Thanksgiving

Do I even need to mention that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? I see it as my showcase day: the day when I share my cooking passion and skill with friends and family. My wares are on display. I get to see cleaned plates and food-drunken grins. It's quite an ego-stroke.

This year, I'm toning my Thanksgiving down quite a bit, for two reasons. First, because I want a stress-free holiday season. In years past, I have worked myself into a frenzy cooking ten or more side dishes and an equal number of desserts. Also, I'm working on my weight, so I need to be careful what I serve. There are a couple dishes that I'm going to make that are very fattening but very worth the caloric cost. Other than those, I'm making my dinner plans healthier.

Each day this week, I'll share with you a recipe that I'm using for my family's Thanksgiving celebration. I'm cooking these in real time, and freezing them to use on the big day. That's another way to de-stress your holidays: plan ahead, prepare ahead. I hope you enjoy my recipes.

First recipe: Sweet Potatoes made healthier

Normally, my sweet potato recipe consists of tons of butter, brown sugar, pineapple, and pecans. Here's a healthier option:

Honey-Nut Crunch Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries

What You Need:

• 2 1/2 lb peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (1" cubes)
• 6 oz fresh cranberries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apple cider
• 6 oz whole almonds (unsalted), ground into a coarse meal
• 1/4 cup honey

How it's Done:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Layer the sweet potatoes and cranberries in a 2 quart baking dish.

3. Pour the apple cider over the sweet potatoes, then sprinkle with the cinnamon.
4. Combine ground almonds and honey. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.


5. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 15 minutes to brown top.

I'm thankful for full bellies and full cupboards...I'm thankful my family never

needs to experience true hunger. What are you thankful for?

What's for Lunch Wednesday: Sweet Potato Pancakes

Day 153.

If you've been reading this blog for long, you know that I'm a proponent of healthy school lunches and that I am appalled at the lack of quality available to most American elementary school students in their cafeterias. Also, it's my goal to reduce the amount of garbage my family produces, so I've decided to make all of their school lunches no waste meals.

When I came across this bento-themed meme at What's for Lunch at Our House, I knew I would participate. So here's what's for lunch at our house.

Main compartment: Romaine lettuce, carrot curls, cucumbers cut into butterflies, strawberries and white cheddar cheese cut into bunnies, and a hard-boiled egg molded into a bunny shape.

Sides: strawberries cut to fit compartment; sweet potato pancakes in leaf and tree shapes.

Not pictured: salad dressing and honey-cinnamon butter

Time invested: 20 minutes (plus boiling time for eggs---pancakes were leftovers)

 The sweet potato pancakes I made were a healthy version of a Southern classic. I omitted the eggs and butter, replacing them with banana and applesauce, eliminated added sugar, and opted for almond milk instead of cow's milk.

Sweet Potato Pancakes with Honey-Cinnamon Butter

What You Need:

• 1 sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and mashed
• 1 large banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 cups milk (I used almond milk...feel free to use whatever milk you prefer)
• 1 2/3 cups flour (I used all unbleached white flour, but you can substitute whole wheat for even healthier pancakes)
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
• non-stick cooking spray for the pan

 

How it's Done:

1. Preheat your griddle or skillet on medium heat.
2. In a food processor, or using a mixer, beat sweet potato with banana and applesauce. Add milk slowly and beat to combine.
3. In a separate, large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.
4. Add liquid to dry ingredients, stirring only long enough to make sure all the dry ingredients are wet.
5. Drop by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased skillet and cook 3 minutes on first side, flip, and cook until done (about 3 more minutes).
6. For the butter: In a food processor, combine 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter with 1/4 cup honey and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon. Process until combined. Store in refrigerator.

Kid Pleasing Menu

I don't cater to "kid palates" because I believe all children should be exposed to a wide variety of "real world" foods. However, now and then I like to make something specifically designed to tickle the taste buds of my kids. Rather than heat up some frozen minced and formed chicken nuggets and fry up some frozen french fries, I try to keep the kid feasts wholesome, pleasing to the eye, and delicious for adults, too.

Here's a meal that kids can sink their teeth into right alongside the grownups in their lives. It uses chicken breast, almonds, Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and sweet potatoes. Mmm...

Chicken Breast Tenderloins with an Almond-Parmesan Crust & Sweet Potato Coins

serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breast tenderloin
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup flour (I used 1/4 cup each whole wheat and white)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 eggs, beaten
• non-stick spray

How it's Done:

1. In the bowl of your food processor, combine almonds, flour, all the seasonings, and the cheese. Process until smooth. Keep processing while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer breading to a shallow dish.
2. Dip each tender into the beaten eggs, then roll in the breading. Press the breading into the chicken to get as much to stick as possible.
3. Spray each piece on both sides with non-stick spray. Place on a baking sheet.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink.
5. A yummy dipping sauce: combine equal parts honey and Dijon mustard. Much better than the store-bought honey Dijon.

For the Sweet Potato Coins:

1. Peel and slice into 1/4" rounds two sweet potatoes. Place on a cookie sheet with raised sides and drizzle with 2 tbsp each olive oil and melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then raise the temperature to 450 and bake another 20 minutes.