Healthy Recipes To Bring To Your Holiday Party

Cooking around the holidays can be fun, but it can also mean an increased calorie intake and a deviation from your regular routine. Prioritizing your health during the holidays may be difficult, but swapping out a few standard recipes with healthier ones becomes a bit easier. 

Vegetarian “Southern-Style” Collard Greens

Southern Collard Greens are usually packed with oil and meat, but this vegetarian style highlights the vegetables in the recipe, making it healthier and more nourishing. 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound collard greens, chopped
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To:

  1. In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. 
  2. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes and garlic, and cook for another minute. 
  3. Add collard greens and cook for another minute. 
  4. Add the vegetable stock, cover and bring to a simmer. 
  5. Cook until the greens are tender, about 40 minutes. 
  6. Add tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Baked Latkes

Latkes are a traditional Jewish traditional food for Hanukkah but can be enjoyed any time during the holiday season. Usually, they are fried, but the simple switch to baking them makes them less fatty and more healthy.

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil cooking spray for spraying baking sheet
  • 1 pound russet potatoes
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (about two scallions)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1/2 cup no-sugar-added applesauce
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

How To:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 
  2. Mist a baking sheet with the cooking spray. 
  3. Peel the potatoes and then grate on the large holes of a box grater. 
  4. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into a bowl. Let the liquid settle for about 10 minutes, and then pour off the watery liquid, reserving the potato starch. 
  5. Beat the egg white in a large bowl until it holds a soft peak. Gently fold in the potatoes, scallions, reserved potato starch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 
  6. Drop the mixture by tablespoons on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the latkes about 2 inches apart. Gently spread and flatten into 2 1/2-inch rounds. 
  7. Roast until the bottoms are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and roast until the potatoes are cooked through and the bottoms are spotted brown, 4 to 6 minutes. 
  8. Serve with the applesauce and sour cream.

Talk with your doctor about how to prioritize your health this holiday season. 

 

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