Sweet Potato Casserole

This Sweet Potato Casserole remake packs in creaminess and a great depth of flavor using Greek yogurt and vanilla beans.  The nut topping with a touch of maple syrup provides just the sweet crunch the casserole needs.

4 ½ lbs sweet potatoes

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk or skim milk

2 vanilla beans

2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt

¾ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp white pepper

Topping

1 1/3 cup of oats

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

½ cup All Purpose Flour

¼ tsp Cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

5 Tbsp transfat free margarine

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Bake Sweet Potatoes.

Steep vanilla beans in milk – which means warm the milk and let the vanilla beans soak while potatoes bake.

Mash potatoes to your favorite level of chunkiness.

Remove vanilla beans from milk.  Combine potatoes, milk, yogurt and spices until smooth.  Pour into a 9×13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.

In a separate bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over potato mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Healthy Holiday Turkey.  Poultry can be a great lower fat protein option.  However, often our holiday bird is laden in extra butter and oil to keep the turkey from drying out and to provide a tasty beautifully browned skin.  This year let’s try to lighten our bird.  Using turkey breast will help decrease time in the kitchen and decrease calories on the plate.

Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey Breast

1 whole bone in turkey breast 6-7lbs., thawed

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp chopped rosemary leaves

1 Tbsp chopped thyme leaves

1 Tbsp chopped sage leaves

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Dijon mustard

½ cup orange juice

2 Tbsp lemon juice

½ cup unsalted chicken stock

1 orange sliced (or you may use onion and carrot slices)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Put sliced oranges on the bottom of your baking dish.  Stir garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, olive oil and mustard together to form a paste.  Use your fingers to lift the skin away from the breast meat and spread half of the paste under the skin. Spread the remaining paste over the top of the skin.  Pour the juices and stock into the bottom of the dish.  Scatter remaining orange slices around the roasting pan.

Roast the turkey for 1 ½ to 2 hrs until skin is golden brown and internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees.  You can cover the turkey with foil if it browns too quickly.  Once turkey reaches the safe temperature, remove from oven and cover with foil.   Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.  Slice the turkey and spoon pan juices over the top.  The turkey should serve 8 people with 4-6oz portions. 

Stuffing:  Stuffing and dressings are usually made with lots of butter, oil and salt.  Using a transfat margarine to help brown the tops of the dish, helps control the fat portion.  Unsalted stocks provide a robust flavor without the added salt.

8 slices of whole grain bread

1 ½ cup unsalted Chicken Stock

1 ½ cup chopped onions

1 ½ cup of chopped celery

¼ cup granny smith apples finely chopped

1/3 c egg substitute

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 Tbsp fresh sage

2 Tbsp transfat free margarine

Dry bread – either leave out on the counter or dry at a low temperature in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  In a pot, combine chicken stock, onions, apples, celery and seasonings.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Removed from heat.  Chop bread and put in a greased baking dish.  Pour egg substitute over bread.  Pour stock mixture over the bread.  Dot the dish with the margarine. Cover baking dish and cook for 25 minutes.  Stir and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes.