Ask A Dallas Chef: Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

By Shawn S. Lealos

When people are trying to get into shape or stay in shape, the holidays provide one of the toughest challenges. With family gatherings, there is almost always a huge meal waiting and many people will throw their diet out the window to pig out and spend the rest of the holiday on the couch before heading back home and regretting it when the holidays come to an end. However, there are some delicious meals that anyone can make with the Thanksgiving flavor that will help a person maintain their diet regimen and leave the holidays still feeling good about themselves. Kevin Curry, a chef and fitness guru in Dallas has some great ideas for recipes this Thanksgiving.

Kevin Curry
FitMenCook app
Dallas, TX 
www.instagram.com/fitmencook

Kevin Curry, based out of Dallas, Texas, is a chef and the creator of the No. 1 bestselling Food & Drink app, FitMenCook, where he inspires millions of men and women to eat healthy through the app, website, and YouTube channel. The FitMenCook app was named an "App Store Best of 2015" and today remains one of the Top 3 Food & Drink apps in the US and UK. Curry is also the author of "Plan, Prep, Repeat," a book that contains a number of easy (and delicious) recipes to keep those extra holiday pounds off. Through the app and book, Kevin shows his millions of followers regularly how simple it can be to stay in shape during the holidays. Kevin has made appearances in Forbes, Business Insider, and the Today Show, proving he can turn up the heat in the kitchen.

Cheesy Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

First up is the delicious yet guilt-free side that everyone wants at their Thanksgiving table.

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces quinoa elbow macaroni (uncooked) - Substitute: wheat macaroni
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 8 slices turkey bacon (uncured, nitrate free, from turkey meat)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• Sea salt & pepper to taste (I used truffle sea salt to boost the flavors)
• Chives

Directions:

1. Set oven to 400 F.
2. Cut the end off the butternut squash and then slice it down the middle. Remove the seeds from the inside and then place the butternut squash on a baking sheet. Spray it with coconut or olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt & pepper.  Roast in the oven for 1 hour or until the squash is tender.
3. Cook the macaroni  – according to the instructions – given while the squash is baking.  Once it is finished, set the macaroni aside.
4. Set a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toss in turkey bacon.  Cook the bacon long enough on each side that it becomes crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Once the bacon is crispy remove it from the skillet, allow it cool down for about 2 minutes, then chop the bacon into pieces to create bacon bits.
5. Remove the squash from the oven and allow the squash to cool down (almost to room temperature). Then cut it into chunks and peel the pieces.
6. To a high powered blender (I used the Vitamix Pro Series 750), add all of the ingredients except for the bacon bits and garnish.  Blend the ingredients to create the creamy, cheesy sauce.
7. Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir thoroughly with a spatula. Then, toss in bacon bits and stir it again. Season to taste with more sea salt & pepper.
8. Garnish with freshly chopped chives or parsley.

Macros:

• Calories 282
• Protein 13G
• Fat 7G
• Carbs 46G

Related: Best DFW Restaurants Open On Thanksgiving

Sweet Potato Salad

Next we have my favorite recipe that never fails when I'm traveling during the holidays. This recipe is easy enough to make in a hotel room with a fully-equipped kitchen, like a Homewood Suites by Hilton (the perfect solution when visiting family during Thanksgiving and you don't want to show up empty handed).

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes (~900g)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 2 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1/2 medium red onion (diced)     

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup safflower mayo
• 2 heaping tablespoons 2% Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinches of cumin (to taste)
• Fresh orange juice (squeeze juice from a half an orange)
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (optional)
• Pinch of turmeric (optional)
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Garnish:

• Fresh chopped green onion
• 1/2  cup goat cheese crumble (or just to taste)

Directions:

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 12-15 minutes. Strain the potatoes and let them cool down to just about room temperature (can be warmer).
2. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce and season to taste with sea salt & pepper (or other spices if you want to make it your own).
3. Chop the sweet potato into chunks.
4. In a large bowl, add the sweet potato and chopped veggies and top with the sauce.  Gently fold the ingredients together using a spatula.
5. Serve warm or chilled.  I recommend covering the salad and placing it the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so all the flavors come together.

Macros:

• Calories: 208
• Protein: 5G
• Fat: 5G
• Carbs: 37G

Holiday Coconut Apple Crisp

Last but not least – dessert. For those who want to satisfy their sweet tooth but don't want those extra calories, my coconut apple crisp is the perfect option.

Ingredients:

Apple filling:

• 3 large granny smith apples
• ~1/8 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot starch)
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar (or zero calorie sweetener, this will change the macros)
• 3 tbsp raw, organic honey
• Juice from 2 tangerines or mandarins
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice (optional)

Crisp/Crust

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or zero calorie sweetener, this will change the macros)
• 1/2 – 1 tsp cinnamon, depending on preferences

Directions:

1. Set oven to 375 F.
2. Core apples and chop into smaller pieces.
3. In a bowl, mix chopped apples with all of the ingredients of the pie filling. Stir with a spatula and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, mix rolled oats with the ingredients of the pie crisp/crust.
5. Add apple mixture to jars or medium casserole baking dish, and top with the crust.
6. Bake in the oven for at least 30 minutes or until the top has browned and the apples are soft.
7. I enjoyed this with Arctic Zero 150 calorie ice cream.

Macros:

Note: to lessen the amount of sugar in this recipe, you can use zero calorie sweetener and reduce the amount of raw, organic honey.

• Calories 330
• Protein 3G
• Fat 15G
• Carbs 53G

Related: Best Places To Buy A Thanksgiving Turkey In DFW