33% less calories, 71% less fat, 98% less cholesterol, 39% more protein, and 36% less sodium than traditional recipe.

The "Mighty Mashed Potatoes" were so popular from my Sneaky Chef book for men that I decided to use a similar recipe for holiday entertaining. There are so many heavy foods at Thanksgiving; these mashed potatoes make for a wonderfully lighter version of the traditional.

Serve them with a ladle of Sneaky Gravy, and you have a complete protein even without the turkey. Perfect for vegetarians who have to give up so much during the season.

- 2 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes (about 4 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and quartered
- 2 to 3 heads garlic
- 1/2 cup White Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #4)
- 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt*
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste

*"Greek" style yogurt works best with this recipe

> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

> Place the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender.

> Meanwhile, wrap the garlic heads in foil and roast them in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the garlic from the oven and squeeze the garlic flesh out of the skins.

> Drain the potatoes into a colander, then return them to the pot. Add the roasted garlic flesh, the White Puree, and the yogurt, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until well combined. Add a bit more yogurt if needed. Serve immediately, or keep the mashed potatoes hot on the stovetop in a metal bowl set over simmering water.

> Serve with a ladle of Sneaky Gravy, next recipe.

Click to show Nutritional Analysis.

 

54% less calories, 72% less fat, 70% less cholesterol, 15% less carbs, an astronomical 25 times more fiber, 32% more potassium, 29% more protein, and 21% less sugars than traditional recipe.

IMHO - blog version of "in my humble opinion" -- there's nothing sexy about gravy. In fact, it's my least favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner since it traditionally needs to be made at the last minute from pan drippings as guests are just arriving at your door. You can cheat a little and make this gravy with a good quality packaged chicken broth, or do it the traditional way from the turkey itself. Either way, the Lentil Puree adds a depth of hearty flavor as well as a great dose of fiber that will help rid the body of all that unhealthy fat that's just accepted as an unavoidable part of this holiday meal.

Makes about 3 cups gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter or pan drippings (from chicken or turkey)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcester sauce (or "Gravy Master")
- 1/2 cup Lentil Puree
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional Extra Boost: 1/2 onion, minced or pureed

> Heat the butter or pan drippings over medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the onions (if using) and cook until they are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then the broth, Worcester sauce (or Gravy Master) and Lentil Puree. Cook for about 5 minutes until thickened. Add a touch of milk, if you desire lighter colored gravy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

> Serve hot with mashed potatoes and turkey.

Click to show Nutritional Analysis.

 

35% less calories, 91% less fat, and 91% less cholesterol than traditional recipe.

Cutting a fresh squash can be daunting if you don't have a lot of upper body strength. If you bake it as you would a whole potato, it's easy to slice open after it's cooked. This fat-free creamy soup is a great first course to start holiday dinner. This recipe evolved over time as I started adding apples and cinnamon with a hint of sweetener and tang. It can be as homey or elegant as you wish. A handheld stick blender to puree all the ingredients completes making this really simple to create.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
- 1 large butternut squash
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 apple, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #2)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk, optional
- Optional garnish: one-quarter cup toasted, shelled pumpkin seeds

> Preheat oven to 375.

> Rinse whole squash, prick with fork (as you would a baked potato), place on a baking sheet with the onion and bake for 45 minutes.

> Remove squash and onion from oven. Set the onion aside while you cut open the squash and scoop the flesh from the skin. Place the onion, squash flesh, broth, cinnamon, salt, apple, and Orange Puree in a large soup pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth consistency. Alternately, you can puree the soup in batches using a blender.

> Stir in the evaporated milk, if using, and serve. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, if using.

Click to show Nutritional Analysis.

 

45% less cholesterol, 16% less carbs, 382% more fiber, 18% more potassium, and 44% less sodium than traditional recipe.

This is one of the easiest pies to make (especially if you start with pure canned pumpkin). It is naturally very forgiving -- when you lower the fat and sugar content, it still remains rich and creamy with that distinctive pumpkin flavor. And it's a piece of cake sneaking Orange Puree into. Use your favorite pie crust or the sneaky pie crust below.

Makes 8 servings
- 1/3 block (about 5 ounces) firm tofu
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin
- 1/2 cup Orange Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #2)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- One store-bought pie crust or Holiday Pie Crust (see recipe below)

> Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

> Place the tofu and pumpkin puree in the bowl of a food processor and puree on high until very smooth. If your food processor is large enough, add the Orange Puree, eggs, sugar, vanilla, yogurt, spice, salt, and cornstarch and process for a few more seconds. Alternatively, transfer tofu mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the Orange Puree, eggs, sugar, vanilla, yogurt, spice, salt, and cornstarch.

> Pour the pumpkin mixture over the prepared crust and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and cook for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Click to show Nutritional Analysis.

 

150% less cholesterol, 138% more fiber, 91% more potassium, 32% less sodium, and 26% more protein than traditional recipe.

Makes 1 pie crust
- 6 tablespoons Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe #13)
- 6 tablespoons Ground Walnuts
- 6 tablespoons oat bran
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons walnut, almond, canola or vegetable oil

> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

> Spray a 9-inch pie pan (or for cheesecake, a 9-inch springform pan) with oil.

> In a medium-size bowl, combine the Flour Blend, ground walnuts, oat bran, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in the oil. Press the mixture into the prepared pie pan, prick it a few times with a fork, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown.

Click to show Nutritional Analysis.