Healthy Holiday-Themed Recipes for 2019

The holiday season is upon us and while you may be tempted to eat foods that aren’t good for you our health clinics at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to motivate you to eat healthy this holiday season. Our Mid-MO health clinics are here to share with you a few healthy holiday-themed recipes we found online in this week’s blog. The goal of Central Ozarks Medical Center is to lead the way to healthier communities. For more information on what our Lake of the Ozarks health clinics stand for, please visit our website at www.CentralOzarks.org.

Healthy Holiday-Themed Recipes for 2019

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/green-bean-casserole-slimmed-recipe-2009016

Green Bean Casserole – Slimmed

Ingredients

3 to 4 medium shallots, in their skins

Kosher salt, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons

1 pound fresh green beans, stemmed, and halved crosswise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups mushroom, vegetable, or chicken broth (see Cook’s Note)

3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable cooking spray

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Put the shallots (in their skins) on a small baking dish, roast until soft, about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, skin and coarsely chop the shallots. Set aside.

Bring a medium-large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add kosher salt, to taste. Add the green beans, and cook, uncovered, until crisp-tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer the beans to a large bowl.

In the same saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, season with 1 teaspoon salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the beans.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until golden, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the shallots, 1 teaspoon of the thyme, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and stir to combine evenly.

Spray a 2-quart baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the pan. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme to bread crumbs and scatter over the vegetables. Bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the crumbs brown, about 20 minutes.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/eggplant-ricotta-bites-recipe-1973666

Eggplant Ricotta Bites

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

Kosher salt

All-purpose flour, for dredging

2 large eggs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra- virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

2 large plum tomatoes, diced

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 cup ricotta cheese

Shredded fresh basil, for topping

Directions

Thinly slice the eggplant into rounds and season with salt. Pour some flour into a shallow dish. Beat the eggs in another dish. In a third dish, mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then dip in the eggs and coat with the breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil between batches, if necessary. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and the vinegar in a bowl. Spoon some ricotta onto each eggplant slice. Top with the tomato mixture and basil.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-pomegranate-and-hazelnuts-recipe-1973768

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Pomegranate and Hazelnuts

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 tablespoons canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Seeds from 1 pomegranate

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

Finely grated zest of 1 lime

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the Brussels sprouts in a medium roasting pan; toss with the canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until light golden brown and a knife inserted into the centers goes in without any resistance, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the sprouts to a large bowl and add the pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, hazelnuts, and lime and orange zests. Season with salt as needed.

Stay Healthy This Holiday Season with Central Ozarks Medical Center!

All of us here at Central Ozarks Medical Center hope you have a Happy Holiday season! We also hope you appreciated these healthy holiday recipes we found online. For more health tips, please follow our social media channels listed below and check out our website at www.CentralOzarks.org.

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