Thanksgiving Day Side Dishes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here are three wonderful side dishes to accompany the main event at your dinner table that can be enjoyed on Thursday, or any day for that matter. All of these dishes focus on real-food ingredients and can be consumed with impunity from inducing corpulence. I brought some help for two of the recipes from a local and talented trainer, mom, and chef, Julia Rosenthal.

Roasted Rosemary Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

For those looking to indulge without putting on the extra baggage on Thanksgiving, try this starchless, and delicious, alternative to mashed potatoes.

Makes 4 Servings | Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time:

Roasted Garlic: 30 minutes
Cauliflower: 6-7 minutes

Ingredients        

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 cloves minced roasted rosemary garlic*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Directions

Set a stockpot of water to boil over high heat.
       
Chop cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6-7 minutes. Drain well; do not let cool and pat dry with paper towels.
       
In a bowl with an immersion blender, or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper until almost smooth.
       
Garnish with the chives, and each serving can be enhanced with a topping of a pat of butter and extra roasted garlic.
               
*Roasted Rosemary Garlic Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin. Cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

Place the garlic heads in muffin pan or on a baking pan. Place the heads on a sheet of aluminum foil and create a “bowl” around the bulb with enough foil to be able to wrap and enclose the bulb with foil.

Drizzle and coat the bulb well with olive. Sprinkle freshly grated pepper, salt, and freshly minced rosemary over the bulbs.  Close aluminum foil around the bulb.

Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes.

Enter Julia Rosenthal!

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Here is a light version of a fun and packed-with-flavor Thanksgiving side dish. Using a mandolin or the slicing attachment on your food processor is the ideal way to get the sprouts sliced super thin; yielding portion sizes that look deceivingly large and introducing most people to a new and innovative way to enjoy these giant green orbs!

Serves 8
2 spicy chicken sausages
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
½ Vidalia onion, diced
1 ¼ lbs fresh brussel sprouts, sliced very thinly
½  cup all natural 100% apple juice
Olive oil
Butter
Salt and pepper

First, remove the skin from the chicken sausages and discard. Dice sausages finely. Heat very large nonstick skillet and add a little olive oil. Add sausages and walnuts and stir often, ensuring that the walnuts toast but do not burn. Add onion and a splash of water. When onion is softened, set mixture aside in bowl. Return pan to heat and add one tablespoon of good olive oil. Add sprouts. Sauté sprouts, allowing to brown. Once browned and tender, add apple juice and season with salt and pepper.  Add sausage mixture back into pan. Allow to cook for another minute or two. Finish with a small dollop of butter (for richness) and combine. Enjoy!

Green Beans with Mushrooms

I hate to admit it, but I love the old-school green bean casserole that resembles green and beige mush more than it does vegetables by the time it gets to the table. But growing up, it was never on our menu and it never will be. Instead, I’ve taken the bits of the holiday classic that I crave from my in-laws’ holiday table and created something alltogether refreshing and tasty.

Serves 8
3 tablespoons good olive oil, 2 reserved
2 cups sliced shallot
1 ½ lbs green beans (I vote for haricots verts, but they do cost a lot more money), trimmed
3 cups chopped Vidalia onion
8 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup dry sherry wine
3 tablespoons almond flour
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup fresh parsley
½ cup parmesan cheese

Heat one tablespoon of oil in very large skillet. Add shallots and quickly pan fry until brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel. Season with salt and set aside. Boil green beans for 4-5 minutes, remove from water, drain, shock in cold water and set aside.  Now, back to your saucepan.  Heat remaining oil in pan. Add diced onion to pan. Sauté until tender. Add mushrooms. Stir in wine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in almond flour slowly, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken. Add mushrooms to green beans and combine well. Toss in parsley. Test for seasoning.  Place mixture in a large baking dish. In small bowl, toss your frizzled shallots with the parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of green beans and mushrooms. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until top is browned.  Old never tasted so new!

Bob Kaplan holds advance degrees in exercise physiology and business, an undergraduate degree in nutrition, is a nationally certified personal trainer, and owns four Get In Shape For Women locations in Bedford, Wellesley, Westford, and Winchester.

Julia Rosenthal is a personal trainer at Westford Get In Shape for Women and owner of ‘In the Kitchen’ catering and food delivery service. She is also a contributing writer for Bostonmamas.com, where she shares tips on fitness and healthy cooking.

For more information about Kaplan's, and Rosenthal’s, services at Get in Shape For Women in Westford, please call 978-589-0927 or visit at 142 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA  01886, or online at www.getinshapeforwomen.com for a free week trial.