Healthy Fall Side Dishes

Pass the mashed potatoes with real butter and cream. Give me more gravy on my turkey and stuffing. How about sweet potatoes made with brown sugar,marshmallows and nuts? So many of the traditional foods we eat for the holiday seasons are drenched in butter, sugar, fats, and more sugar, butter and fat!

But there are some great side dishes to go along with that roasted turkey that won't pack on the pounds and will even provide some great nutritional value.

Honey Glazed Brussels Sprouts

Those little green vegies are packed with fantastic nutrition.

Ingredients

3 slices bacon

20 oz. Brussels sprouts, cleaned and cut into half

1 med. Red onion, cut into small wedges

¼ c. honey

2 T. red wine vinegar

In skillet over med heat, cook bacon till crisp. Drain bacon and dice into small pieces. In a 13 x 9 baking dish, combine the Brussels sprouts, the red onions and 2 T. of bacon drippings. Roast 30 minutes till sprouts are tender.

Remove from oven, put into serving bowl. Toss honey and vinegar with the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with reserved bacon.

Sweet Potato and Potato Bake

This side dish combines the sweet taste of fresh sweet potatoes with roasted potatoes and onions and uses healthier olive oil as the fat compared to butter in traditional dishes.

Ingredients

3 med.sweet potatoes

3 reg. Idaho potatoes

1 large sweet onion

3 t. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Wash and slice potatoes, leaving the skins on for nutritional value. Slice onion in thin rings. In a oven proof baking dish that has been brushed with olive oil, layer the potatoes and onions alternating layers of each three. You can do this also by putting each slice on its edge, standing up in the dish and then continuing to add in more of each until the pan is full.

Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake in 350 oven until potatoes are tender. Uncover and let them roast another ten minutes to brown.

Braised Carrots with Leeks

Ingredients

A 12 oz package of baby carrots, cut in half lengthwise

About 1 pound of leeks, scrubbed and cut into ½ inch pieces

½ c. vegetable broth

1 and ½ T. chopped fresh taragon

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add baby carrots and leeks. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to cover vegetables with oil. Reduce the heat and add broth and tarragon. Cook until carrots are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. This dish looks really nice if you arrange the carrots in an outside ring on a platter and then heap the leeks into the center, sprinkle with fresh parsley for garnish.

Apple Celery Nut Salad

This crunchy apple salad adds lots of fresh flavor to your dinner plate. Sometimes a small amount of sugar or flavoring can really make a huge difference.

2 c. cubed red skinned apples, skin on. A tart apple like McIntosh or Braeburn works well.

2 c. thinly sliced celery

2 c. halved green grapes

½ c. raisins

½ c. Greek yogurt

¼. c. light mayonnaise

1 t. brown sugar

½ t. vanilla

½ c. pecans or almonds

Mix greek yogurt with brown sugar, add vanilla. Stir dressing into the apple salad. Serve chilled.