This delicious, meringue topped, baked sweet potato recipe is a healthier alternative to the traditional, overly sweet, marshmallow topped concoctions often served during the holidays. It tastes and looks wonderful flavored with orange, sherry, honey and spices. The fancy meringue topping makes it a gourmet dish for any occasion.

Ingredients:
4 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons Watkins original grapeseed oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon Watkins nutmeg
1 teaspoon Watkins cloves
1 teaspoon Watkins cinnamon
1 pinch salt
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
2 oranges, sliced thin (optional)

Directions: Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, place in a large saucepan, cover them completely with water. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a quick boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes well and place them in a large mixing bowl.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a fork, add the oil, milk, sherry, orange juice concentrate, and brown sugar into the bowl. Sprinkle in the nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the ingredients together well for about 2 minutes. Spray a casserole or baking dish with Watkins non stick cooking spray. Spread the prepared potato mixture evenly in the dish.

Heat the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Mean while, in a small bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff. Add the sugar 1 teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition until the peaks hold their shape. After baking for 20 minutes remove the potatoes from the oven and spread the meringue over top of the potatoes being sure to go all the way to the edge of the dish. Return the sweet potatoes to the oven and continue baking about 7 minutes or until the meringue is a nice light brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with the orange slices if desired.

Tip from the kitchen: don’t worry about the sherry in this recipe the alcohol will evaporate during baking. If you don’t have sherry increase the skim milk to 1 cup.

You’ll find the world’s finest quality gourmet spices here, in the Watkins US catalog or the Watkins Canadian catalog.

Technorati Tags: side dishes, vegetables

Here’s week two of the Healthy Holiday Recipe Round Up and we have some great recipe finds for you to add to your holiday menu. With Thanksgiving just a week away in the US it’s time to start planning what you are going to serve for this special meal.

First we have a Root Vegetable Ragout submitted by Sarah of Heart Of Cooking. This veggie stew is more like a pureed soup so it would be great to serve as a first course. It is not only healthy, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free and sugar-free, for those of you who need to follow a special diet. Try this veggie ragout, it sounds totally yummy!

By the way, I thought I should mention that Watkins chicken soup and gravy base is gluten and wheat free.

Our next recipe is great side dish for diabetics or anyone who wants to eat healthier from Amanda at Mrs W’s Kitchen. You’ll find 3 versions of Pureed White Beans a high fiber alternative to mashed potatoes, they all sound delicious so let us know which one you tried!

Carrots are one of our favorite vegetables and we are lucky to have an organic grower just down the road. Try these Organic Citrus Honey Carrots, they make a wonderful side dish for your vegetarian or traditional holiday meal. These moist, Low Fat Lemon Muffins are perfect for a holiday brunch or any time you want a quick snack. Both recipes are from Love Homemaking.

Last but not least, here is a healthier version of a traditional favorite Christmas Spice Cookies. Cookies are an enduring favorite holiday treat with milk or hot cocoa for the kids or served with coffee or tea for adults. This version has whole wheat four, honey and molasses so you can indulge with out guilt.

My apologies for posting this a day late. Thank you to everyone who has submitted their recipes, and we look forward to seeing your recipes next week. Here’s how to submit them.

Technorati Tags: Recipe Round Up

Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without a few holiday cookies to enjoy with your coffee, tea or cocoa and these yummy spice cookies fit the bill. They are mostly sweetened with honey and molasses which is better for you than refined white sugar and they contain whole wheat flour for more added goodness.

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Butter or 1/3 cup butter & 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Dark Molasses
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 teas. Watkins Ginger
1 teas. Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Allspice

Directions: Read the rest of this entry »

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I have been busy making variations of butternut squash soup lately, this is the spicy version for those who like a little heat! I love butternut squash soup and I discovered it’s very quick and easy to make. Squash is a wonderful orange vegetable that is a good source of beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium and other good things your body needs. Feel free to substitute any other type of orange squash like acorn, hubbard or even pumpkin in this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Watkins grapeseed oil
1 large onion, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled & cubed
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
6 cups water, or more as needed
4-5 teaspoons Watkins chicken soup base
1/2 teaspoon Watkins cumin
2-3 teaspoons Watkins chili powder
2 teaspoons Watkins parsley
1/2 teaspoon Watkins black pepper, or to taste

Directions: Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: soups, squash

Welcome to week one of the Healthy Holiday Recipe Round Up. This was last minute idea, so rather than wait an extra week I decided to just go for! This didn’t give people much time to enter their recipes but I expect we will have a bigger turn out next week. Anyways, I know you won’t be disappointed with this week’s recipes and there is sure to something just right for your Thanksgiving menu.

Our first featured recipe is a Banana-Pineapple Breakfast Shake from Meg’s Country Kitchen. It’s perfect for the busy holiday season or when ever you need to have Breakfast on the Fly! Great for the whole family and especially good for diabetics.

I was impressed with these Thanksgiving recipes: Delicious options for healthy eating from the Mayo clinic, with links to lots of healthier recipes so I just had to share it with you.

More and more people are switching to organic food for their own health and for that of our planet so here’s an Organic Herbed Roast Turkey for you to try. Turkey on it’s own is low fat, add grapeseed oil and herbs and it’s a real all round winner.

I also found Discovery Health has healthier versions of traditional holiday fare. Try this Cranberry Salsa recipe, it’s sure to spice up your menu!

Love Homemaking submitted a recipe for Healthy Rum Raisin Spice Muffins made with whole wheat flour and oat bran perfect for a holiday breakfast, afternoon pick me up or bed time snack.

From Harvard Medical school tips on foods you can enjoy guilt-free this year. Recipes for a happy, healthy Thanksgiving and includes two dessert recipes, Sweet Potato Pudding and Zesty Pumpkin Custards.

We’ll be back next Wednesday with a round up of more great recipes.

We’d love to feature your healthy holiday favorites, go here to find out how to enter them.

Technorati Tags: Recipe Round Up

This organic herbed roast turkey cooks fairly quickly, tastes delicious and because it calls for organic ingredients it’s healthier for you and your family too. There are many benefits to choosing organic food because organically grown foods don’t add pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals into your diet or the environment.

Ingredients:

1 7-8 lb organic grown turkey
1/4 cup/60 mL Original Grapeseed Oil
2 tbsp/30 mL Watkins Organic Garlic Powder
2 tsp/10 mL Watkins Organic Basil
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Sage
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Organic Parsley
1 tsp/5 mL Watkins Sea Salt
1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Watkins Organic Black Pepper

Directions: Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: organic food, turkey

I’ve been wanting to make this baked french toast recipe for ages but it makes too much for just the two of us. The perfect solution was to invite the family over for Saturday brunch. It’s so easy as all the preparation is done the night before, all you need to do is pop in in the oven, sit back and enjoy your coffee.

Ingredients:
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon Watkins maple extract
12 slices of bread (crusts trimmed)
1 1/2 cup whole milk
6 Large eggs
1 teaspoon Watkins vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt Read the rest of this entry »

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This turkey pot pie recipe is delicious, the surprise inside is that it contains apples and raisins which compliment the flavor wonderfully! This is a great recipe for using up left over roast turkey.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter or Watkins grapeseed oil
2 cups water
1/2 cup Watkins roasted turkey gourmet gravy mix
3 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 large unpeeled tart apple, cored and cubed
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Watkins ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Watkins black pepper
1 (9 inch) pie crust Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: pie, turkey

Wow your dinner guests with this easy, but elegant carrot soufflé. They’ll think you slaved in the kitchen all day, when this can be made ahead several days in advance and then put in the oven a hour before dinner!

Ingredients for soufflé:
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: side dishes