Three (Healthy) Sides for Your Christmas Dinner

While the term Thanksgiving dinner might be code for “turkey, stuffing and gravy”, Christmas Dinner is usually anything but the big bird on a platter.  Prime rib, pork roast and ham are a few of the offerings I’ve heard people say they are serving this holiday season.  But what about sides to go with those mains? Typically side dishes are what do the most damage to our healthy eating holiday plan.  Many are filled with cheese, cream, butter and other sources of unhealthy fats and calories.  If you’re looking to ‘healthy up’ your sides and not give up flavor or a festive look, then read on for a few of my suggestions (and links to the recipes).

Before we get to dinner, I have to make a quick stop for an appetizer. Appetizers with less guilt are a great way to start your evening.  Choose endive leaves as a base for transporting a yummy spread like honey drizzled goat cheese. Goat cheese is easier to digest than cow’s cheese and a little goes a long way. Raw honey keeps the nutrients in tact and walnuts offer healthy fat.  Try this recipe: 

Spread herbed goat cheese onto cleaned and separated endive leaves. Sprinkle raw walnut pieces on top and drizzle with raw honey.  Arrange on a platter and serve.

Now, on to dinner and three sides to try:

Pomegranates are in season and their beautiful color adds a festive flair to salads.  Try this one for a healthy ingredient, brightly flavored addition to your meal:  Avocado, Endive, Apple and Pomegranate Salad. (note: some medications react with grapefruit, so if this applies to you, substitute with orange.) 

Who doesn’t love bright green veggies as a side? Elevate your heavy, fat filled green bean casserole to a new level with this side dish: Green Beans with Walnuts and Lemon Vinaigrette. This is always a hit when I serve it!

And if you’re looking for a side dish that fills the comfort food need, this cauliflower dish uses roasted cauliflower to add depth of flavor to a great mash potato substitute.  

Whatever may end up on your table next week, I hope it is the love of family and friends that truly make for a treasured meal.  Thanks to each of you for reading and supporting the Grow in Wellness blog… you are all appreciated! 

Merry (Healthy) Christmas!

One More Way to "Healthy Up" Christmas Dinner

Green beans.  That interesting vegetable that shows up on many a holiday table, but usually in the form of a casserole, drowning in canned soup, soggy and nearly tasteless.  That’s the type of green bean side dish I urge you all to skip.  But don’t part ways with green beans completely! They are a great vegetable packed with nutrients and when they are prepared in the right way, they taste delicious!

Green beans, also known as string beans, are a great source of nutrients.  Vitamin K (enhances absorption of calcium, helps prevent bone density loss and osteoporosis), Vitamin C (antioxidant properties, boosts the immune system, cancer fighting), Manganese (helps with osteoarthritis and with absorption of vitamins B, E and magnesium), Vitamin A (another antioxidant that helps fight cancer, heart disease and high cholesterol and reduces signs of skin aging), along with Dietary Fiber, can all be found in fresh, organic green beans.

As you plan for your holiday dinner, consider upgrading that green bean casserole to a nutritious, bright bowl of green beans made with shallots, lemon and walnuts.  Buy organic green beans and be careful not to overcook them. As promised, here’s another way to ‘healthy up’ your Christmas dinner. This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit… happy eating!

Green Beans with Lemon & Walnuts

1 lb. organic green beans, trimmed and cut in half

1 Tbsp. chopped shallots

1 Tbsp. organic coconut oil

½ c. coarsely chopped and toasted walnuts 

1 tsp lemon zest

3-4 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp each, sea salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil and add the shallots and green beans.  Cook for 6-8 minutes or until beans begin to soften.  While the beans are cooking, whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl or measuring cup.  When the shallots and green beans are done cooking, put them into a bowl, toss with the toasted walnuts and lemon mixture and serve.

Not Your Grandmother's Brussels Sprouts

Last week I promised to post some recipes to help ‘healthy up’ your Christmas Dinner (or any dinner for that matter) and I don’t want you to be disappointed that I am choosing one involving Brussels sprouts as the first contribution. These are not the same Brussels sprouts that your Grandmother used to serve. 

Why bother eating Brussels sprouts at all? They are high in Vitamins K and C, and offer a good source of manganese, folate and fiber.  More importantly, they are part of the cruciferous vegetable group and shine among its peers for having a greater amount of glucosinolate, which in everyday terms means they pack a punch in the cancer prevention department.

If you are thinking, “that sounds great, but I hate Brussels sprouts”, then I understand.  I used to steer clear of the lifeless, waterlogged vegetable, but my first bite of roasted, caramelized Brussels sprouts changed my mind.  For me, there is nothing like roasting vegetables to bring out their sweet, mellow flavor.   Plus, it is kind of fun to buy them still attached to the stalk when they are in season… which is right now.

This recipe is a compilation of several I’ve tried. The sprouts are roasted with shallots, mixed with farro (a nutty, ancient grain) and tossed with fresh Parmesan.  You can add rendered bacon for added depth of flavor.

If you don’t already like Brussels sprouts, maybe this will change your mind.  Enjoy!

Farro and Brussels Sprouts

1 cup farro*

2 ½ cups water

1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered

1 shallot, chopped

3- 4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 ½  tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 425F

Put the farro and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes*.   Drain excess liquid and set farro aside.

Put Brussels sprouts and chopped shallots in a bowl and toss with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  Set bowl aside for use later. Spread on a baking sheet and cook until browned, approximately 25 minutes. Make sure to stir a couple of times during roasting to ensure they brown evenly.  Add the Brussels sprouts/shallot mixture back to the bowl and add the cooked farro.  Squeeze the juice of one lemon over mixture and toss well. Add the parmesan and mix again.

* It’s best if you can soak the farro in water (toss soaking water) for an hour before cooking, which will reduce the cooking time to 20 minutes.