cook it for about 15 minutes.)

3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion, mushrooms, apple, cranberries and celery. Stir and heat through until tender. Add the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Continue to stir and cook slowly until fragrant, about 10 minutes total.

4. Combine the rice, the fruit/vegetable mixture and chicken broth in a large bowl. Use to stuff turkey. Or bake in a dish coated with nonstick spray. Cover and keep warm in oven until serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

•  1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 2 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 head roasted garlic, squeezed out of skins (the whole bulb not clove) *optional*

1.    Boil potatoes and cauliflower together till tender.

2.    Drain and mash potatoes, cauliflower, oil and butter (If you want a creamery dish you can add to a blender)

3.    Add the rest of ingredients mix through.

• 1 pound of green beans, stemmed and trimmed
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tblsp lemon juice
• Braggs Amino Acids to taste ( start with a tsp)
• Himalayan pink salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste.

Directions:

Heat oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan, add lemon juice & beans, cover and cook for 3 minutes

Add garlic and cook until fragrant – about 30 seconds

Season with braggs, salt, and pepper.

** optional toppings can be sesame seeds, toasted slivered almonds

Rum Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Substitute your traditional sweet potatoes with sugar and marshmallows with this fabulous treat

• 3 cups of slightly coked cubed sweet potatoes ( if uncooked bake longer )
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or a combination of cinnamon,  allspice, nutmeg)
• 1 Tblsp coconut oil a few dashes of himalayan salt maple syrup
• I also love to add in crushed pineapple with a little of the juice!
• **optional RUM – drizzle your favorite Rum  over potatoes( Bacardi, coconut, dark Myers)

mix in bowl with all ingredients; pour into a pan, toss with coconut oil, lightly drizzle maple syrup with chopped nuts ( pecans, almonds, walnuts- you pick!) and toss again. sprinkle with himalayan salt and cook at 350′ for 25 minutes

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups reduced-sodium fat-free broth ( chicken or turkey )
• 2 tablespoons flour ( amaranth, rice )
• 1 pinch pepper

1.    In a saucepan, saute onion, mushrooms and parsley in ¼ cup broth until vegetables are tender.

2.    Combine flour, pepper, and ½ cup of broth; stir until smooth.

3.    Add to pan with the remaining broth.

4.    Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, boil for 2 minutes.

Apple Cranberry Slab Pie 

Pie is one of the world’s greatest foods. It’s comforting, sweet and filling. I adore pie. You know what I don’t adore? The fat and calories. So I decided to try and do something about this and come up with a yummy apple pie that is low in calories and packed with yummy apple flavor. The result is the tasty slab pie that minimizes the crust and maximizes the apples. I also added chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to spice things up. The best part: one large slice of this pie has ONLY 149 CALORIES!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour (can substitute with gluten free flour)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 4 tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1/2 cup COLD water, divided
• 4 large apples, washed, cored and cut into 1/2″ wide slices
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp raw honey or agave nectar
• 3/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries, chopped
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil

adapted from original recipe at GenYFoodie 

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin pie may be a Thanksgiving staple, but it may be more calories than you care to add to your holiday feast. This vegan bread pudding recipe, however, is both a cinch to make (its preparation barely requires anything more than throwing all the ingredients in a bowl) and low calorie. While the ingredients I used weren’t explicitly animal-product-free, you can easily make this recipe vegan by choosing bread, maple syrup, and sugar that’s not processed using animal products.

Read on for the simple Thanksgiving dessert that will save you time in the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 slices whole grain or sourdough bread (day-old is best and choose gluten free)
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Powdered sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cube bread and spread on baking sheet. Toast for 7-8 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. If you’re using day-old bread, just cube the bread and move on to the next step.
2. Combine almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin puree in mixing bowl, beat to combine.
3. Add raisins and mix to combine. Add cubed whole wheat bread and gently mix until bread cubes are covered with mixture.
4. Let sit for 10-15 minutes for mixture to soak bread.
5. Gently pour mixture into an 8×8 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until brown on top and knife comes out clean.
6. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.

Serves 6-8. I liked it on its own, but it would also be amazing served warm next to a scoop of vanilla soy or coconut milk ice cream.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups of cut fresh fruit ( crisp apples, pears, peaches, plums …you choose )
• 1 cup fresh berries ( raspberries & cranberries are my favorites)
• 1/2 cup apple juice or (1/4 cup apple juice 1/4 cup orange juice)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour ( can use gluten free flours as well )
• 2 cups topping : combine  1 1/2 cup oats , 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp brown sugar, a dash of honey or maple syrup…can add in granola as well

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the fruit and berries and pour into an eight- or nine-inch-square baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple juice, flour, and cinnamon. Pour over the fruit. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and lightly press down.
3. Bake until hot and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.