Healthy Holiday Recipes

As family, friends and relatives gather together for the holiday season, good home cooking is on everyone’s minds. You can easily prepare these delicious healthy holiday recipes to enjoy at home, at your company Christmas party, or as you head to your family’s Thanksgiving dinner. No matter where you go to share your feast, with these healthy recipes you’ll be a hit!

Let’s Start with Dessert First!

After spoiling your taste buds with our

Hearty Pumpkin Pie dessert, we have three delectable main dish recipes for your holiday menu. Everyone will be thankful for Stuffed Turkey Breast, Cioppino Seafood Stew and Vegetarian Thanksgiving Lasagna this year, even the leftovers.

Don’t forget to pack up your magically delicious homemade goodies into a picnic basket, insulated cooler or tote and arrive in style! Check out our other great healthy recipes for more holiday menu ideas!

Hearty Pumpkin Pie

Serves: 8

This healthy pumpkin pie has several alternatives you can use with the ingredients and it will always come out irresistibly delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 8 ounces skim milk or low-fat soymilk
• 5 egg whites (Recommend: use 2 egg white for the crust)
• 1 reduced fat graham cracker crust
• 3/4 cup Splenda sugar substitute
• Pumpkin Pie Spice (OR: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg & 1/4 tsp. cloves)

Directions

1. Ensure your pumpkin piecrust does not turn soggy by beating 2 egg whites and brushing it over the crust before popping it in the oven for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees.
2. Take out crust.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
4. Mix pumpkin, milk and 3 egg whites until smooth.
5. Stir in Splenda sugar gradually with 1/4 cup at a time.
6. Add Pumpkin Pie Spice (OR 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg & 1/4 tsp. cloves)
7. Taste test and add more ingredients or spice if need be.
8. Pour into pre-baked crust and spread evenly
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes
10. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes
11. Cool pie, serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Turkey Breast

(Recipe Credit: Martha Stewart)

Serves: 6

Ready in less than an hour. Wrap a boneless turkey breast with bacon, fill with herbs, and cook over other vegetables. Use carrots, parsnips, turnips, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables for a holiday feast everyone will melt over!

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Sea salt
• Black Pepper
• 1 (about 1 3/4 pounds) boneless, skinless turkey breast
• 4 slices (4 ounces) bacon (Recommend: Turkey Bacon)
• 1 lb. white potatoes, well scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 (about 8 ounces) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine parsley, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper.
• Slice breast almost in half horizontally, leaving it attached on one side. Open like a book; season inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey (below) with herb mixture; cover with turkey bacon slices, tucking ends underneath the turkey.
• Combine cut potatoes, carrots, and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe dish. Place turkey on top. Cover, and cook on high 15 minutes.
• Stir vegetable mixture; return dish to microwave. Cook, uncovered, until turkey is 160 degrees (on an instant-read thermometer) and juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife, and vegetables are tender, 5 to 10 minutes more.
• Let turkey rest 5 minutes before slicing crosswise and serving with vegetables.

Cioppino - Seafood Stew

(Recipe Credit: Martha Stewart)

Serves: 8

Impress the holiday crowd with this rich and heavenly seafood stew! Prepare ahead of time and finish just 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve it. This dish goes wonderfully with warm french bread or toast! If you opt out the crab legs, just add an additional 8-10 ounces of white fish and your stew will be just as hearty and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 2 pounds shell-on king crab legs (or Dungeness crab legs), cut into 2-inch pieces (optional)
• 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
• 1 lb. firm, skinless white fish fillets (such as red snapper, sea bass, or halibut), cut into bite-size pieces
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs. large shrimp (about 30), peeled and de-veined, tails left on if desired
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in thyme, oregano, red-pepper flakes, and bay leaf.
• Add crushed tomatoes and their juice, wine, water, and clam juice; bring to a simmer.
• Add crab and clams. Simmer, covered about 10 minutes, until crab shells turn bright pink and clamshells open.
• Season fish with sea salt and black pepper. Add fish and shrimp to stockpot. Simmer, covered, until fish is opaque and shrimp are pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and any unopened clams.
• Remove pot from heat. Stir in parsley. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Lasagna

(Recipe Credit: Judith Fertig)

Serves: 12

A vegetarian entrée that will please and feed your hungry holiday crowd and taste even better the next day!

Ingredients

• 9 No-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup coarsely shredded carrot
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 cubs cubed butternut squash
• 1 (16 ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano, crushed
• 2 cups cream0style cottage cheese, drained
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions

• Oil a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and sauté onion and mushrooms until the mushrooms begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, squash and spinach and cook, stirring until tender.
• Stir in marinara sauce and oregano.
• Preheat the oven 375 degrees.
• In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the cottage cheese and egg.
• Layer 3 noodles in the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture, 1/3 of the vegetable mixture and 1/3 of the Monterey Jack Cheese. Continue to layer, ending with 1/3 of the Monterey Jack Cheese sprinkled on top.
• Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Being able to choose healthier selections for your holiday meals isn’t always going to be easy, but remember that portion sizes will help keep your pant sizes from increasing. Another trick is to bring your own healthy dish to holiday get-togethers so you have at least one healthy option amongst the tables of food!

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