Clean Eating Thanksgiving

Harvest Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole-wheat Italian bread or Ezekial bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup organic walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup onion flakes
  
• 1 medium celery stalk with leaves, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and caps chopped, optional
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon sage
• 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400°, tossing occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl along with walnuts and dried cranberries.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened (about 5 minutes). Add apple and continue to cook until almost tender (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper, parsley, onion flakes, sage and thyme.

Add celery and mushroom mixture to bowl with bread mixture; stir to combine. Add enough of the broth to thoroughly moisten the bread mixture without soaking it (there shouldn't be any excess broth in the bottom of the bowl). Spoon stuffing into a 2-quart casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, mist the top of the stuffing with olive-oil spray, if desired, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more.

To cook in turkey: Moisten the bread mixture with only 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and spoon half of the mixture into the turkey; cook turkey as preferred. For the rest of the bread mixture, add more of the broth to moisten, being careful not to soak (see above).

Transfer the remaining stuffing to a 1-quart baking dish or 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and proceed as above.

Makes 16 servings. Serving size 1/2 cup.

Nutrition per Serving: Calories 164, Fat 6 grams, Protein 5 grams, Sodium 419 mg, Carbohydrates 23 grams, Fiber 2 grams

Roasted Carrots with Cardamom

Roasting these carrots with only a bit of Earth Balance and some cardamom gives them a rich, nutty flavor that belies how healthy they are. A single serving gives you over 600 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin A!

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons Earth Balance, melted
• 2 teaspoons canola or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.

Combine Earth Balance, oil, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring twice, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Per serving : 138 Calories; 7 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 10 mg Cholesterol; 20 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 430 mg Sodium; 652 mg Potassium

Raw Foodies, here's one for you:

Fruitcake Balls

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted at a low temperature
• 1/2 cup agave or honey
  
• 1 cup dried apricots
  
• 1 cup dried figs, chopped
• 1/2 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1 cup organic walnuts, chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• dash ground cloves
• 2 cups ground almonds or nut of choice
• 1/4 cup dried coconut

In a large mixing bowl, whisk coconut oil and agave together. Add fruits and walnuts, orange peel, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix to blend thoroughly. Let stand for several hours to let flavors blend. Add ground almonds and mix in until well blended. Shape into small balls. Roll in coconut shreds. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator, separating layers with waxed paper.

Nutrition per Serving: Calories 109, Fat 5 grams, Protein 1 gram, Sodium 48 mg, Carbohydrates 16 grams, Fiber 2 grams

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

Nicole