Monthly Archives: November 2016

Roasted Butternut Squash

Mona’s Family Favorites: Butternut squash was the first veggie that I could get both of my children to eat. Roasting it makes it so sweet that they thought I was giving them candy and, for a mother, that is a WIN. Now that my kids are older, I love mixing up roasted squash with spices. The combination of cinnamon and cumin in this recipe gives the squash a true Mediterranean flair to perfectly play off its natural sweetness. Plus, you’ve got to stay hip with the times, right?

Roasted Butternut Squash
 
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Recipe type: Holiday Favorites
Makes: 4 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 4 cups cubed butternut squash (see tip)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cubed squash in all the remaining ingredients until well coated.
  3. Spread the coated squash on a sheet pan in a single layer, and bake for 25–30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Squash is done when well caramelized and fork-tender.
Perfect Portion Roasted Butternut Squash

HELPFUL TIP: You can get about 4 cups of cubed butternut squash from 1 (2-pound) squash. Use a heavy vegetable peeler to peel the squash and then remove the pulp and seeds before chopping into cubes. Some stores sell bags of already cubed butternut squash in the refrigerated produce section, making this recipe as easy as it gets!
Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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Thanksgiving Stuffing

Mona’s Family Favorites: On Thanksgiving my family always gets together to not only give thanks, but also to celebrate my father’s birthday. His smile and infectious laugh are still with us around the dinner table. I can’t help but think of the holidays shared with him when I serve this dish. I’ve lightened up my recipe over the years by using less butter and leaving out egg yolks. The fresh and dried herbs and seasonings makes for a fantastic, flavor-packed stuffing.

Thanksgiving Stuffing
 
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Recipe type: Holiday Favorites
Makes: 8 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the French bread into ½-inch cubes. Arrange the cubes in a single layer on 2 sheet pans.
  2. Bake the bread cubes for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool.
  3. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the onion and celery to the skillet, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent and celery is almost tender.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken broth, sage, thyme, onion powder, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Add the toasted bread cubes to the bowl, and quickly toss until nearly all the liquid has been soaked up by the bread.
  7. Add the sautéed vegetables to the cubed bread in the mixing bowl, and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
  8. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and melted butter. Drizzle over the stuffing in the baking dish.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top of the stuffing begins to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. For 100 calorie portions, slice into 12 sections by cutting 3 rows by 4 rows.
Perfect Portion Thanksgiving Stuffing
Serving size: 1/16 dish Calories: 100

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Glazed Carrots

Forget about sticky sweet glazes. These carrots are cooked with honey and brown sugar to coat them in a light glaze. Butter, lemon juice, and nutmeg help offset the sweetness, ensuring that these carrots will pair with any entrée.

Glazed Carrots
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Makes: 6 Side dish portions
Ingredients
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch-thick discs
  • ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 ½ tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
  1. Place the carrots in a sauce pot over high heat, and cover with water. Add ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 7–10 minutes, or until carrots are fork-tender. Drain well.
  2. Add the butter, brown sugar, honey, lemon juice, nutmeg, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to a sauté pan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved.
  3. Add the carrots to the sauté pan and fold into the sauce. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes, or until carrots are well coated and the glaze has thickened. Top with chopped parsley before serving.
Perfect Portion Glazed Carrots

HELPFUL TIP: You can also use 1 pound of baby carrots in this recipe in place of sliced carrots. For thicker baby carrots, you may need to boil for 2–3 minutes longer in step 1 to ensure that they are fork-tender.
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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