Today's Tip: How about some Thanksgiving Recipes?

Here are a few of my favorite recipes that work great for Thanksgiving.  Give them a try! 

Kickin' Cranberry Sauce

PER SERVING (1/3 cup): 63 calories, 1g fat, 20mg sodium, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 8.5g sugars, 1g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

Ingredients:
One 12-oz. bag whole cranberries
One 11-oz. can mandarin orange segments in their own juice
1 cup peeled and finely chopped apples
1 envelope (1/4 oz.) dry unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup  oven roasted almonds 
1/4 cup Truvia (or more, to taste)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
In a medium pot, combine cranberries and Truvia with 1 3/4 cups water. Set stove to medium heat, cover pot, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes, uncovering to stir occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water, stir well and set aside.

Turn off heat and stir in gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved and thoroughly combined. Stir in cinnamon and apples and mix well. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (overnight is best).

Once chilled and set, remove mixture from the fridge and give it a good stir. Drain juice from the can of orange segments. Roughly chop orange segments and drain any excess liquid from them. Slightly crush almonds so that they break into smaller pieces. Add chopped orange segments and almond pieces to the cranberry sauce, and mix thoroughly. Serve with lean turkey, pork, or chicken, or anything else you like cranberries with!

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Or, if you don't care for a thick cranberry sauce, try this one...

Cranberry Sauce with a Twist

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
zest from 1 small orange
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

Truvia (to taste)

Directions:

1. Combine cranberries, water, and orange zest in a sauce pan and boil gently until cranberries have popped and thickened. 

2. Add Truvia to taste. 

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and stir for a couple of minutes. Taste, and add more ginger if desired.

Save-the-Day Stuffing

PER SERVING (1 cup): 89 calories, 1.5g fat, 275mg sodium, 17g carbs, 4g fiber, 4g sugars, 5g protein -- POINTS® value 1*

HG Tip! Zazzle up your stuffing by adding any of the following to it before baking: an ounce of raisins, 1 medium-sized pear (chopped), 2 tablespoons of sliced almonds, an ounce of sweetened dried cranberries, or 1 medium-sized Granny Smith apple (chopped). Each one adds less than 20 calories to each serving!

Ingredients:
6 slices light bread (40 - 45 calories each with around 2g fiber per slice)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth, room temperature
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute 
1 tbsp. whipped butter or buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, to taste

Directions:
For best results, leave bread uncovered at room temperature for a night or two, until slightly stale. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray, and place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

In a medium pot, combine broth, celery, and onion. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

Remove pot from heat, and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme. Let cool for several minutes.

Add egg substitute and butter to veggie/broth mixture and stir. Pour mixture into the baking pan, evenly covering bread cubes. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated (if necessary, add 1 - 2 tbsp. water, and then mix again).

Cover with foil, and cook dish in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove foil, and fluff and rearrange stuffing. Return dish to oven (uncovered), and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
2. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.

Nutrition

Makes 5 servings...Per serving: 107 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 4 g mono ); 3 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 4 g fiber; 339 mg sodium; 288 mg potassium.

Baked Apple Crisp

Main Description

Recipe Times

·         Total Time : 50 minutes                - Prep: 10 minutes                               - Bake: 35 minutes              - Cool: 5 minutes - Servings : 6

Ingredients

Filling

·         5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

·         4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

·         1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg & ground cloves

·         1/2 cup sugar, divided

·         1/2 cup dried cranberries

·         1/4 cup apple juice

Topping

·         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         3/4 cup rolled oats

·         1/4 cup each chopped pecans & shredded sweetened coconut (optional)

Step 1Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a large 8-by-8 & 3 inches deep oven safe dish with 1 Tablespoon of butter; set aside. Cut the remaining 4 T of butter into small chunks; set aside.

step 2To make the filling, add the following ingredients to a large nonstick skillet: cubed apples, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg and ground cloves, 1/4 cup sugar, cranberries and apple juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and syrupy, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.

step 3For the oat topping, combine the remaining 4 T of butter with the flour, rolled oats, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, pecans and coconut in a small bowl. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

step 4Pour the apple mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle the oat topping mixture evenly over the apple filling. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is lightly browned and crispy. Allow the crisp to cool for 5 minutes and then serve warm or at room temperature. You can also cool the crisp completely, cover with the lid and give it as a gift, or refrigerate it for up to 2 days.

Chef’s Notes:

To serve a refrigerated crisp, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the lid and place the crisp in the oven for 15 minutes or until heated through.

For a special treat, top individual servings of crisp with whipped cream or vanilla or caramel ice cream.

 This is an awesome cake that can be for brunch or dessert.  It takes a little extra time but it's worth it!

Winter Squash-Apple Brunch Cake

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground nutmeg (I used 1/8 t because we aren’t nutmeg fans)

½ cup margarine or butter

1 1/3 cups sugar

½ t vanilla

3 eggs

¾ cup mashed, cooked acorn or butternut squash* (about 6 oz.)

½ cup buttermilk**

3 to 4 tart medium cooking apples (I used Granny Smith)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup golden raisins

¼ cup sugar

½ t ground cinnamon

1 recipe Powdered Sugar icing (see below)

Grease a 10” springform pan or 13x9x2” baking pan; set aside.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, the first ½ t cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside. 

In a large mixer bowl beat margarine or butter for 30 seconds or till softened.  Add sugar and vanilla; beat till combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir together mashed, cooed squash and buttermilk.  Add squash mixture and dry ingredients alternately to the egg mixture; mix well.  Peel, core, and chop enough of the apple to make 1½ cups.  Stir chopped apple, walnuts or pecans, and ½ cup of the raisins into the batter.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.  Peel, core and thinly slice enough of the remaining apple to equal 1 cup.  Combine ¼ cup sugar and remaining ½ t cinnamon; toss with sliced apples.  Arrange sliced apples on top of batter.  Sprinkle with remaining raisins.

Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 to 1¼ hours for springform  pan or 55-60 minutes for 13x9 pan or till cake tests done with a toothpick.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes.  If using springform pan, loosen sides of pan; cool on rack.  Serve slightly warm or cool.  Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Icing or sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes 12 – 14 servings.

Powdered Sugar Icing:  Stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and enough buttermilk (or milk) to make of drizzling consistency. 

*One fairly large acorn squash makes about 12 oz. so I froze the other 6 oz. to use in a future cake.  Cooking the squash may be done the day before.  Just refrigerate until using.

**If you don’t want to purchase buttermilk, combine ½ t lemon juice with ½ cup milk and let stand for a minute.  It works fine in place of buttermilk.