What would the holiday meals be without those wonderful delicious sides to round out the festivities? Here are my favorite healthy potato dishes, along with a sensational cranberry applesauce.
DO-AHEAD REFRIGERATOR MASHED POTATOES
(Potatoes contain potassium and vitamin C)
-4 pounds potatoes, peeled or not, cut up and cooked until tender
-8 oz. light or fat free cream cheese, chunked up and softened
-1 cup low fat or fat free sour cream
-Salt and pepper to taste
-Butter substitute
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Mash potatoes and blend in cream cheese and sour cream. Add salt and pepper. Pour into sprayed 9×13 casserole. Cover and refrigerate up to two days. Bring to room temperature and preheat oven to 350 or 375 degrees. Dot with butter substitute and lightly tent casserole with foil. Bake until heated through at 350 or 375, about 40 minutes. Or pop in the microwave on medium, covered until hot throughout. Serves 10-12.
SWEET POTATOES WITH THYME AND GARLIC
Serve these alongside the holiday turkey, ham or beef.
-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-1/2” rounds
-3-4 tablespoons olive ooil
-1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
-2 small garlic cloves, minced
-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (opt)
-1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400. Toss potatoes with oil, thyme, garlic, red pepper and salt. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and starting to brown 40-45 minutes uncovered. Garnish and serve.
CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE
Just about any apple works well, especially a combo of Granny Smith and McIntosh. (Don’t use Red Delicious as they don’t have enough flavor to hold up while cooking.)
-3-4 pounds apples, peeled if desired, seeded and chunked up
-1/2 to 1 bag cranberries, depending upon how much you like cranberries and how tart you want the sauce to be
-1 cup brown sugar substitute or to taste
-1 cup water
-Cinnamon to taste
Spray a crockpot and add everything. Cook on low for 3-5 hours or high about 2 or so, until apples are tender. Serve hot, room temperature, or chilled.
Tips from Rita’s kitchen:
-Apples contain pectin which help lower cholesterol.
-Cranberries earn super status for their ability to help fight off urinary tract infections. Recent research shows that cranberries might also help fend off colds and fight stomach bugs, gum disease, and certain types of cancer. Add a little unsweetened cranberry juice to smoothies, and sprinkle some dried berries into cereal and muffin mix.
-Fresh cranberries can be frozen.
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Rita Nader Heikenfeld, CCP, CMH, is a Certified Culinary Professional and Certfied Modern Herbalist, educator, author, founding editor of www.Abouteating.com
a popular website that showcases her many interests in healthy living.
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