Holiday cooking 101: Classic dishes made healthy

Posted: 12.21.2012 at 10:49 AM

The holidays are a time for many things, including filling up on loads of treats and sweets that we just can’t get enough of!

Sometimes, we tend to go a little overboard, consuming in one meal the calories we should eat throughout an entire day. What if we told you there are some swaps you can make to classic recipes that will cut your calories, fat, and sodium in half or more?

Marci Fuller, a nutritionist from HEB, did just that on Action 4 Sunrise this morning. Marci created 4 dishes for your dinner, including stuffing, sides, and desserts, replacing a few ingredients with healthier options, and adding herbs to give these dishes flavor.

Here’s a look at some of her recipes:

Kale and Apple Dressing
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
5 Tbsp. Hill Country Fare Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
3/4 lb. Italian seasoned lean ground turkey
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 ribs of celery, diced
1 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 stale loaf whole wheat bread, cubed into ¼ inch squares
1 large honeycrisp or fuji apple, roughly chopped
2 cups Central Market Organics reduced sodium chicken broth
1 whole egg

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Heat oil in a large pot and cook ground turkey until browned. Remove ground turkey from pot and set aside.
3.Heat onion and celery with salt and pepper in the large pot for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cooked turkey back into pot with vegetables.
4.Slowl mix half of the kale in to turkey mixture. When wilted, mix in the remaining kale and allow it to cook until kale has wilted.
5.Pour remaining oil in to pot and slowly fold in sage and bread cubes until well coated. Mix in chopped apples.
6.In a small mixing bowl, stir together chicken broth and egg. Pour egg mixture into the pot and toss until stuffing is well coated.
7.Pour stuffing into a large baking dish and bake for 40 minutes or until top of stuffing has browned.

Roasted Red Potatoes
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 lb. SMALL RED POTATOES
1 package (10oz) H-E-B ASPARAGUS
1 pint H-E-B ANGEL SWEET TOMATOES
1 Tbsp. H-E-B EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 sprig FRESH ROSEMARY
1/8 tsp. H-E-B KOSHER SALT
1/4 tsp. HILL COUNTRY FARE GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Wash potatoes under running water and scrub with a vegetable scrubber. Pat dry with a dish cloth and cut each potato in half.
3.Remove asparagus from package and cut in half. Combine potatoes, asparagus, and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
4.Remove leaves off of rosemary sprig and chop roughly.
5.Add rosemary to mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
6.Arrange vegetables in one layer on a baking sheet and roast 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Butternut Squash Casserole
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients
8 cups butternut squash, mashed
2/3 cup Hill Country Fare fat-free milk
1/2 cup Hill Country Fare Sugar-free Pancake Syrup
1/2 cup Hill Country Fare zero calorie sweetener for baking
1 cup H-E-B Real Eggs
1 ½ tsp. H-E-B Vanilla Extract
2 tsp. Hill Country Fare Ground Cinnamon
2 cups Hill Country Fare mini marshmallows

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Slice squash into 4 pieces and arrange in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 8 minutes or until very tender. Scoop out flesh of squash mash in a large mixing bowl with a potato masher until desired texture is reached.
3.Combine milk, syrup, sweetener, egg substitute, vanilla, and cinnamon with the squash and stir until well blended.
4.Pour squash mixture into a deep, oven-safe casserole dish and bake for 50 minutes. Top with mini marshmallows and return to the oven until browned, about 10 minutes. Allow the casserole a few minutes to cool before serving.

De-light -ful Pumpkin Pie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:
1 can (15oz) Hill Country Fare Solid Pack Pumpkin
1 can (12oz) Hill Country Fare Fat Free Evaporated Milk
4 egg whites
2/3 cup H-E-B white granulated sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 sheets (8 crackers) Hill Country Fare Honey Graham Crackers
• Hill Country Fare Fat Free Whipped Topping
• Ground cinnamon

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray. Set dish aside.
2.Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg whites, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice in a large mixing bowl. Beat until well blended.
3.Pour pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie dish. Bake for 45 minutes and then chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
4.Slice pie into 8 servings and serve with a dollop of whipped topping and sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

*For 2 tablespoons of fat-free whipped topping, add only 10 calories and 2g of carbohydrates. Remember, ground cinnamon is calorie-free and rich in antioxidants!