The Post Thanksgiving Eating Guide

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the indulgent feast is behind us, it's time to detox a little with some healthy dishes.  Sure, you may be thinking that the holiday season is just upon us and there will be so many other opportunities to indulge, but why not give your tummy a break with a few of these nourishing foods:

Healthy Stuffed Peppers - I love this recipe because it uses homemade, non-processed tomato sauce and can be a very versatile dish. You can make it veggie friendly or with lean meat too - I prefer the latter and like to use some lean ground turkey into the stuffing.  

My Healthy Bolognese - If you don't want to give up on hearty foods, I highly recommend this healthy take on Bolognese sauce, which uses fresh ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, and some chicken sausage in place of pork.  

Turkey Chili - If you've got some turkey leftovers (or have ground turkey on-hand), this is a nice dish to make. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days or you can freeze it and save it for a busy weeknight dinner.

Turkey Sliders and Salad - This recipe brings me back in time, as Dan used to create these little sliders a lot, especially during football season.  They're filling and tasty and are always a big hit whether for a small casual dinner or larger parties.

Shiitake Mushroom Soup - There's nothing like a delicious hot soup in the winter.  This one is especially earthy, with plenty of shiitake and baby bella mushrooms and I supplement the cream with a healthier alternative.  It's really nice to cozy up with a heaping bowl of this and watch your favorite holiday movie.  

Leftovers-Stuffed Peppers

Mmmm...I love anything stuffed.  Stuffed mushrooms, stuffed cabbage (my mom's and grandmother's specialty), stuffed crab, stuffed chicken...and also stuffed peppers.  I made them only one other time before and was quite happy with the results.  That's why when I saw an easy and attractive-looking recipe for ragu stuffed red peppers, I was motivated to try it.  The "ragu" part called for leftover red sauce, but since we didn't have this in the house, I ended up just buying a good quality version in the grocery store.  We did however, have all the other ingredients such as chopped meat from leftover turkey meatloaf, golden raisins, cous-cous and cheese.

The toughest part of the recipe was cleaning the peppers and taking out the seeds, which if you've done it before know that it's not that difficult.  I loved all the beautiful colors in this dish, and suggest getting different colored peppers to enhance your visual experience.  As you can see, I stuck with red and yellow, but might mix in green peppers too next time. 

Dan and my in-laws loved the finished product and could hardly believe that it all came from leftovers.  We each had two pepper halves along with some salad, sweet potatoes, carrots and celery that we had from the night before.  The meal was not only filling, but healthful too.  Let me know if you try it and the fun alterations you make to it.

Ragu Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Healthy Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Homemade Tomato Sauce

I was looking to make an alternative dinner dish in place of the customary meat and fish.  After some research, I found a great recipe in one of my favorite healthy food cookbooks, Secrets of a Skinny Chef by Jennifer Iserloh.  I've dabbled in Jennifer's recipes before when I made her light Banana Cream Pie and the Blondie Brownies.  Both recipes had a high level of success, so I had a good feeling about the stuffed peppers.

I bought tri-color peppers, which made this dish look really pretty.  I substituted ground chicken meat for the turkey, giving this dish more lightness.  The bed of brown rice was a nice side dish and overall, it was an exciting plate to serve up on a weekend night.  I highly suggest it for a healthy and satisfying meal.  And if you've never made stuffed peppers before, don't be intimated to do so - this recipe is very user friendly.

Stuffed Peppers in Homemade Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 cup short-grain brown rice
1 tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
1 26 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped or grated
1 celery stalk, chopped or grated
1/4 cup of basil leaves, chopped
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
4 green, red, or orange bell peppers

Directions:
Cook the brown rice according to the package instructions.  Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic.  Decrease the heat to medium low and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes fragrant but doesn't brown.  Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until the paste browns lightly.  Add the peeled tomatoes and water.  Bring to a slow simmer.

In the same bowl with the rice, place the turkey (or ground chicken if using), onions, carrots, celery, basil, egg whites, salt, and black pepper.  Mix with your hands until well combined; the mixture will be wet.  Using a small pairing knife, cut the tops off the bell peppers.  Scoop out the ribs and seeds.  Distribute filling among the peppers and place them in the stockpot with the sauce, filling side up.  Cover and simmer 35-40 minutes, until the filling is cooked through and the bell peppers are soft.  Serve immediately.