Everyone always has such great ideas, so I'd thought I'd tap your brains again!
I am having Christmas dinner at my house. My mom is bringing a ham, but I"m going to do all sides and desserts. I would like to do tasty sides and desserts that are on the healthier side. Any suggestions/comments/ideas are welcome!!
I'm going to make homemade pizzas for Christmas eve (it's dh's tradition to have christmas eve pizza!) using kd's dough recipe.
THanks in advance
Mel
The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start. - John "the Penguin" Bingham [/I]
Posts: 593 | Location: Nashville | Registered: April 05, 2004
I entered it into MasterCook, though, so here it is:
3 whole eggs, separated (pasteurized if you're being careful) 1 cup sugar, divided 1 1/4 cups pumpkin (nearly a whole can) 1/2 cup milk (whole, please!) 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup cold water 1 package plain gelatin
1. In a small saucepan, beat yolks until light yellow. Add 1/2 c sugar, pumpkin, milk, salt, spice, and vanilla. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't allow to bubble. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water immediately after removing pumpkin mix from heat. Add hot pumpkin to cold water & gelatin and mix VERY well.
3. With blender, beat egg whites until frothy. Slowly add 1/2 c sugar and mix at highest speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin. Pour into pie crust & refrigerate.
Good crusts: cinnamon graham crackers; gingersnaps; regular pie crust enhanced with cinnamon & nutmeg
D
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
Thanks everyone for the ideas. I'm even going to try a couple of these this week as a trial run. It's given me some ideas and inspired me to go through kd's books to get ideas for the next day as well.
Mel
The miracle isn't that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start. - John "the Penguin" Bingham [/I]
Posts: 593 | Location: Nashville | Registered: April 05, 2004
I would make KD's Dark Chocolate Souffle as a choice for dessert. How about some type of healthy soup that can be kept warm in a crock pot? It can always be served in holiday mugs.
I like the pizza idea, I am going to share that with my family to see what they think!
Beth
Posts: 193 | Location: Michigan | Registered: March 13, 2004
I love homemade fruitcake, and Alton's recipe is great. I also have the King Arthur cookbook, and that is the fruit cake recipe that I made several weeks ago. It was great. Now those commercially made, and alcoholic ones, I won't even touch them.
Laura
Life is like a roller coaster, with lots of ups and downs, but the curves, spirals, loops and corkscrews are what make life interesting.
This is a funny fruitcake "recipe" somebody sent to me... I need to give an "off color" warning or something...
Drunken Fruitcake
Ingredients: 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 2 cups dried fruit 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup brown sugar lemon juice nuts 1 gallon whiskey [Note: Rum may be substituted for whiskey. Or Vodka. Or gin. whatever]
Directions:
Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer; beat 1 cup butter in a large, fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off mixer. Break 2 legs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one tablespoon of sugar or something. Whatever you can find. Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window. Check the whiskey again. Go to bed. Who the heck likes fruitcake anyway?
Denise
Posts: 8748 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
I made this last year for thanksgiving ...It was delicious...
KASHI® APPLE CRUNCH!
Created by B.B. Whitmore
Makes 8 Servings Preparation Time: Cook Time:
Ingredients: 5 green apples, cored and cut into ½ inch pieces 2 Tablespoons apple juice concentrate, unsweetened 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 1/2 cups apple juice, unsweetened 1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder (or substitute cornstarch)
Topping: 1/3 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup Kashi GOLEAN Crunch!™ cereal 1 Tablespoon honey 1 Tablespoon apple juice concentrate, unsweetened
Directions: Combine apples, apple juice concentrate, turbinado sugar, lemon juice, spices and apple juice in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove about ¼ cup of apple juice from mixture and whisk in the arrowroot. Add arrowroot mixture back to hot mixture and stir until well combined. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, place topping ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until mixture is the consistency of streusel.
Pour the hot apple mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and smooth out evenly. Evenly disperse the topping over the apples. Lightly press the topping into place (if needed). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly and the topping is browned.
Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of pie), Calories 140, Calories from Fat 10, Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 15mg, Total Carbohydrate 33g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 24g, Protein 2g, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 10%, Calcium 2%, Iron 4%
Heather Goodbye excuses!! Lets achieve those weight-loss goals!!
1. Exercise2-3 times a week
Posts: 871 | Location: Atlanta | Registered: April 13, 2004
quote:Originally posted by Laurie: My Aunt always made me one for Christmas, she passed away several months ago, and her recipie was not written down. I was hoping to make my own this year.
I've had only had store bought fruitcakes and this was the first recipe that I every tried. Most recipes call for LOTS of butter and eggs. I can't even tell that they are missing from the recipe...
Denise
Posts: 8748 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
what about roasted veggies. I LOVE to roast turnips, parsnips, carrots, and then after those are almost ready, I add broccoli for some color and a different texture. YUMMY!!!!
Blessings,
Lori
Re-committing myself to a healthy lifestyle that will include regular (and increasing) exercise, and following the baby steps rule on food. 6/17/08
Posts: 3149 | Location: California | Registered: March 11, 2004
Thanks for posting your fruitcake recipie. My Aunt always made me one for Christmas, she passed away several months ago, and her recipie was not written down. I was hoping to make my own this year.
I'm glad to see I am not the only fan of fruit cake.
Laurie
There is no luckexcept where there is dicipline.
Posts: 1512 | Location: Adams, MA | Registered: March 10, 2004
I may be the only person who likes fruitcake… Actually, I love fruitcake... but find that I'm really satisfied with 1/2 muffin so I can keep them in the cupboard. I adapted this from a recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan
Boiled Mixture 1 c. water ½ c. whiskey (or some other liquor or apple juice or water) 1 c. grated carrots 1 c. raisins ½ c. corn syrup (or honey) ¼ c. molasses 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon ½ t. nutmeg ¼ t. allspice Pinch ground cloves 1 t. salt
Dry Ingredients 1 c. whole wheat flour 1 c. oat or wheat bran 1 t. baking soda
Dried Fruits 2 c. candied fruitcake mixture (or other dried fruits if you don’t care for the florescent green and red kind. I disagree with Alton Brown. Fruitcake needs that red and green fruit!) 1 c. pitted dates 1 c. raisins or currents 1 c. chopped walnuts
Bring the boiled mixture ingredients to a boil together in a soup pot, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. Let cool.
In a bowl, mix dry ingredients together.
Add dry ingredients and dried fruits to the boiled mixture in the soup pot and mix well.
Divide into 12 muffin tins. Don’t use cupcake papers. I use a Teflon pan sprayed with Pam, and they pop right out. Or you can bake in nonstick loaf pans.
Bake at 300 F. for 30-50 mins - (some years the batter seems wetter than others…)
Per 1 muffin 414 cal 7.25 g. fat .75 g. sat fat 8 g. fiber
This message has been edited. Last edited by: GoingSkiing,
Denise
Posts: 8748 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes 2 teaspoons butter 1 cup chicken stock Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 large bananas, thinly sliced on an angle 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and let cool until cool enough to handle. (Keep oven at 350 degrees F). Peel and mash sweet potatoes in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the butter, stock, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Transfer to a casserole dish. Cover the surface of the potatoes with the banana slices by laying them on top, slightly overlapping in concentric circles. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is browned.
I cooked my sweet potatoes longer than 1 hour - they weren't done in that amount of time. I made it up the night before and we re-heated it in the microwave.
Here's my crock pot sweet potatoes. You could probably putthe whole thing together the night before and keep it in the fridge, raw, then pop it in the pot Christmas Day. Forgive my less than scientific measurements, as I kind of wing it together as I go.
Maple Candied Sweet Potatoes
Orange flesh sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4" thinck--enough to fill the crock pot.
3 cups Maple syrup (the real stuff) 1 vamila bean 1 tbs or so cloves
Combine the maple syrup, vanilla bean (split in helf) and cloves in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat to simmer. simmer for 5 minutes--but do not let it burn! Strain out vanilla bean and cloves.
Popur syrup over sweet potatoes in crock pot. Set on low heat and cook for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft. You may want to drain off some of the liquid before serving.
Fat free and very tasty.
alli
Fall goals: 1. Bike 40-50 miles a week 2. Prepare new garden bed for next season 3. Heal my back
Posts: 735 | Location: Jersey Shore, USA | Registered: March 11, 2004
Here's my family's "company corn" recipe. It's always a big hit...
company corn
2 bags frozen corn, cooked (short the cooking time about 2 min.) 1-2 tbsp. olive oil 2 medium onions, diced pretty small (but not minced) 3-4 stalks of celery diced like the onion 4-5 cloves of garlic fresh or dried basil black or white pepper
Saute onions, celery, and garlic over low heat until soft. While these are sauteeing, cook the corn and drain off the liquid. (If you're a lazy cook like me, just throw both the bags into the microwave for about 6-7 min. Puncture it with several holes to avoid explosions. )
Add corn, basil, and pepper. Add a little stock if the mixture is too dry. Season with a little bit of salt and add more of the other seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.
Start to finish this dish takes about 20 minutes. The actual cooking time is about 10-12 min., since the garlic, celery, and onion takes the longest to cook.
I threw this together ahead of time and just reheated it on Thanksgiving. It reheats great.
Life is like a roller coaster, with lots of ups and downs, but the curves, spirals, loops and corkscrews are what make life interesting.
I made a cobbler from "Cooking Light" for Thanksgiving, and it is PHENOMENAL.
6 apples, peeled/cored/diced lemon juice (toss the apples in the juice to keep them from browning) 1 c dried cranberries 1 c sugar 1 Tbl flour cinnamon & nutmeg
Mix the apples & cranberries with the sugar & flour in a large bowl until well coated. Add cinnamon & nutmeg to taste (I use a really strong cinnamon from a local spice shop and fresh nutmeg). Pour into an 11x8 casserole dish (it'll look like it might spill over, but it won't)
Roll a pie crust (or sugar cookie dough) out flat and cut into strips. Weave the strips on top of the cobbler, and either brush with egg white or sprinkle a bit more sugar & cinnamon on the woven dough. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
I made the cobbler ahead of time, covered with foil, and put it in the fridge. When everyone was done with dinner, I popped it in the oven, and after it was done & cooled, everyone was ready for dessert (like 50 minutes, counting pre-heat time, bake time, and cool time).
Roasted asparagus were a big hit at Thanksgiving, too. Wash & snap them, then lay them out flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil on the spears, then sprinkle with coarse salt & pepper. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, or until fork-tender. They're perfectly yummy at room temp, and good warm, too. . .so you can make them an hour or so ahead, then just wrap in foil to keep warm.
Another yummy option is what my family calls 5 Cup Salad--basically 1 c each of mandarin oranges, coconut, pecans, sour cream, and diced pineapple. No one will know if you use fat-free sour cream.
I made a pumpkin chiffon pie from the Penzey's spice catalog, too, and it was gone FAST. Lemme know if you want that recipe, it's kinda long But good, from what I hear. I dunno, I don't like the way pumpkin feels. I don't think it's too terribly bad, either, for a dessert. . yeah, from MasterCook, it says 152 calories, 4 g fat per slice (that's just the filling, results vary based on the kind of crust used).
D
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
I love roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I roast one head of garlic per person and plan on one medium yukon gold potatoe per person (can you tell I LOVE roasted garlic).
I roast the garlic for 1 hr in a 375 degree oven, tightly wrapped in aluminum foil.
Boil the potatoes until cooked and mash with fresh rosemary and plain, non fat yogurt. Add the roasted garlic and whip the mixture with a hand mixer until smooth. If it's not creamy enough, add some low fat/low sodium chicken stock until you get the consistency you like.
Out of our beliefs are born deeds; out of our deeds we form habits; out of our habits grows our character; and on our character we build our destiny.
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