Deciding which Thanksgiving dishes to make healthy
11/6/2009
By JIM ROMANOFF For The Associated Press
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This photo taken Oct. 31, 2009 shows whole-wheat couscous, wild mushroom and leek stuffing. Choosing which parts of your Thanksgiving meal to trim some fat and calories will allow you to keep a few of your favorite indulgences on the table. This whole-wheat couscous, wild mushroom and leek stuffing keeps this classic side healthier with less saturated fat than its bagged counterpart. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
The Associated Press
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Serving a healthy Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to mean giving up that pumpkin pie or those buttery sweet potatoes. But it does involve making some trade-offs.
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The trick is knowing when the indulgence is worth it. Of course, this is somewhat subjective. For some us, it isn't Thanksgiving without a slice of pumpkin pie, while others will claim it's the mashed potatoes that make the meal.
So here are some suggestions of places you can trim.
— Serve plenty of vegetables, but don't drench them in butter. A teaspoon or so goes a long way. As an alternative, a sprinkling of toasted, chopped nuts can add incredible flavor and a richness that comes from the healthier fats they contain.
— Fat-free chicken broth or nonfat buttermilk can give mashed potatoes a luxurious quality without adding fat.
— The turkey itself is pretty lean (especially the white meat) as long as you remove the skin, which contains most of the fat.
— To make a lighter gravy, skim and discard the grease from the drippings in the roasting pan, add chicken or turkey stock to the pan, then thicken with cornstarch instead of the traditional roux made with flour and fat.
— As for the stuffing, instead of a stick or so of butter, add moisture with other ingredients, such as diced vegetables and fruit. A bag of herbed stuffing mix can be transformed with a mixture of dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and orange zest. Or try a blend of dried apricots, pistachios and chopped leeks. Just saute these ingredients (using only a tablespoon of butter or olive oil) along with the chopped onion and celery you normally would add to the dried stuffing mix.
Or you can skip the bagged stuffing mix altogether with this whole-wheat couscous, wild mushroom and leek stuffing. The soaking liquid from the dried porcini mushrooms plus some toasted walnuts add a complex richness without adding a lot of saturated fat.
This recipe makes 8 cups, enough to stuff a 12-pound bird or make 10 side dish servings.
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WHOLE-WHEAT COUSCOUS, WILD MUSHROOM AND LEEK STUFFING
Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (45 minutes active)
Servings: 10
2 cups water
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
