Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad

I've fallen in love with many salads over the years, but this one is my favorite this time of year. The colors are perfect for the holidays and it's a nice mix of fruit and veggies. And it has pomegranates which is a huge score in my salad-book. :) I love those crunchy little fruit bites. I took this salad to a Christmas party last week that was potluck style and received many compliments on the dish. It's a flavorful salad that is tangy, tart, crunchy, sweet and sour. It's also very versatile. You could maybe even add mango, pineapple, or nuts to this salad and it would be wonderful! I used spinach, but you could also use baby greens or arugula and it would taste incredible. If you'd rather buy your dressing, it would be great pair with just about any vinaigrette. I'm all about working with what I have so I encourage you to do the same.

Pomegranate Pear & Apple Salad
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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SALAD:

• 6 cups chopped spinach
• 2 gala apples, cored and diced (use a tart, crisp apple if you don't have gala on hand)
• 2 asian pears, cored and diced
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

DRESSING:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

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1.  In a large bowl, combine spinach, apples, and pears.
2. Top with pomegranate seeds and feta cheese.
3. Wisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and pour on top, if you wish. (I serve my dressing on the side).

NUTRITION FACTS

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(salad without dressing)

    3/4 cup serving    52 calories   1.5g fat   8.8g carbs    1.5g protein    6.1g sugar   

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Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from epicurious.

Raspberry Cranberry Pie

I hope it's not considered cheating if I admit that I did not actually make this recipe. In our house, I've been gifted with a husband who learned from his mother the secrets of pie baking. I know, right? Who is lucky enough to have a husband that bakes pies ... and good pies at that! Well, I am. Unfortunately for him, though, he ended up with a wife who hasn't always been a big pie fan. Which means he's on a continual search to find pies that I like (lucky for me again!), and this is definitely one of them. We found this pie in the Cooking Light magazine, and knew we needed to try it out this holiday season. Not only is it full of fantastic flavor, but it relies on a whole lot less sugar than many other fruit pies out there. In my book that's a double bonus - delicious pie with less sugar is something I can get excited about, especially this time of year!

I know a big part of pie baking is in getting the crust right. I can't attest to knowing all the tricks that my husband has picked up from his mom, but I've gathered a few tips & tricks from trusted web resources such as King Arthur Flour (link here), Smitten Kitchen (link here for the basics and here for the advanced tips), and The Kitchn (link here). Or, if you're in a pinch and just looking for the quickest route to a holiday pie, you could always go with a store-bought pie crust (just don't tell my husband I said that!)

Raspberry Cranberry Pie
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 30 minutes           COOK: 55 minutes            READY IN: 1 hr. 25 min.

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 pie crust, top and bottom (store-bought or homemade)
• 1 1/2 cups cranberries
• 1 cup finely diced peeled apple (a sweet and crisp variety, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 (6 oz.) packages fresh raspberries, divided
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 large egg white

DIRECTIONS

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1. Fit one part of the pie dough into a 9-inch pie tin coated with baking spray. Gently press the dough into the tin. Chill the dough while you assemble the filling.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. 
3. Combine the cranberries, apple, and lemon juice. Sprinkle in the sugar, corn starch, and salt, and stir gently until everything is evenly coated. 
4. Very gently stir in 2 packages of the raspberries. Spoon everything into the chilled pie base, and then arrange the remainder of the raspberries over the mixture.
5. Arrange the remaining half of the pie crust on top as desired. (We did a lattice-top - see here for step-by-step photo instructions for that.) Whisk together the teaspoon of water and egg white. After sealing the dough edges, brush the top and edges with the egg mixture. 
6. Bake at 350ºF for 55 minutes. The crust should become golden and the inside bubbly. If the crust is cooking too fast, you can cover the sides with cut out pieces of tin foil that will allow the inside to continue to cook while slowing down the crust and keeping it from burning.
7. Cool pie completely before eating. Enjoy plain, or with whipped cream or ice cream.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/10th of pie    253 calories   10.8 g fat   39.5 g carbs    3.6 g protein 

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light magazine.

Recipe Refresh: Low Cal Green Bean Casserole

One of the dishes I love having on a Thanksgiving spread is the beloved Green Bean Casserole. My Grandma makes it like none other, and I think that has something to do with the fact that she uses her very own green beans from her garden - frozen and saved just for the feast. In an effort to maintain this dish's yumminess, but also keep it healthy by using only real food instead of canned, I made over this traditional dish and am very pleased at the results! As a comparison, I used Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole recipe as this is pretty close to how my Grandma would make it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below on your favorite Thanksgiving dish. I feel like it's so hard to choose. Is it the pie? The stuffing? The yams? Or does your family have "weird" traditions that you look forward to each year? For instance, my Grandma also serves duck meat each Thanksgiving. It's tradition, and I love it! 

Recipe Refresh: Low Cal Green Bean Casserole
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 40 minutes           COOK: 35 minutes            READY IN: 75 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 medium shallots, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh string green beans
• 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups milk (I used skim)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. In a medium skillet, on medium-high heat, put a couple tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the diced shallots until they are golden brown and crispy. They should look nice and caramelized (it took me about 6 minutes to achieve this.) Place in a separate dish off to the side.
3. In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown. This will take longer than the shallots, about 12 minutes. 
4. Once the mushrooms are golden brown, add the garlic and thyme. Mix together for 1 minute in the skillet.
5. Place the mushroom mixture in a separate bowl, off to the side.
6. Mix together milk and flour until the flour is dissolved. 
7. In a larger skillet, heat up the milk & flour mixture, stirring frequently, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to med-low until the mixture thickens. This took about 15 minutes.
8. Remove pan from heat, and add green beans, mushroom mixture, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, an pepper.
9. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Put the green bean mixture in the dish, top with the shallots and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbling.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    161 calories   8.4g fat   15.1g carbs    9.5g protein    5.5g sugar   

Original Recipe (Paula Deen's)	Refresh Recipe by Pass the Fresh
1/3 stick butter 1/2 cup diced onions 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 2 cups sliced green beans 3 cups chicken broth 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings Pinch House Seasoning (salt, black pepper, garlic powder mixture) 1 cup grated Cheddar	4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 medium shallots, diced 1 1/2 pounds fresh string green beans 1 pound button mushrooms, sliced 6 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups milk (I used skim) 3 tablespoons flour 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, divided 1/2 cup chopped parsley 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 30 minutes (Total: 40 minutes)	Prep: 40 minutes, Cook: 35 minutes (Total: 75 minutes)
217 calories, 15g fat, 11.7g carbs, 8.4g protein, 1.8g sugar	161 calories, 8.4g fat, 15.1g carbs, 9.5g protein, 5.5g sugar

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Kitchen Konfidence.

Low-Sugar Cranberry Salsa

I warned you that cranberries were coming! When fresh cranberries start appearing on produce shelves this time of year, I can never resist buying bags of them to try out new ways to use the tart red berries. They are such a beautiful fruit, and even though they have none of the sweetness of a typical berry, they are one of those awesome ingredients that can take you in so many directions. I love adding them into sweet things like cookies or scones. They add a fantastic pop of flavor to my morning oatmeal. They are wonderful in savory dishes and salads. And of course I love including them in my fruit smoothies. Here, I decided to take them in the spicy direction, and I'm loving the result! Instead of your traditional cranberry relish, this cranberry salsa is simultaneously sweet, tart, and full of spicy zing (which you can adjust according to your "heat tolerance" - I'll admit, I love to turn up the spice). It was fantastic served with sweet potato corn chips, as well as with cinnamon-sugar pita chips. And since I'm kind of one to push the envelope when it comes to all the traditional Thanksgiving flavors (i.e. salt, pepper, and butter) ... I'm positive it would also be an exciting substitute for cranberry relish on your Thanksgiving turkey (though I can't promise your grandmother would approve).

Cranberry Salsa
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2-1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (depends on how strong your jalapeño is, and how hot you want it)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 apple, finely chopped (I used a Gala)
• 1/8 teaspoon stevia extract (or about 1 teaspoon honey or sugar)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

DIRECTIONS

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1. Place half of the cranberries, chopped green onions, jalapeño, and cilantro in a food processor. Blend until all are finely diced, then add in the remaining of each ingredient and pulse the food processor a few more times. You should have a nice mixture, with everything diced, but not completely pureed. 
2. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl with the diced apple pieces. Stir in the sweetener, lime juice, and orange juice. Mix well.
3. Serve with your preferred chips ... or over your turkey!

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 cup serving    23 calories   0.1 g fat   6.2 g carbs    0.2 g protein    3.2 g sugar   

Enjoy!

Calabacitas con Elote (Zucchini with Corn)

Fall seems to be the time of year I crave colorful dishes. This one doesn't disappoint! It's a beautiful dish that would be perfect at any Thanksgiving dinner table. It's also perfect if you need a great vegetarian option for yourself, friends, or family. Just add some black beans to this recipe, and it will be a one-dish wonder. Or, feel free to add a little shredded chicken or turkey if you are meat-friendly and this can also be an all-in-one dish for dinner or lunch.

Calabacitas con Elote (Zucchini with Corn)
8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 ripe vine tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon raw blue agave sweetener
• 1 lime, juiced
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.
2. Saute the zucchini for about 5 minutes, or until it turns a nice golden brown color.
3. Add the corn, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, sea salt, lemon pepper, cumin, agave sweetener, and lime juice. Stir to combine. 
4. Cover and cook on meduium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender, yet still crisp.
5. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    75 calories   3.9g fat   10.6g carbs    1.8g protein    4.2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess.

Holiday Fruit Cocktail

I love family traditions. Growing up, I was lucky enough to live by both sets of grandparents and it was always a big party for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Every year we'd have our fruit cocktail before any of the main course was served. It just wouldn't be the same without it. I can't describe it other than yummy. This is one of the only times I'll give in and drink soda, and I have yet to regret it. I hope you all enjoy my coveted drink.

Holiday Fruit Cocktail
12 SERVINGS 

PREP: 5 minutes           FREEZE: at least 4 hours           READY IN: roughly 4 hours 

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 12 oz. frozen or fresh raspberries
• 12 oz. frozen of fresh blackberries
• 3 kiwis, peeled and diced
• water
• 20 oz. bottle of 7-up, Sprite or Ginger Ale. (I used sprite)

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a 9x13-inch pan pour in raspberries, blackberries, and kiwis. Combine. 
2. Add in water, about 1/2 cup, just enough to cover the berries so that they will freeze together. 
3. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours. 
4. When ready to serve, cut into squares and place in a cocktail glass. 
5. Pour Sprite over the fruit squares. 
6. Serve with spoon and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

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   1 serving   83 calories  1g fat  20g carbs   1g protein   12g sugar   

Enjoy!

Mini Apple Pie Bites

November is here! Hard to believe, but it's really here! That means Thanksgiving and I tend to associate that with a growing waist band. I don't know about you, but I tend to indulge a lot more over the winter months, and get out of my exercise habits too. It's my mission to keep my pants buttoned up and looking good this season. Anyone with me?!

I have an incredible recipe, in my humble opinion, I'm sharing with you today. I think it's delicious, sweet, and cute. What more could you ask for in a dessert? It's bite-sized - so you can eat as much, or as little as you want. At under 50 calories a piece, I think you can have more than one with your Thanksgiving feast.

Apple Pie Bites
16 SERVINGS 
PREP: 25 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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FOR THE CRUST:

• 1/2 cup almond meal (or almond flour works too)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup ice cold water

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 cup diced skin-on apple (I used a granny smith apple, but any firm, sweet and tart apple would do) 
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

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FOR THE CRUST:

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together almond meal, flour, and cinnamon. Add the maple syrup, apple sauce and water. Stir until it forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into 16 even squares. Press the dough into the minimuffin pan (I used a large muffin pan, but only went about halfway up the sides). Use your fingers to press in the dough so that it lines the bottoms and sides of each well.

FOR THE FILLING:

1. In a another medium bowl, mix together the apples, applesauce, vanilla, maple syrup and cinnamon. Spoon this apple mixture evenly on top of the dough mixture already placed in the muffin pan. 
2. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edge of the tarts are lightly brown. Serve warm. Keep these in your refrigerator up to 3 days.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 apple pie bite    43 calories   1.5g fat   6.7g carbs    1.1g protein    3g sugar   

To dress these up a bit for Thanksgiving, feel free to add a dollop of cool whip and sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

Recipe from Eating by Elaine.

Recipe Refresh: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Thanksgiving is coming, which means we dust off some of our favorite comfort foods. Of course there are all the traditional meal dishes, sides, and desserts, but there are also the pre-dinner foods that inevitably make a showing.

When I think of one of my favorite appetizers, a nice, creamy spinach-artichoke dip always comes to mind. While the traditional version of this decadent dip is often made with mayonnaise, butter, lots of cheese, and filled with fat and calories, this skimmed-down version is much healthier. With the addition of flavorful ingredients such as feta, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, though, this refresh will still satisfy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
16 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 20-25 minutes            READY IN: 35-40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 10-oz box of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
• 1 10-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 dashes of hot sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• salt and pepper 
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

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1.  Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet and add the onion, cooking until translucent. Add the garlic, spinach, artichoke, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir together about one minute, until heated through. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in the feta and yogurt, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Spread the mixture into an 8x8 (approximately) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot and bubbling.
6. Serve hot with sourdough baguette slices or crackers. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 cup serving of dip    53 calories   3.2 g fat   3.9 g carbs    2.9 g protein    .9 g sugar   

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
2 tablespoons butter,                           4 ounces cream cheese,   2 1/4 total cups cheese	2 tablespoons olive oil,                               4 ounces (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt, less than 3/4 cup cheese
In 1/4 cup: 106 calories 7 g fat (5 g saturated) 302 mg sodium	In 1/4 cup: 53 calories 3.2 g fat (1.2 saturated) 107 mg sodium

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Latin D'Lite cookbook by Ingrid Hoffmann.

Recipe Refresh: Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Up until about a year ago, I hadn't bought a sweet potato in my life. I ate them at Thanksgiving, covered in marshmallows and brown sugar (yum!), but thought that was about all they were good for. Boy, was I wrong. Since their growing popularity on Pinterest, sweet potatoes have found a nice home on our kitchen shelves. I LOVE sweet potato fries and recently found this maple-roasted sweet potato recipe that also has the "yum" factor. This would make a great, healthified version of your average Thanksgiving sweet potato recipe - giving you more room to splurge on pie!

Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes
10 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 45-50 minutes            READY IN: 1 hour 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (approximately 8 cups), peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. After cutting sweet potatoes, pour into large freezer bag.
3. Combine syrup, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour syrup mixture into bag, seal, and toss to coat.
4. Evenly spread sweet potatoes in 9x13 inch pan. Cover and bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/2 cup serving    193 calories   3 g fat   40.5 g carbs    1.9 g protein    6.9 g sugar   

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
7 cups sweet potatoes 1 1/4 cup margarine 1 1/4 cup brown sugar 3 cups mini marshmallows Cinnamon (to taste) Nutmeg (to taste)	8 cups sweet potatoes 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Pepper (to taste)
595 calories	193 calories
19.4 g fat	3 g fat
103.9 g carbs	40.5 g carbs
43.1 g sugar	6.9 g sugar

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Delish