Eating Healthy

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Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:42am

Vegetable and Fruit Stuffing #5

10 cups wheat bread,
(a dense bakery bread), cut
into cubes
2 strips turkey bacon, stretched
and diced
1 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable
stock, low sodium
1 T butter, unsalted
2 yellow onions, diced
5 granny smith apples, peeled,
cored and diced
2 cups fennel, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
pinch salt
½ t pepper
½ t oregano
6 dates, dried and
chopped or 6 apricots,
dried and chopped
1/2 C egg beaters
2 T parsley, Flat leaf, chopped

Whole wheat bread gives this side staying power. The fruits and vegetables bulk up the dish,
so a little goes a long way. A bit of turkey bacon adds another layer of flavor without adding
many calories.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast bread cubes until light golden in color, about 12-15 minutes;
set aside and cool. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees. Place turkey bacon in a heavy
saucepan. On top of stove cook over moderate heat just until the fat is melted and the meat starts
to brown. Remove from pan; chop into a small dice and reserve. Drain off any excess fat and
discard. Melt butter in the saucepan. Add onions and saute until golden in color. To the onions,
add the diced bacon, apples, fennel and celery. Cook, stirring for 3-5 mintues. Spray with pan spay
a 13 X 9 baking dish. Combine toasted bread, vegetable mixture, and stock to a large bowl. Mix in
herbs, seasonings, fruit, and beaten eggs. Transfer to baking dish. Cover with foil that has been
sprayed with pan spray. Cook 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned;
about 20 minutes.

Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:40am

Cranberry Relish #4

3/4 c sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 oranges, zest and fruit, discard pith and membrane
2 c cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 t cinnamon, ground
pinch cloves, ground

Toss the canned cranberry jelly and use this homemade version instead. It's ready in no time, has
less sugar than the store-bought stuff, and is full of healthy fruit! While you might question why
this recipe needs the amount of sugar it contains, you'll understand as soon as you taste a fresh
cranberry--they're tart!
Remove the zest from the two oranges using a zester or a small knife. Place the zest, sugar, and
3/4 cup of water into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add cranberries and
continue to cook until the cranberries start to pop, about 2 minutes. Transfer entire mixture to the
bowl of a food processor. Add the oranges and spices to the mixture. Process until mixture is
combined. Transfer to a plastic or glass container and refrigerate, covered, for 12 hours.
A serving is 2 tablespoons.

Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:38am

Apple Cider Gravy #3

1/2 c turkey juices (leftover from roasting and fat removed)
4 c chicken stock (homemade or low sodium)
1 1/4 c apple cider
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 t dried thyme
3 T all-purpose flour

Gravy gets a bad rap, but this tasty sauce can be made with almost no fat.
The trick is to skim the fat from your pan juices (either put it in the fridge or use cheesecloth to
soak up the fat). Depending on their size, turkeys will yield varying amounts of juices. From a
12-pound roasted turkey, you can expect about 1/2 cup defatted jus (juice).

Remove turkey from roasting pan. In a small cup, combine the flour and 1/2 cup of the stock; set
aside. Skim any visible fat from roasting pan with cheesecloth. Place the roasting pan on the
stove and turn the burner to medium heat. (Remember there might be fat remaining in the pan
or on the outside, so don't let the heat get too hot--it will burst into flames!) Vigorously scrape
the bottom of the pan with a long-handled spoon to deglaze it, and add the apple cider. Bring
to a boil and reduce the liquid by half--it should take about 5 minutes at medium heat. Slowly
add the remaining 3 1/2 c stock; whisk it into the cider mixture. Allow to simmer for 6 minutes.
Whisk in the flour and stock mixture; bring gravy to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. The gravy
will start to thicken. Add salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat
and strain. I don't bother to strain it myself.

Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:36am

Herb Roasted Turkey #2

12 lb. turkey
1 orange
2 T olive oil
1 T rosemary
1 t thyme
1 t sage
1/2 t black pepper

For perfect results try using a V-rack in your roasting pan or roast the turkey on a bed of
vegetables. Once the fat from the turkey melts, it falls to the bottom of the roasting pan. When
that happens, the bottom quarter of the bird does not roast--it braises in its own juices. The
vegetables or V-rack prevents this from happening. NOTE: The vegetables cooked in this way
have more fat and calories (amount will vary) than the Roasted Root Vegetables.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove the giblets and neck if they are encased within the turkey.
Rinse and pat the turkey dry. Slice the orange in half and stuff inside the bird. In a small bowl,
combine oil and seasonings. Rub the seasonings under the skin and on top of the breast of the
turkey. Rub any remaining seasonings over the entire turkey. If the legs are not secured with a
wire, tie them together with kitchen string. Place the turkey on a V-rack in a roasting pan,
tucking the legs under the bird.
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue
cooking the turkey until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached for the breast or 180
for the leg. Also look for other indications of doneness: loose joints and juices running clear. If
turkey begins to turn dark brown before the internal temperature is met, cover the breast with
foil and continue to roast. If you do not have a V-rack you can create one by placing chopped
carrots, celery, and onion (about 1/2 cup each), under the turkey.

Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:35am

Roasted Squash Soup #1

1 T olive oil
1 c onions, chopped fine
1 large butternut squash,
approx. 3 lbs
4 c low sodium chicken stock
1 orange
1/2 c orange juice

Studies have shown that starting a meal with a broth-based soup will lead you to eat fewer
calories over the course of a meal. Try a two for one: The next time you are turning on the oven
to 375 degrees, roast the squash, cool it slightly, peel and package to freeze. On Thanksgiving
Day, you won't have to worry about finding time and precious space in your oven for the squash.
Or I cook the squash in my microwave in a large Corning Ware casserole dish with glass lid. I
just don't turn on my big oven unless I absoutely have to and only in the winter.
This soup gets a boost of flavor from cilantro pesto, but there's very little fat in this version.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel, halve, and remove the seeds from the squash. Dice into 3/4
inch cubes. Spray a roasting pan with nonstick cookin spray, add cubed squash, and spray the top
of the squash. Roast 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from oven. Place oil in a
dutch oven or medium size saucepan. Sauté the onion in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring,
until it is softened. Add the squash and stock; cook the mixture, covered, over moderately low heat
for 10 minutes. Add the orange zest and the juice; simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Using a blender or food processor, purée the mixture in batches. (For a smoother texture, strain the
soup through a sieve, but you'll remove some of the fiber.) In a blender or food processor, blend the
coconut, hot pepper, cilantro, orange juice and flesh until mixture forms a puree. If mixture is too
thick, add warm water to thin it. Ladle the soup into soup cups and garnish each serving with about
a teaspoon of the pesto.
Garnish
1/2 bunch cilantro, fresh, leaf only
1/4 c unsweetened coconut, flake
1 orange (zest, juice, and fruit)
1 serrano chili pepper

Comment by Sheryll S on November 10, 2009 at 10:32am

I am going to try to post 10, yes ten recipes for a great, but very easy Thanksgiving Dinner with less fat and bad stuff. Okay, this IS not going to be a lose weight diet menu, but real honest to goodness, good food.

Comment by Dede on October 17, 2009 at 1:04am

you just go to my profile there and you have to be logged in to comment.. it is just like here!! Say hi when you see me in the chat area!! Hope you like the site!

Comment by Rosi on October 15, 2009 at 10:45pm

Thanks Dede,
Well, I surf all over to leave a comment at Diva's cafe without any success. I'm not very good with computers. I only know the very basic. I want to get into my space, facebook but have no clue on how to join. Anyway, thanks and have a lovely rest of the week.
Rosi

Comment by Dede on October 15, 2009 at 12:47am

Hi Rosi! Thanks so much for joining our group!!

Comment by Dede on September 28, 2009 at 2:17pm

Thanks Ivan! I have slowed down a bit here! I need to do more:) I agree. Papaya is wonderful and taste delicious. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

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