<p>As the holidays quickly approach, I’ve been confronted with the fact that I do not eat the way I used to. I suspect there are quite a few of us in the Cafe that are working on a lifestyle change and I’m hoping we can get a thread going on celebratory holiday meals that include foods everyone will want to eat. My family is very traditional in what they like to eat and my attempts at new foods in the past have been most met with “Mmmm, delicious, but I don’t care for more.” D is a notable exception to this trend. </p>
<p>For Thanksgiving, the only definite items on my menu at this point are a turkey and roasted brussell sprouts. The family prefers mashed potatoes (made with butter, cream cheese and sour cream) and that candied yam casserole with marshmallow topping. Also, things like scalloped corn and green bean casserole. Yep, all in the same meal. </p>
<p>So with that bit of information, can we share ideas and recipes that we have found to be successful in entertaining? How do you lighten up your family’s holiday meal?</p>
<p>I started subbing in green beans almondine a few years back. I use olive oil and lemon juice and dill to dress the beans. Toasted almonds. I make a cauliflower pur</p>
<p>Sounds yummy poetgrl! Mind sharing your cauliflower recipe? Also the lime/chili emulsion if you aren’t guarding old family recipes. Now I’m getting hungry!</p>
<p>We are doing a buffet this year so there will be a range of options from people eating healthier to a 15- year old boy who can’t seem to consume as many calories as he needs. Among the choices are going to be steamed carrot ribbons, which are delicious and pretty. Also, acorn squash roasted with a light stuffing of dice veggies and wheat bread. In addition to the usual heart attack potatoes, I am making croquets with a mixture of potato and turnip pur</p>
<p>We haven’t made candied yams with marshmallows in @20 years! I usually just make a roasted potato mix with sweet and white potatoes, roasted beets, red onion, olive oil and spices and roast in a pan at a high temp (400-425) until they’re done…maybe 30-40 minutes.</p>
<p>Maybe introduce new items slowly and have them have time to get used to the new way of preparing old favorites!</p>
<p>We have tons of veggie choices, all made in healthy ways and much less of the traditional carbs. Last year a vegan guest made sweet potato, cranberry and quinoa croquettes, which were delicious!</p>
<p>^^Roasted asparagus and string beans are all made here the same way too! No more casseroles or heavier dishes. I have enough trouble keeping my weight down the rest of the year! ;)</p>
<p>As an alternative to the heart attack mashers (love that!), my SILs sweet potato fluff (ugh), and everything else in casserole form or drenched in a heavy sauce, I’m adding steamed baby carrots with a very light butter/brn sugar glaze, and pur</p>
<p>Blue, it’s that whole tradition thing. We are a small group, always have been, and I want everyone to be happy, particularly my mother. </p>
<p>Last year I made pureed sweet potatoes with pecans for crunch and not a ton of added sugar. Those were relatively well received. I also like a saute of sweet potatoes with black beans, onion and peppers (not necessarily for Thanksgiving, though). </p>
<p>ccc, those croquettes sound amazing. Over the years I have tried subbing in new dishes but they have never taken hold, sadly. I might be crazy but I was actually thinking of choosing a complete menu from a cooking magazine and preparing that and just starting fresh and new.</p>
<p>I make roasted butternut squash that’s delicious and healthy, and I imagine it can be made with sweet potatoes instead. I take cubed butternut squash and toss lightly in olive oil and sprinkle with some cinnamon and nutmeg and toss. Spread on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven and cook until roasted through – depending on the size of the cubes, it could take anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Stir now and then. Towards the end I drizzle on a little real maple syrup. It’s so yummy!</p>
<p>I make mashed potatoes with parsnips.
Never even thought of adding dairy besides butter & my relatives are from the Midwest!
People are pretty traditional at holidays, I wouldn’t change your menu too drastically (I’ve done that)
Something that tastes very rich ( but not fancy) is roasting whole garlic cloves and spreading them on bread like butter.
I have a clay pot just for this purpose, but you don’t need it.
[Roasted</a> Garlic Recipe - Oven Roasted Garlic Recipe](<a href=“http://americanfood.about.com/od/appetizersandsoups/r/roasted-garlic.htm]Roasted”>Whole Roasted Garlic Recipe)</p>
<p>Our dinner is pretty healthy, but I may make wilted lettuce salad., I haven’t had that for years.</p>
<p>I like the idea of a buffet with various options. You can have the traditional foods for those who want them, and the healthy alternatives for those who want those. That is what our Thanksgiving dinner is. It will have turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables (delicious, and so easy to make), salad, corn pudding, streamed green beans with garlic and almonds, cranberry sauce. </p>
<p>I will say, we all eat healthy here…my kids in particular. But there are some holiday traditions we just won’t give up…heck…it’s one day. For example…Christmas eve…we will have spiral ham, sweet potato souffle, roasted potatoes, broccoli. </p>
<p>And we do NOT give up the traditional desserts…not at all!</p>
<p>We tried to skip the mashed potatoes one year and didn’t hear the end of it from our daughters! I must say, my hubby has a favorite recipe that he makes throughout the year which he calls “Smashed Garlic Cauliflower”. He cuts the florets and steams them until soft. At the same time he steams some milk (or cream) with smashed garlic. He puts the steamed cauliflower through a food mill (or a food processor would probably work); then combines with some of the garlic-flavored milk. He usually combines with some sour cream, adds salt to taste, and then puts in a casserole dish and bakes in a 350 oven for maybe 20 minutes or so (should be slightly browned on top).</p>
<p>Mashed potatoes don’t have to be made unhealthy - I make them all the time with 1% milk and olivio spread (instead of cream and butter) and they are delicious.</p>
<p>I’ve been trying to eat healthier too, but as Thanksgiving is only one day, some extra fat and calories won’t hurt that much! However, I don’t put anything but a little milk in my mashed potatoes. My youngest D won’t be home for Thanksgiving this year, so I am not making white potatoes at all. My Irish mom will protest, but there will be plenty of other food. I will have sweet potatoes with pecans, a corn casserole, and a broccoli one. I don’t eat stuffing or gravy myself, but will attempt those for my guests who want them. And pumpkin pie and pecan pie too!</p>
<p>World’s best dish: roasted cauliflower. Cut up into florets, toss in olive oil & crushed or minced garlic & salt & hot pepper (!). Roast till browned and soft and yummy. I use 400, but each oven is different. Can do essentially the same with fennel/anise. Really. The cauliflower is addictive. (Thanks to my youngest for deciding to do this one time and then ordering us to do it.)</p>
<p>My feeling about Thanksgiving is that, unless you do the shopping, cleaning, and cooking, you have no standing for complaint. That said, I personally don’t really see any point in trying to make Thanksgiving standbys “more healthy.” It’s one day of the year; if you don’t want to eat them, don’t. </p>
<p>For me, I’d rather have a few bites of mashed potatoes made with whipping cream (yup!) rather than a whole lot of substandard mashed potatoes made with chicken broth (the most commonly suggested “healthy” change).</p>
<p>Who eats a only few bites of potatoes?
I have about a tablespoon of turkey & everything else is potatoes & gravy with cranberries & stuffing as a garnish.
However my D is more of a health fiend than i ever was( she lives on chia seeds), so I will do a mixed veggie roast too. By that I mean roasted cauliflower, squash, jerusalem artichoke, fennel, brussels sprouts, et.al, not one of those vegan loaves.</p>
<p>“But there are some holiday traditions we just won’t give up…heck…it’s one day.”</p>
<p>Yep, yep, yep. If you’re not going to make anything different from the rest of the restricted-diet foods you have all the other days, it’s not really a special day, IMO. And agree with rather having rich, GOOD foods than substandard “healthy” substitutions. </p>
<p>I make mashed with buttermilk after my sister did so when she hosted and there were none left. I add a little butter but you don’t really need it. I do make healthy sides, but also traditional sides and desserts. No one is forced to eat them. H’s niece always brings those marshmallow sweet potato things and is the only one who eats them. Cool-that’s HER tradition.</p>