Low Cal Holiday Recipes!

Holidays are an opportunity to expand your culinary skills and bring wonderfully flavored beautifully presented food to the table. Try a new recipe or perform a bit of recipe magic on a family favorite and take it to an equally appreciated lower calorie place on the table.

Post your holiday recipes in this handy dandy spot so we can all use the thread as a special holiday cookbook (links to a cc recipe is great, if you don't know how or need help send me a pm).

Here's a generous 66 calorie per serving of fresh green beans/mushrooms/prosciutto to start the recipe exchange:

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-green-b eans-prosciutto-recipe-r280839

What is your favorite holiday recipe? Can it be made equally tasty and beautiful yet lower calorie? Can't wait to see what Mindful Eating can come up with!

Here's mine.  It's made with low fat ingredients, half the sugar and cut into small servings to make it low calorie.

Best Ever Apple Cake

I don't have any recipes, BUT I'm going to try some different things on the relish tray like turnips and beets. And, I can make fruit trays to graze on instead of wings, cheese, dips, cookies, candy... I look forward to some good recipes to try.

Your recipe sounds delicious. I am a big green bean fan as well as brussels sprouts, which I have included a link for the recipe below:

http://caloriecount.about.com/brussels-sprout s-roasted-chestnuts-recipe-r281203

One of the things I love about this recipe is that  there are several flavors and textures going on, the other thing I love is that it's very filling for the calories. If I eat this, I am always too full to eat the starchy items, like the bread or stuffing.  It's also pretty simple to make (and can be made ahead of time).

The sprouts and chestnuts sound terrific! Creating food that satisfies in so many ways like your dish does is one of the keys to making eating lower calorie a joy - which makes it worthy of a special dinner!

I've been on a green bean kick and found a Martha Stewart that sounded interesting - except for the fat.. and that there was no way enough garlic.. and way too much salt... she also had it totally green, so I added sweet red peppers to provide a pretty touch of seasonal color. It'll look particularly lovely in my black stoneware.

I think I've got the recipe fixed (apologies to Martha) - haven't tried it yet and am already thinking it needs another spice. Do any of you have a good idea for one to add?

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-green-b eans-poblano-recipe-r281578

The semi-Martha recipe sounds good.  I think the chiles are going to add a lot of flavor to it already so herbs might get lost in the dish.  It might be good to use roasted red peppers instead of just raw, they seem sweeter and  they might balance out the heat a little. I might also add the carmalized onions back in after the beans were cooked so they retain their  texture.  Never know until you try though.

I grew up eating beans cooked in bacon grease. I don't eat that anymore, but I really loved that smokey flavor.  I have found a great substitute. Instead of adding regular salt, I add smoked salt. I've never found this in a regular grocery store, but I did find some in a spice store in Colorado (but I'm sure it can be ordered online). It puts so much flavor into a dish, it's amazing. I've added it to grilled veggies, rubbed it on salmon.  I probably use less than I would if it was regular salt and it is very satisfying when I'm craving fattier versions of some foods.  I combine it with smoked pepper when I really want a smokey flavor but don't want to add too much salt.

I've got a suggestion for people that are not fond of turkey or who simply have small or nonexistent families. This is a recipe for vege stuffed roasted chicken. I used to make this when the kids were little using a Sunday Roaster and even my little "what's that green thing?!" child loved this.

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-roast-c hicken-recipe-r282714

I haven't run the associated chicken gravy through the analysis yet, but will do so in case it's fine as is or if it needs tweaking.

Oh, I saw a mashed potato recipe on the last World's Healthiest Foods newsletter. The calories were not much improved over the traditional, but the health factor was ramped up like crazy. I may try them today and see if less olive oil would do. Claire, I know you get whf news, have you tried his mashed potatoes?

ps - my response to the anti-green anti-combine your flavors child was "oh that's just parsley, it doesn't have a flavor, it's just there for decoration". For some reason that always worked! LOL! She's 22 now. Every now and then we still tell her that and she just cracks up.

Special meals often have items that are much loved as they are and they would notice if you de-caloried them. I don't believe in a restrictive or overly strict way of eating as that so often backfires or creates a negative attitude towards food and fun. Just be mindful and have enough to enjoy them and feel satisfied - no guilt should be attached or you may find that you eat mindless quantities in response.

One of my family's must have high calorie part of Thanksgiving is cornbread sausage stuffing cooked inside the bird. I've never measured the ingredients before but I am positive that the following recipe is pretty close - I searched similar recipes and the measured amounts and serving size are consistent so I am confident of the calories - 310 (edited once I found out what the calories really were!) if I remember right for a large Jannid style serving. I've included the safe serve temperature for the stuffing in the recipe.

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-cornbre ad-sausage-stuffing-recipe-r285040

Next time I post, I'm going to post the recipe for butterflake layered rolls that I have been commanded to make every time we are invited elsewhere for special meals. Haven't run the recipe through the analysis yet, so will do that this weekend.

What recipes of yours does your family insist on having?

I've never made sweet potato casserole before. Am torn between what seemed to be the least sugary of the on-line casserole recipes and the CC blog recipe for maple roasted sweet potatoes, but not sure if that will make the casserole person happy. What do you think?  Are any of you casserole fans? Would the maple one suit? Here's the recipes:

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannid-maple-ro ast-sweet-potatoes-recipe-r289105

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-sweet-p otato-streusel-recipe-r289103 

Thanks!

They both sound delicious to me. The streusel one is similar to one I've made, but yours is a much lighter version. In fact, I have been debating whether to make mine or not because it's so full of calories (calls for a full cup of butter!) I may have to "steal" your recipe for this year. Thanks!

The streusel one I make is a real crowd pleaser, but it definitely has a desserty taste to it. Almost reminds me of pumpkin pie.

I think the maple flavored roasted potatoes would make a great side dish, it would have more substance to it then the casserole and taste more like a great vegetable instead of dessert.

For me, I would 'wow' over the streusel and eat too much of it (cause that's what I do), but I would also enjoy the other.  Darn, now I'm thinking maybe I should make the other recipe instead!  Well, I have three more days to decide.

Gosh , I feel like I am getting to this convo so LATE... better that than never...okay... I ALWAYS make cranberry chutney... usually in two versions... one for the nut eaters.. and one for my MIL... I will make that... it involves dried cherries, lots of hot chili beppers, sugar, vinegar, cranberries, toasted walnuts...

I also ALWAYS make french green beans with toasted almonds and garlic... delish.. wetting agent is olive oil... minimal, though...

This year I am hosting (first time I am allowed in 18 years) we are making two turkeys.. one is smoked (done day ahead of time)..the other is brined, dry rubbed with Italian seasonigns (featuring fennel).. and roasted (gave up on the bbq idea without a trial run)... doing citrus cran. relish, and chutney, and sauce.. doing green beans, doing sweet potatoe dish (maybe JANs).. making pannetone stuffing (new)... giant gorgeous salad with mandarin oranges, nuts and dried cranberries...pumpkin pie/ice cream and a fruit and cheese platter for dessert... hors d'oevres: ricotta cheese and carmelized onion mini tarts... brie and bread...

I love the idea of maple flavored roasted potatoes... probably gonna try those.. make up the old mind today-tomorrow... this is SO MUCH FUN!!!!

I kept forgetting to do my roll recipe, so here it is:

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-butterc rust-flake-aparts-recipe-r290175 

I have made these since about 1975 and they have been literally demanded by friends - I am not asked what I would like to bring to dinners, I am told, You Are Bringing Those Rolls, aren't you?! Each has 5 buttermilk enriched well buttered layers that when separated make lovely bite sized sandwiches with left over turkey. 

Don't bother looking at the calories.