Wellness Wednesday: Healthy Thanksgiving dishes your guests are going to love!

Healthy Thanksgiving dishes you guests are going to love!

3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is a staple in most homes during the holidays. Most buy the canned stuff which is still tasty, but with this homemade recipe you can see exactly what is going in it and is sure to wow the crowd! Cranberries also have several health properties worth getting excited about!

Cranberry: Cranberries contain a wide variety of heatlh benefits for such a small fruit! They are a low calorie food, about 25 calories per cup of cranberries but packed with Vitamin K, and vitamin B, also they provide good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, as well as Fiber. 

Cranberries are also well know to help prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTI's). Cranberries contain a high level of the antioxidant proanthocyanidins (PACs) which helps to stop certain bacteria attaching to the urinary tract walls. Those with frequent UTI's should looking taking a cranberry supplement everyday which contains a high concentration of PACs. These PACs may also support dental health by stopping bacteria to adhere to teeth. 

Ingredients: The list is super short on this one folks- just three simple ingredients!

• 4 cups whole cranberries (220 grams)
• 2 cups diced pineapple
• 1 apple also diced

Directions:

1. Add cranberries and pineapple to a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. 
2. Cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally, until cranberries have broken down.
3. Add apple and cook for another 15 minutes. 
4. Final place thickened sauce into a glass jar to store. 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries

This recipe comes from Julia's Album and she shares this delicious meal that would be perfect as a side for the big dinner. There are tons of health benefits packed into this meal check it out below to learn how to recreate this yummy meal. 

Brussels Sprouts: More and more people are hopping on the Brussels Sprout bandwagon, and for good reason! Brussels Sprouts are a great source of protein, and one serving of the green veggie meets your daily Vitamin C and Vitamin K requirements. With the high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin K, Brussels Sprouts maintain healthy skin and it's appearance, and helps maintain healthy vision. Brussels Sprouts are apart of the cruciferous family. Broccoli and Kale are also veggies that belong to the cruciferous family. 

  

Butternut Squash: Butternut Squash has amazing health benefits for one, one serving is half of your daily dose of Vitamin C, also one cup of butternut squash has 7g of Fiber! Promoting regularity and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. Butternut squash also helps prevent high blood-pressure because of it high content of magnesium. The list goes on and on for this delicious winter veggie. 

Ingredients: 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

• 3 cups Brussels Sprouts (trim the ends)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash:

• 1.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, deeded, and cubed into one inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Additional Ingredients: 

• 2 cups pecans halves
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup for extra sweetness

Instructions: 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. grease a foil lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Once the ends are trimmed on the Brussels Sprouts cut each one in half.
3. In a medium bowl combine halved Brussels Sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt (to taste), and toss together. 
4. Place mixture onto lined foil baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 
5. During the last 5-10 minutes, turn mixture over to brown both sides. Do not over roast or the edges will be burnt. 

Roasted Butternut Squash: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 F once again, grease a foil lined pan.
2. In a medium bowl combine olive oil, squash cubes, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Toss mixture together until all is combined.
3. Place squash on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes turning half-way through. 

NOTE: You can bake Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash two separate baking sheets, at the same time on the same rack. 

Assembly: 

1. In a large bowl combine roasted Brussels Sprouts, roasted Butternut Squash, pecans, and cranberries - mix to combine.
2. Optional: For more sweetness add a tad more maple syrup. Add more as needed. 

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Squares

Would it be the holidays without Pumpkin Pie? Well this simple and healthy recipe will be tempting you to make it all year long. These pumpkin pie squares are brought to us by Healthnut Nutrition, a video will be linked below. This recipe has a gluten free crust, so even the gluten intolerant can enjoy a fantastic pumpkin dessert. 

Pumpkin: One cup of cooked pumpkin contains more than 200% of you daily value of Vitamin A helping maintain eyesight. It also is high in Vitamin C, which may help you flight off colds this season and keeping your immune system strong. The festive veggie can also aid after a tough workout. With more potassium than a banana, pumpkin can help restore balance of the bodies electrolytes after a hard workout. 

Ingredients: 

Pumpkin Filling: 

• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin filling)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
  
• 2 tbsp. coconut flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt

Crust: 

• 1 1/4 cups almond flour
• 2 tbsp. coconut flour
• 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. sea salt
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350F.
2. To make the crust simply mix together the dry ingredients first then mix in wet and knead until you form a dough. You can use a spatula or your hands (or both) for this process.
3. Next, transfer dough into a 8x8 inch deep baking tray lined with parchment paper hanging over the edges to allow for easy removal.
4. Press in dough so it covers the entire bottom evenly. Using a fork press in holes into the dough to prevent it from rising while baking. Bake in the oven for 10 min until slightly golden and crispy.
5. For the filling mix together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk until well combined.
6. Pour pumpkin batter into baking tray on top of the crust and bake in the oven for 45 min. The filling should be firm but still slightly jiggly and dark orange when its done baking.
7. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack and score a small cross in the middle to prevent too much cracking while cooling.
8. Once full cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for 4-6 hours to fully set and firm up.
9. Using a sharp knife cut into 9 even squares and serve with coconut whip.

CLICK HERE for video! 

Try these recipes out and let us know which was your favorite! Happy Holidays from the Island Urgent Care Team!