The plates of appetizers. The piles of stuffing. It’s incredibly easy to eat a whopping 4,500 calories when you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner. But there’s a way to cut calories without sacrificing flavor (or the buttons on your pants). In fact, it might even be easier than you think.
Before resigning to a “healthy” dinner of steamed broccoli, dry turkey with no gravy and — gasp! — no dessert, check out these Thanksgiving recipes that are so flavorful, you won’t even realize they’re lower in fat and calories than your usual holiday fare.
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Roasted Turkey Breast with Currant Glaze
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
1 (2- to 3-lb.) boneless turkey breast
Add 1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup currant jelly
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. trans fat-free light butter spread
1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Place turkey breast on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. Rub on turkey breast. Cover roasting pan with foil.
2) Place pan in oven. Roast 1 1/2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F. Remove pan from oven and transfer turkey breast to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, for the currant glaze, remove roasting rack from pan, and place pan on two stove burners set on medium-high heat. Add sherry, stirring to loosen up any browned bits. Whisk in jelly and dry mustard; bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low; whisk in butter spread. Remove from heat. Pour glaze into a small serving bowl.
4) Slice turkey, and serve with currant glaze.
Makes 6 servings
Per serving: 345 calories, 5g fat, 3g saturated fat, 80mg cholesterol, 300mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 34g protein
Roasted Balsamic-Glazed Beets
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
3 lbs. beets, peeled and cut into wedges
1 1/2 tbsp. ShopRite® Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Modenaceti Balsamic Vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place beets on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and vinegar; sprinkle with garlic and rosemary. Toss to coat. Roast 45 minutes or until tender, turning once or twice. Transfer to a platter, and serve.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 225 calories, 9g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 175 mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate, 9g fiber, 5g protein
Celery Root Purée
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled and cut into cubes (about 2 lbs.)
1 cup cauliflower florets
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Fat-free milk
2 tbsp. trans fat free light butter spread
1) In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine celery root, cauliflower, onion, broth and thyme. Add enough milk just to cover vegetables. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Drain vegetables through a colander placed over a bowl to reserve the cooking liquid.
2) Transfer vegetables to a food processor or blender; add butter spread. Process until puréed or to desired consistency, adding reserved cooking liquid as needed. Transfer to a serving dish, and serve warm.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 170 calories, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 175mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 6g protein
Brussels Sprouts Slaw
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
30 minutes chill time extra
1 1/2 tbsp. Maille® Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
Then 2 tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt or light mayonnaise
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/3 cup currants
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1) For the dressing: in a small bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt, and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in oil. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) For the slaw: bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add Brussels sprouts; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking; drain.
3) Using a food processor fitted with a slicing blade, slice Brussels sprouts to a 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a large bowl. Add currants and half the dressing; toss to coat.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. When ready to serve, add almonds and remaining dressing; toss to combine, and serve.
Makes 4 servings
Per serving: 138 calories, 7g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 175mg sodium, 18g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 5g protein
Cranberry Cookie Bars
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
30 minutes chill time and 5 minutes cooling time extra
1 1/2 cups trans fat free light butter spread, room temperature
3 cups flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (12-oz.) pkg. fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
1) Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper; coat with nonstick baking spray. For the dough, in a large bowl and using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together butter spread, flour, brown sugar and salt. Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into baking pan. Cover pan and remaining dough; refrigerate 30 minutes.
2) Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium pot over high heat combine cranberries, granulated sugar, raspberries, lemon juice, lemon zest and 1/2 cup water; bring to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. (Mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.)
3) Remove pan with dough from refrigerator. Using a fork, prick dough all over. Place pan in oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.
4) Top crust with cranberry filling, spreading evenly. Break remaining dough into small pieces and sprinkle over filling. Return pan to oven and bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and, while still hot, cut into 24 squares. Serve warm or cooled.
Makes 24 (1-bar) servings
Per serving: 140 calories, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 135mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 2g protein
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