Thanksgiving Feast

Dearest Friends, I have so enjoyed de-constructing the Thanksgiving dinner with you and giving it a Food 2.5 makeover. I love this holiday. It’s all about the three F’s – Food, Family, and Friends. And although our celebrations will be smaller this year, there’s no reason we should give up on flavor, right? I love each of the dishes contained here. They’re like old friends. Many are my go-to’s throughout the year. But as a collection, whether you add the turkey or not, they create a truly flavorful Feast. And the beauty of it is – there’s no sacrifice with this dinner. Where fat and carbs used to be, tons of flavor has been infused to fill the void. The common flavors that tie the meal together are the spices - rosemary, sage, thyme, and the beautiful pomegranate molasses. So, whether you choose to make some, none, or all twenty of these dishes, the Food 2.5 Team wishes you a fabulous and flavorful Thanksgiving.

Whipped Corn Dip Tofu Ricotta Grilled Scallions Pan Roasted Fingerlings Spicy Ketchup Pomegranate Balsamic Mushrooms Brussel Sprouts Pumpkin Dip Maple Roasted Carrots Pomegranate Molasses Balsamic Vinegar Molasses Vanilla Scented Carrot Puree Cranberry Sauce Cranberry Sauce Cranberry Chutney Cauliflower Dressing Apple Dressing Roasted Cheesy Green Beans Pesto Asparagus Salad

Whipped Corn Dip

Serving size ½ 96 cal Protein: 4 g Carbs: 19 g Fat: 1 g

Ingredients

5 Ears Corn , Grilled and Cut from the Cob
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Med Onion , diced
2 Cloves Garlic , minced
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Ancho Chili Pepper
1 Tsp Oregano
Sea Salt & Pepper
½ C Ricotta or TOFU Ricotta (recipe below)
2 Lime , zested and juiced
⅓ C Cilantro , chopped
⅓ C Cotija Cheese , crumbled

Directions

Heat Saute Pan over medium. Add oil and heat. Add onion, garlic, spices and saute until fragrant. Add most of the corn and cook until warm (appx 2 minutes).
Add corn to food processor, plus ricotta and lime juice. Puree until the consistency of Hummus. If it won’t smooth out, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
Garnish w/Corn, Cilantro and Cotija. Serve with Grilled Scallions and Baby Bells

Tofu Ricotta

Ingredients

14 Oz Tofu , firm and drained
1 Clove Garlic
Sea Salt & Pepper
1-2 Tsp herbs de provence
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Directions

Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until well combined, but not smooth.
Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until well combined, but not smooth.
Add corn to food processor, plus ricotta and lime juice. Puree until the consistency of Hummus. If it won’t smooth out, add 1-2 tbsp of water.
Garnish w/Corn, Cilantro and Cotija. Serve with Grilled Scallions (recipe below) and Baby Bells.

Grilled Scallions

Serving size 4 39 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 2 g Fat: 3 g

Ingredients

4-6 Scallions , with tops still on
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat Grill Pan over Med heat.
Coat Onions with EVOO using pastry brush.
Cook until wilted and marked by the grill, 1-2 minutes/side. Remove from heat and serve.

Pan Roasted Fingerlings

Serving size 4 125 cal Protein: 3 g Carbs: 14 g Fat: 7 g

Directions

Heat EVOO in Saute Pan over Medium. Add potatoes and sprinkle with umami and salt. Roll in pan until all potatoes are cut side down. Stop moving the potatoes. Cook until crispy and golden brown on the cut side. Remove from heat and serve with Spicy Ketchup (recipe below).

Spicy Ketchup

Serving size 6 39 cal Protein: 0 g Carbs: 3 g Fat: 2 g

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ Med Onion , diced
1 Clove Garlic , minced
Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp Fermented Chili Sauce
1/2C Ketchup

Directions

Heat Oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and smoked paprika. Saute until soft and fragrant. Add Chile sauce and Ketchup. Serve warm or cool to room temperature.

Pomegranate Balsamic Mushrooms

Serving size 6 61 cal Protein: 2 g Carbs: 4 g Fat: 5 g

Ingredients

Tbsp2 Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic , minced
1 Lb Mushrooms , any variety (preference to Baby Bellas)
2-4 Tbsp Pomegranate Juice
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Parsley , diced

Directions

Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic, saute until fragrant. Add mushrooms and coat well in oil and garlic. Add juice and vinegar.
Cook until liquid is nearly absorbed. Coat the top of the mushrooms with the pomegranate at the bottom of the pan. Toss with parsley and serve.

Brussel Sprouts

Serving size 4 69 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 2 g Fat: 7 g

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts
Olive Oil
Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions

Method 1:
Heat Grill Pan and spray with non-stick spray. Add Sprouts and cook until grill marks are darkened. Spin 90 degrees and continue cooking until second set of grill marks are darkened. Remove from pan and seas with salt & pepper.
Method 2:
Heat Oil in Saute Pan over medium heat. Add Sprouts and cook until medium brown on flat side. Remove from pan and season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Dip

Serving size 1 17 cal Protein: 0 g Carbs: 4 g Fat: 0 g

Ingredients

1 15 Oz Can White Beans
⅔ CCa Pumpkin (unsweetened)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
½ Tsp sage
¼ Tsp nutmeg
Sea Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil

Directions

Puree all items except EVOO until well blended. Drizzle EVOO while motor is running to help get to the smooth consistency. Enjoy immediately or store in fridge up to 2 weeks.
NOTE *: You can use either Chickpeas or White Beans, it’s your preference. I find white beans to be a smoother texture and require a lot less EVOO, so the overall dip is lower in calories. You can see below, nutritionally, White Beans, and Chickpeas are almost identical.

Maple Roasted Carrots

Serving size 6 93 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 23 g Fat: 0 g

Ingredients

⅓ C Maple
2 Tbsp Black Strap Molasses , or pomegranate, balsamic
1 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder (more or less to your taste)
Sea Salt
2 Lb Carrot

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer maple, molasses, chile powder, and sea salt until warm and well blended. Place carrots on parchment lined baking sheet and brush with maple glaze.

Pomegranate Molasses

Serving size 6 75 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 11 g Fat: 0 g

Ingredients

Pomegranate Juice
Sea Salt

Directions

SaucePan over Med. Cook until volume reduces by 50%. Add Salt to taste.

Balsamic Vinegar Molasses

Serving size 12 59 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 13 g Fat: 0 g

Ingredients

Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Salt

Directions

SaucePan over Medium. Cook until volume reduces by 50%. Add Salt and just enough honey to thicken the glaze.

Vanilla Scented Carrot Puree

Serving size 6 139 cal Protein: 1 g Carbs: 7 g Fat: 12 g

Ingredients

Carrot
Olive Oil
Salt
Butter , or coconut milk

Directions

If you want a smooth puree, boil the carrots until soft. If you want more of a mashed potato texture, roast the carrots at 425F. Remove from oven (or drain water) and put into food processor or blender. Add Vanilla Extract and Butter or Coconut Milk. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cranberry Sauce

Serving size 6 131 cal Protein: 2 g Carbs: 20 g Fat: 6 g

Ingredients

1 Bag Cranberry , rinsed
1 Lg or 2 Med Apple , cored
2 Lg or 4 Small Orange , tops cut off
½ C Hazelnuts
Sea Salt

Directions

Put everything into the food processor, one item at a time. You want the end result to be a little chunky, so it’s best to put each item into the food processor individually since they each take different amounts of time to dice up. Mix together and add a touch of salt. If the oranges were not sweet enough to carry the dish, add a touch of honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup. Another option for a touch of sweetness and decadence, is a splash or two of Grand Marnier (orange liqueur).
Always best if made a day ahead so the flavors can meld together overnight. It just keeps getting better!

Cranberry Sauce

Serving size 20 112 cal Protein: 0 g Carbs: 14 g Fat: 1 g

Ingredients

1 Bag Cranberry , rinsed
¼ C Sugar
½ Bottle Port Wine

Directions

I used 2016 Bogle Petite Syrah Port and it was $18. Vivino (wine app) gave this wine a score of 4.1 (based upon 600+ votes). They listed the dominant flavors to be Dark Chocolate, Cherries, Jam, Figs, and Cigars. Sounded perfect for my Cranberry Sauce, and guess what? It was!
Add all ingredients to a heavy bottom sauce pan over Medium Heat. Bring to a boil, drop to Low and simmer until berries start to pop (under 10 minutes). If you accidently add too much liquid – don’t worry – just simmer a bit longer to boil a bit of the liquid off. And oddly, a pinch of salt at the end really pulls it together.

Cranberry Chutney

Serving size 20 59 cal Protein: 0 g Carbs: 14 g Fat: 1 g

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ C Shallots , diced
2 Tbsp Ginger , diced
2 Tbsp Spices – I used Curry, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, All Spice
½ C Raisins or other Dried Fruit
2 C Pear , diced
1 C Frozen Cherries
1 bag Cranberry
1 C Apple Cider Vinegar
½ C Sugar
1 Tbsp Black Strap Molasses (I used Pomegranate Molasses from another recipe – amazing!!)
Sea Salt

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onions until soft. Add spices and cook until fragrant. Add fruit, ACV, sugar, molasses, and salt. Bring to a boil, then drop to low and simmer until the cranberries are popping and the pears are soft.

Cauliflower Dressing

Serving size 12 58 cal Protein: 0 g Carbs: 4 g Fat: 5 g

Ingredients

4 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 C Onion
2 C Carrot
2 C Celery
2 Cloves Garlic , diced
2 Tsp sage
1 Tsp Rosemary
sp1 T Thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 Head Cauliflower , chopped
8 Oz Package Baby Bellas , chopped
½ C Broth
¼ C Parsley , diced

Directions

In Pan over Medium heat, melt butter and oil. Add onion, carrot, and celery – saute until soft, 7-8 minutes. Add spices and saute until fragrant. Add cauliflower, mushrooms – saute until tender, 8-10 minutes. Pour broth into pan and cook until tender and liquid is absorbed, 10 minutes. Add parsley and serve.
NOTE*: If you make this once the Turkey is resting, you can add some turkey drippings to the broth; such a lovely richness can be achieved in an otherwise lean dish.

Apple Dressing

Serving size ¼ C 203 cal Protein: 6 g Carbs: 28 g Fat: 8 g

Ingredients

8 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 C Onion , diced
2 C Carrot , diced
2 C Celery , diced
2 C Apple
2 Tsp sage
1 Tsp Rosemary
1 Tsp Thyme
Salt & Pepper
5 C Bread Crumbs
1 C Cranberry , fresh or frozen
¼ C Parsley
1 ½ C Broth
2 Lg Eggs , beaten

Directions

PreHeat oven to 350F. In Pan over Medium heat, melt butter and oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, and apple – saute until soft, 7-8 minutes. Add spices and saute until fragrant.
In a bowl add apple mixture, bread, zest, cranberries, and parsley. Allow to cool. Add 1 cup of broth and eggs. If not wet enough, add more broth; it should be wet like bread pudding.
Oil a casserole dish with a bit of EVOO (you’ll thank me when it comes time to do dishes) and pour bread mixture into dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more (this will crisp the top). Enjoy!
NOTE*: I made a half portion of this recipe on the show and used ½ C Broth. It was a bit dry, so I’ve increased the recipe to 1 ½ cups. I recommend putting in 1 cup and seeing how wet it is. Add the last ½ cup if you think it needs it – it really depends upon the bread you use.

Roasted Cheesy Green Beans

Serving size 4 109 cal Protein: 5 g Carbs: 9 g Fat: 3 g

Ingredients

1 Lb Green Beans , ends trimmed
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
⅓ C Almond Flour
⅓ C Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese (save the rind for another use), grated
1 Tsp Thyme
Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425F (convection oven setting, if available) Drizzle oil on parchment lined baking sheet. Roll Green Beans in oil.
Mix flour, cheese, and spices. Coat Green Beans with flour mixture. Arrange Green Beans in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until crispy.

Pesto Asparagus Salad

Serving size 2 180 cal Protein: 4 g Carbs: 19 g Fat: 12 g

Ingredients

⅓ C Hazelnuts , chopped
2 Persimmons , diced
¼ C Pomegranate Seeds
3 C Fresh Herbs – Basil, Mint, and Parsley
¼ C Pecorino Romano
2 Lemon , Zest and Juice
2-3 Cloves Garlic
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil
2 Lb Asparagus , trimmed and cut in bite sized pieces
Sea Salt & Pepper

Directions

Toast hazelnuts in saute pan over medium heat until fragrant. Remove nuts from pan and add to Salad bowl. Toss with Persimmons and Pomegranate seeds.
In Food Processor or Blender, add herbs, cheese, zest, juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Process until well chopped and begin drizzling EVOO while motor is running. Keep adding oil until pesto is smooth.
Heat oil in Saute pan on Medium. Add Asparagus and season with sea salt & pepper. Cook briefly until softened. Add a couple tablespoons of pesto to the saute pan and coat the asparagus well. When warm remove from heat and add to salad bowl. Add more pesto, if needed. Enjoy!