03 Nov 2012 Some healthy holiday meals
by Kellie Dye
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. When I was young, most kids couldn’t wait for Christmas. Not me. I was always counting down the days until Thanksgiving.
I’ve been a “foodie” since birth, so it’s no wonder that my favorite holiday would be food related. I looked forward to my mom’s wonderful dressing, my aunt’s lumpy mashed potatoes and my grandma’s red velvet cake and of course green bean casserole.
As I grew up I wanted to start my own Thanksgiving meal traditions.
I had a friend from Louisiana who showed me how to make Cajun oyster dressing. Don’t let the oysters scare you. This recipe is fantastic. For a few years the oyster dressing was served right next to my mom’s dressing.
Later, as I became more knowledgeable about nutrition, I started exploring new recipes for vegetables. Who knew green bean casserole made with real ingredients would be way more delicious than the casserole made with cream of mushroom soup. I continue to try new vegetable side dish recipes. In the past few years I have experimented with roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted beets.
I’ve had a few flops along the way. The horseradish cranberry sauce recipe not only looked like Pepto–Bismol, it was completely inedible. I once made cranberry sauce from scratch using fresh cranberries, which looked amazing. Once served, my family promptly reported that they preferred the cranberry sauce that slides out of the can. Needless to say, I no longer have the desire to experiment with cranberry sauce recipes.
Cajun Oyster Dressing
1 pint oysters, in their juice; drain, but save the liquid 3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (divided)
2 cups chopped celery (divided)
2 cups chopped green pepper (divided)
Seasoning mix:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. minced garlic
6 bay leaves, about 2-3 cups very fine breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over high heat, add 1-1/2 cups of the chopped onion, 1 cup of celery and 1 cup green pepper. Saute over high heat until onions are browned, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the seasoning mix ingredients; set aside.
When the onions are browned, stir 1 tbsp. of the seasoning mix and the 2 tsp. minced garlic into the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining onions, peppers and celery and 1 tbsp. of oil and the bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the liquid from the oysters, bring to a boil and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining seasoning mix and enough bread crumbs to make a moist, but not runny, dressing. Remove from heat and stir in the oysters. Spoon into a baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, take out the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.
For 12 servings: 250 calories, 25 grams of carbohydrate, 18 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the ends off of the sprouts and cut the large ones in half. Leave the smaller ones whole. Place them into a bowl and toss with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the Brussels sprouts onto the baking sheet and spread out evenly. Roast in the oven for about 30-35 minutes. Stir a few times while baking. Serve warm.
Makes 6 servings: 77 calories, 8 grams of carbohydrate, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber.
