Spicing Up Your Holiday Meal

Holidays are tempting times and while you do not need to deprive yourself of the culinary joys of the season, the key is moderation…and spice.

Holidays are tempting times, full of company parties, seasonal get-togethers, and those family meals where we gorge on large amounts of food. Add in the sweet treats, and we find ourselves shopping for larger clothes at the year-end sales. While I don't think you should deprive yourself of all the culinary joys of the season, the key is moderation and…spice.

Spicing up your food can be done in a variety of ways:

• Spices: cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mustard, saffron
• Herbs: thyme, sage, tarragon, basil, cilantro
• Heat: chipotle peppers, curry powder, horseradish, andouille sausage

These types of ingredients are the key to cooking healthier and enjoying it. No need to sacrifice flavor for calories. Cutting down on, or eliminating altogether, ingredients such as cream, butter, and salt are more easily done than you might imagine.

Forget rubbing down that turkey with slabs of butter, dousing veggies with cream sauce, and adding marshmallows to your canned yams. A nice olive oil and herb rub makes for a tasty turkey, as well as flavorful gravy. Those traditional holiday mashed potatoes are just as tasty when whipped with chicken broth and a smidgen of butter. Add in a few garlic cloves, or some prepared horseradish or chopped chives when whipping and you bump up the flavor another notch.

And if beef is your game, consider a leaner cut, such as a nice tenderloin. It's easy and quick to cook and can be rubbed, crusted, or sauced in such a way that will make you the chef of the hour. (See recipe below.)

You can also borrow from other cultures and cuisines when preparing your holiday meal. Go Cajun with a spice rub on the turkey and stuffing made with bell peppers, onions, celery, carrots, and a bit of andouille sausage.

Pop open a can of smoky chipotle peppers in adobo and go Latin. You can puree one or two to add to the gravy or mix with fat-free sour cream to top off boring baked potatoes. You can also purchase a chipotle dry rub for your beef roast or turkey.

My husband's family has Middle Eastern roots and bakes the leg of lamb on a bed of fragrant rosemary, while preparing their rice pilaf with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

The point is that if you bump up the flavor, you will never miss those additional calories. You can eat healthier and wiser by stocking up on herbs and spices.

To start you off, try this recipe for a Horseradish Crusted Beef. It will only take you about 10 minutes to prepare, cooks up in less than an hour, and serves 8. A no-muss, no-fuss main dish that can be complemented by your favorite potato, vegetable and a salad (forgo the hot rolls, your waistline will appreciate it!). This particular recipe is low in fat and sodium, and tasty enough for the fanciest of dinner parties or holidays. Top it off with a creamy horseradish sauce.

Horseradish Crusted Beef

4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3-4 pounds beef tenderloin
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Creamy Horseradish Sauce: Mix 1 1/4 cups reduced-fat sour cream, 1/3 cup prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Refrigerate while meat cooks to let the flavors meld.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Combine horseradish, oil and mustard in a small bowl.

Wipe off tenderloin with paper towels. Rub tenderloin with salt and pepper, and then coat with the horseradish mixture.

Transfer to a roasting pan.

Roast until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tenderloin registers 125°F for medium-rare, 35 to 45 minutes. Add 5 to 10 minutes for meat to be well done.

Transfer to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. (This is important, so please try to wait.) Slice and serve.

Note: Portions of this cut of meat should equal 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person prior to cooking. For a table of 6, you should buy 2 to 3 pounds, for a table of 8, buy 3 to 4 pounds.

Posted in: HEALTH