A Few Turkey Day Tips: Very Helpful :)

A few TURKEY DAY tips too: This could save hundreds of calories

Turkey has little fat, is full of protein and is an important source of B vitamins. Your best bet is turkey breast, but be sure to REMOVE THE SKIN 1ST!!! A three-ounce serving of skinless turkey breast has about 120 calories and 1 gram of fat. If you choose to eat dark meat instead, a three-ounce skinless serving delivers around 160 calories and six grams of fat (two grams of which are saturated).
TURKEY RECIPE:
Ingredients:

1 12-14-pound turkey, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 lemon, halved
2 tbsp olive oil
6 large sprigs rosemary
6 large sprigs sage
6 large sprigs thyme
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove giblets and neck from inside the turkey and reserve to make stock if you wish.

Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with kitchen paper.

Place onion, half a lemon and 4 sprigs of each herb inside the bird's cavity. Secure legs with kitchen string. Place turkey breast side up on roasting rack in pan. Squeeze lemon half into a small bowl. Brush bird with lemon juice and olive oil, and add salt and pepper.

Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees for an initial blast of heat.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Baste turkey frequently with pan juices plus lemon and oil, and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees - about 3 to 3 3/4 hours.

Remove turkey from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer to a warm platter and garnish with remaining herbs.






Sweet potatoes are a rich source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and fiber. LEAVE OUT the butter and excess sugar. Use orange juice and a sprinkling of brown sugar for flavor instead. Try these low fat Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Limit your portion size to no more than half a cup. (personally, I loooovvvveee to add a few marshmallows too since they are fat free and low cal!)
MASHED SWEET POTATO RECIPE:

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preparation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain sweet potatoes; add orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Mash until smooth.
Serves 6.





Regular potatoes are also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. LOSE the butter and heavy cream in Mashed Potatoes, and use either reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth or fat-free milk and sour cream instead. Flavor with garlic, fresh herbs and ground black pepper. Again, keep your portion size small.
MASHED POTATO RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup fat-free milk, warmed
1/3 cup fat -free sour cream
1/2 tsp black pepper
Chives, freshly chopped

Preparation:
Boil potatoes and garlic cloves in a large saucepan for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to pan. Add heated milk plus sour cream to potatoes and garlic, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Use a little more milk if you prefer thinner mashed potatoes. Add black pepper to taste. Garnish with some chopped chives.
Serves 6.






Cranberries are a great source of vitamin C, and contain compounds that are believed to block certain bacteria that cause infections. Try this delicious Cranberry Apple Sauce.
CRANBERRY APPLE SAUCE:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled, cored, chopped

Preparation:
In a medium non-reactive saucepan, dissolve sugar into juice over a medium heat. Stir in cranberries and chopped apples. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cranberries pop and sauce thickens.
Makes about 4 cups.





Pumpkin is a terrific source of beta-carotene and fiber. Enjoy a lighter crust Pumpkin Pie by using phyllo dough. Use egg whites, or egg substitute, and fat-free evaporated milk in the filling. Or try this light and flavorful Crustless Pumpkin Pie instead.

Ingredients:

6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
Cooking spray
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup egg substitute or 4 egg whites
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut phyllo sheets in half and stack on wax paper or plastic wrap (each full length sheet is 14 x 18 inches; if you happen to have 14 x 9-inch sheets, leave whole) . Place wax paper or plastic wrap on top layer and cover with a damp towel to prevent sheets from drying out.

Coat a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray. Lay a half sheet of phyllo pastry in pie dish. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with rest of half sheets, fanning out to form a circle. Fold and crimp edges. Weigh down with pie weights and bake for 10 minutes until slightly browned.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat egg substitute or egg whites with pumpkin puree. Slowly pour in evaporated milk and mix well. Add sugar and spices to pumpkin mixture and blend thoroughly. Pour into pie crust; bake for an hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 8





Vegetables should be steamed or roasted rather than slathered in butter or cheesy sauces. SKIP the fried onion rings on top of the green beans (you could use toasted almonds or walnuts instead), and use vinaigrette dressings or herbs for flavor.
GREEN BEANS:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced shallots
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Simmer green beans in a large saucepan for 3 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from heat, drain, then plunge beans into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and retain color. Heat skillet with oil. Add garlic and gently sauté for one minute. Add blanched green beans and sauté for three minutes. Stir in lemon zest and serve.
Serves 6-8


ADD YOUR FAVORITE LOW CAL/LOW FAT RECIPE