Turkey day and holiday fare
It’s that time of year again-Thanksgiving is around the corner along with the holiday season!
Use tips from the mindful eating blog to help guide your intake including chewing every bite slowly and eating off a smaller plate.
Use the healthy plate model when framing your plate: make the base of your plate a non-starchy vegetable.
Try to minimize the calories you drink. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have dessert instead!
Eat with your non-dominant hand to give your brain exercise (and to slow you down).
Be sure not to skip breakfast that morning so your body does not go into primal hunger overdrive.
Go for an after-dinner walk rather than sitting on the couch and dozing off right away.
Below are a few healthy, festive recipes to enjoy along with your favorite, classic ones.
Chickpea stuffing
Ingredients:
4 cans of chickpeas rinsed well
2 shallots
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
6 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs or 2 tbsp of flax plus 6 tbsp of water
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375F
Drain and rinse chickpeas well
Heat 1/2 cup of broth in a large sauteing pan
Add in shallots, carrots and celery until onions/celery and stir for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables get a little soft
Add all ingredients to a greased 9x9 baking dish, stirring in remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
Bake for 1 hour until top looks golden and crispy
Cauliflower stuffing
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped or thinly sliced
1 small head cauliflower, chopped finely and put in a food processor so resembles "rice" (you can also buy it already don this way)
1 c. chopped mushrooms
kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c. Freshly Chopped Parsley
2 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
Directions:
Heat skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery and sauté until soft, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add cauliflower and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Add parsley and rosemary stir until combined, then pour over vegetable broth and cover with a lid. Cover until totally tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 minutes.
Butternut squash apple soup
Ingredients:
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 sprig fresh sage
1 white onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup low fat milk or almond or coconut milk
Directions:
Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a large slow cooker. Toss to combine.
Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in milk.
Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Taste, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve warm, with optional garnishes if desired.
Apple Crumble
Ingredients:
Filling Ingredients:
6 cups finely chopped apples
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
⅛ tsp nutmeg
⅛ tsp cloves
½ cup maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
1½ tbsp lemon juice
Optional: a handful of raisins or dried cranberries
Topping Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour (or any other nut flour)
½ cup slivered almonds
¼ cup maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
optional: an additional 2 tbsp slivered almonds for topping
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a pie dish (or any similar size pan) and set aside.
Mix all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl. Transfer to the pie dish and spread evenly.
Mix all topping ingredients (except slivered almonds reserved for garnish, if using) in a separate small mixing bowl until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples in the pie dish. Garnish with slivered almonds if desired.
Bake in a preheated oven for approx 30 minutes, until the crumble turns golden brown.
Source: http://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/simple-paleo-gluten-free-vegan-apple-crumble/