Within the past few months, I have truly learned to appreciate the small things in life and to be thankful for normal, everyday things most people take for granted. That being said, I am thankful (again) for Thanksgiving because it serves as a perfect reminder to remember what you are thankful for and count your blessings!
Don’t forget to tell your family and friends this Thanksgiving season that you are thankful for them — just a few words can make such a significant difference!
All right, it is time to move onto other Thanksgiving festivities a.k.a FOOD. It is definitely a good thing that Thanksgiving comes only once a year for according to the NYDailyNews.com, the average Thanksgiving meal rakes in a whopping 3,500 calories! Despite learning that terrifying fact, I still wanted to cook the usual Thanksgiving foods; however, I tried to make some of these foods a tad bit healthier (key words being “tried” and “some”)!
Now, it’s no myth that the reason why Thanksgiving foods are so unhealthy lies in the ingredients with butter, cream, sugar, and nuts as the prime culprits. And, vegetables dishes are usually sparse at Thanksgiving, but even when they are present, they are often laden with plenty of cream, cheese, and fried goodness. Nevertheless, the following pictures highlight a few of the side dishes I made for Thanksgiving as well as my Mom’s Turkey (side dish recipes taken from Epicurious.com and all contain a link to the original recipe):
1. Potato Gratin with White Cheddar Cheese
2. Italian Sausage and Bread Stuffing
I forgot to take a picture of the finished product… oops!
3. Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds with Garlic Oil and Fried Sage
4. Turkey
5. Lemon Pear Croustade
All of these side dishes actually turned out pretty well considering these were first-time recipes! Although only one of these recipes is a little bit healthier (Roasted Sweet Potatoes), I would totally recommend to make any of these dishes again. The Pear Croustade was a bit hit with the family and I will continue to use its pasty recipe for other future baked goods!
Cheers!
Filed under Bake, Cook
Tagged as bread, cheese, cream, dessert, dinner, garlic, garlic oil, italian sausage, lemon, olive oil, onions, pear tart, pears, potato gratin, potatoes, roasted, roasted sweet potatoes, sage, sausage, shallots, side dishes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, tart, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, white cheddar, yams
Even though this isn’t a traditional lasagna, I liked the variety of the savory and sweet favors that this surprisingly hearty meal provides. A must try recipe and one that is great if you do not eat meat!
