What's cookin' for christmas?

Attempting to undertake my first large family dinner this year, I've been devising a good mix of healthy and traditional to satisfy all the palates at the table.

Ham? No thanks... not being a meat eater myself, I would have no idea how to go about cooking one anyway. Instead, this recipe from Cooking Light will be the main course. Pork loin is lean and tasty and this recipe has a smoky flavor like bacon or ham from the blue cheese and carmelized onions.

For the ever-present mashed potatoes, I think I'll sneak in half turnips or cauliflower with plenty of garlic and just a little low-fat sour cream for a lower-calorie side dish. Roasted winter vegetables and salad are also on the menu.

Instead of store bought rolls, I'm finally trying to make mom's homemade bread (Thanks, Mom!). I smell it baking now and kinda feel like I'm 5 again :)

Not being one to forget dessert, I'm making red velvet cake- festive, delicious and no compromises here. Choosing one indulgence and sticking to that (instead of LOTS of indulgences) can help you keep from that dreaded holiday weight gain from ever happening. Less work to do in the new year, right?



Hearty Oats and Wheat Loaves
2 to 2 ½ cup bread flour

1 cup rolled oats

2 tsp salt

2 packages active dry yeast

1 ¾ cups water

½ cup honey

½ cup canola oil

2 eggs (reserve one white)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rye flour

1 T water

4 tsp sesame seed



Grease two 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf pans. Lightly spoon bread flour into measuring cups and level off. In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups bread flour, oats, salt and yeast. Blend well. In a saucepan, combine water, oil and honey and heat until very warm (120-130 degrees). Mix warm liquid and eggs with flour mixture until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Add whole wheat and rye flours to form a soft dough. Turn out onto floured countertop and knead in up to 1 cup bread flour, kneading until dough forms a smoot, elastic ball (about 10 minutes).



Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 1 hour. Punch down dough and divide into 2 balls. Let rest, covered, on counter for 15 minutes. Form into two loaves and placed into prepared pans. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.



Combine reserved egg white and 1 T water and brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 or 40 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped lightly. Remove from pans immediately.

Save the Sweet Potatoes!

During the holiday season, I think we would all agree that there is no shortage of sweets, desserts, and rich foods hanging around every grocery store, home kitchen and office building. So why, then, do we also attempt to turn our vegetables into fatty, sugary disasters? The humble sweet potato- a fiber, vitamin A, C and potassium-filled superfood- is often served smothered in sugar and marshmallows. ick!  If you've never prepared sweet potatoes as a savory dish, you are missing out! I love this recipe from Health magazine:

Ingredients


2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped pecan halves

4 garlic cloves, minced and divided

Cooking spray

1 1/2 pounds peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

2 pounds peeled Russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add breadcrumbs, pecans, and half of garlic. Cook mixture until crumbs are golden (about 5 minutes), stirring well. Remove from heat; set aside. Coat an 8- x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; arrange potato slices in dish, alternating between sweet and Russet. Combine half-and-half and next 5 ingredients (through thyme) in a small bowl. Stir in remaining half of garlic; whisk well. Pour half-and-half mixture over potatoes in dish. Cover dish tightly with foil; bake in middle of oven 45 minutes to 1 hour or until potatoes are tender.



2. Remove foil; discard. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over potatoes; return to oven. Bake until crumbs are crispy, liquid is bubbling and reduced, and potatoes are tender (about 8 minutes). Let stand at least 15 minutes; serve

 
To save even more calories, I used fat-free evaporated milk in place of the half and half (145 calories and 35g fat less!) Savor that, and give thanks for your health :)

Veggie haters, listen up!

If you think you don't like a vegetable, I have two words for you: ROAST IT. Roasting vegetables brings out a much different flavor- a kind of carmelized sweetness that you would never find from steamed vegetables. It will change the way you think about cauliflower!

Roasting is simple. Just preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop about 4-6 cups of your vegetable and a couple cloves of garlic. For more tender and carmelized veggies, chop into smaller chunks (more surface area = more browned edges). Toss with a tablespoon or so of olive oil (consider measuring, it's easy to go overboard when pouring from the bottle). Spread in a single layer with some space between each piece on a baking sheet (again, surface area is key for maximum flavor). Roast about 20 minutes.

This is a very versatile technique. Use for broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, carrots, parsnips, zucchini, even chickpeas are excellent roasted. Experiment, eat well and give any previously scorned vegetable a second chance.