Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes | Dr. Sears Wellness Institute (2024)

Pumpkin Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tbsp agave nectar or honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• Sliced apples

Directions:

Blend together pumpkin, yogurt, cinnamon, nutmeg, agave or honey, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

In a separate chilled bowl, beat the cream until it starts to thicken. Continue to beat the cream until peaks form and the cream holds it’s shape.

Carefully fold the two mixtures together slowly, a spoonful at a time so that the whipped cream doesn’t fall. Serve immediately with apple slices.

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground lean turkey

Sauce:

• 1 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

Combine egg, bread crumbs, oats, evaporated milk, onion and spices together in a bowl. Add ground turkey and mix well. Form into 1 inch balls and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

While meatballs are cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium low heat until well heated. Brush cooked meatballs with sauce and return to oven for about ten minutes.

Serve with toothpicks and the remainder of the sauce for dipping.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 Tablespoon minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

In a large frying pan, brown beef, onion, and garlic. Mix in butter and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, siring constantly to avoid burning the mixture. Remove from heat and stir in Green Yogurt.

Slice stems off of the mushrooms and dip in olive oil. Stuff generously with the meat mixture. Place stuffed mushrooms in a baking dish and sprinkle with chili powder.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Smokey Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
• Liquid smoke (optional)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (use smoked paprika if you are skipping the liquid smoke)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine egg yolks and Greek yogurt in a bowl and mix until creamy. Mix in sun-dried tomatoes, smoked paprika, (or a few drops of liquid smoke if not using smoked paprika), and salt.

Place filling into a large Ziploc bag and cut off one corner for easy filling. Just squeeze the desired amount into the egg white half and garnish with paprika, parsley, or caramelized onions.

Refrigerate before serving.

Maple Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:

• 2 cups 100% apple cider
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Medium sized whole turkey
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Combine apple cider and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and boil for about 20 minutes until mixture has reduced to about 1 cup of liquid. Remove liquid and whisk together with all spices, lemon zest, and butter. Refrigerate until cold.

Prepare thawed turkey for baking by removing the giblets and neck and loosening the skin on the breast by sliding a hand under the skin. Rub 1/2 cup of the maple mixture under the breast skin and stuff turkey with wild rice stuffing. Place turkey in a large baking dish and brush 1/2 of the remaining maple mixture over the outside of the turkey and secure turkey legs together.

Pour chicken broth into the pan and add various root vegetables if desired. Sprinkle additional thyme and marjoram over the turkey and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F, cover turkey with foil and roast for about 4 hrs until the internal thigh temperature reaches 180 degrees and stuffing reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to stand for about 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

Gluten Free Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice (or equal amount of quinoa)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped apple (including peel)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (try almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)

Spices:

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon ground marjoram
• 1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Rinse rice until water runs clear. Place wild rice in a large sauce pan with 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes until all water is absorbed, stirring frequently.

Sauté all of the fruit and veggies together olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add all spices and cook on medium low for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend together.

Mix together the cooked wild rice, sautéed mixture, chicken broth, and nuts and use to stuff turkey.

Apple Stuffed Squash

Ingredients:

• 1 diced apple
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 acorn squash
• 2 teaspoons melted butter
• Dash of salt

Directions:

Mix the diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt together. Use a sharp knife to carefully pierce the hard squash shell to let the steam escape during cooking. Place the acorn squash in the microwave and bake on high for about five to ten minutes, turning half-way through all it to cook evenly.

Cut tender cooked squash in half, remove seeds, and fill the center of each half with the apple mixture. Return to the microwave and cook until apples are tender.

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 clove diced fresh garlic
• 1 white leek or 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Steam cauliflower, garlic, and leek/onion for about 20-30 minutes in a large pan of water until completely tender. Using a food processor or blender, puree steamed mixture with butter, salt and pepper.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spinach
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons finely minced onion
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

Whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, honey, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and olive oil.

Combine spinach, cranberries, red onion and almonds in a large salad bowl and top with dressing mixture just before serving.

Greek Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces frozen French cut green beans
• 8 ounces diced mushrooms
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 small thinly sliced onion
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup low fat milk
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

Steam green beans in a large pan for about five minutes or until tender. Drain beans and combine with diced mushrooms.

In a separate pan, sauté the onion and fresh parsley with the butter over medium heat until onion is tender. Whisk in flour until well blended with onions before adding lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Over medium-low heat, slowly add milk and Green yogurt, whisking mixture constantly to avoid lumps forming. Continue cooking over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble and thicken.

Combine sauce and bean mixture together, pour into a medium casserole dish and top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Raspberry Sherbert

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups seedless red or black-raspberry just fruit preserves
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup water

Directions:

In a food processor, mix 1 pound of the fresh or defrosted frozen raspberries and the fruit preserves until liquefied. Strain through a fine wire mesh sieve to remove seeds. Add lemon juice and water to the fruit mixture. Pour mixture into a stainless steel bowl and freeze for about three hours until firm, but not too hard.

Remove mixture from freezer, break into pieces and use a food processor to blend the frozen mixture until smooth, creamy, and lighter in color. Pour the mixture into small molds (try using small bowls or large muffin tins) and return to freezer. Freeze for at least several hours until solid.

To serve, remove from freezer and place mold briefly in hot water to loosen from the sides. Place on a dessert plate, top with remaining raspberries, slivered almonds, and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Sweetened Whipped Cream Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a chilled small mixing bowl and with chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form.

Dr Sears Tofu-Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 cups firm tofu
• 2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin
• 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• One 9-inch deep-dish pie shell (see recipe on next page)

Directions:

Blend tofu until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until mixed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ingredients into pie shell. Bake for an hour, or until crust is done. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve chilled.

Martha’s Easy Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 11/2 cups brown rice flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, chilled
• 1 egg yolk
• 2-3 Tablespoons ice water

Directions:

Blend the flour and salt in a food processor. Cut butter into eighths on top of the flour and then process until the mixture is evenly coarse, like cornmeal. Add egg yolk and water while processor is running. Dough will gradually clump together into a ball. You may need to add another 1/2 -1 tablespoon or so of cold water if a ball doesn’t form.

Remove dough, divide into two balls, one slightly larger, and chill (wrapped) in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

To roll and handle this dough you will need to use two sheets of waxed paper for each crust. Roll the dough out to the desired size between the sheets of waxed paper (measure with the pie pan). The dough will be thinner than usual – use the slightly larger ball for the bottom crust. Wet the rolling surface first to keep the wax paper from slipping around.

Makes enough for a double 9″ pie crust.

Fruit Crisp

Ingredients:

• 4 diced apples
• 4 diced pears
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup butter

Directions:

Mix together diced fruit, cranberries, 2 Tablespoons flour, honey, and lemon juice in bowl and pour into a greased the prepared dish.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, walnuts, and butter to the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle loosely over the fruit mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F until fruit is soft and the topping is brown and crispy.