Holiday Stress and a Recipe for Dinner

Ahh the holidays are upon us once again, and with them the stresses of paying bills and providing holiday meals and gifts.
Its not so tough when you dont have little ones running around foot asking after Santa, but it still is hard to juggle it all.

Thankfully all the people I have to buy for this Christmas have pretty much already been taken care of, since I buy a little something here and there as I have the money to do so. The only child I have to buy for is my niece and she is 13 so she would understand if I couldnt get her something but I would not pay a bill before not getting something for her. This year though thankfully I have her taken care of with some White Elephant gifts.

The biggest stress I have right now is just trying to figure out how to catch up on my past rent which has been looming over me for the last year and a half. Thankfully there are organizations out there that can and will help with that, even if its not the full amount that I need, any little bit can and will help. I have some holiday shopping to do still, but mainly its just for Thanksgiving dinner as its only about 2 weeks away.

So as I try and do every year here are a few budget friendly holiday dishes that are super yummy and inexpensive:

Turkey Tenderloin with Cranberry-Shallot Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 turkey tenderloins (about 1 1/2 pounds total)


• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided


• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


• 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided


• 4 shallots, peeled and quartered


• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried


• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth


• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) cranberries


• 1/4 cup dried cranberries


• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, or to taste


• 1 tablespoon fruit-flavored vinegar, such as raspberry or pomegranate

PREPARATION

1. Preheat to 450°F.


2. Sprinkle turkey tenderloins with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook, turning to brown all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°, 15 to 25 minutes (depending on the sizes).


3. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 minutes. Add thyme and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits, for 1 minute. Stir in fresh and dried cranberries and cook until most of the fresh cranberries have broken down, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir brown sugar, vinegar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt into the sauce; cook for 1 minute. Cover and remove from the heat.


4. Let the turkey rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes. Thinly slice; serve with the sauce.

NUTRITION

202 calories; 5 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 45 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 1 g fiber; 428 mg sodium; 93 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 4 lean meat

 

Two-Toned Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon buttermilk plus 2/3 cup, divided


• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream


• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or granulated onion


• Pinch of salt plus 3/4 teaspoon, divided


• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks


• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks


• 1 small leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, white and light green parts only


• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces


• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.


2. Combine 1 tablespoon buttermilk, crème fraîche (or sour cream), onion powder (or granulated onion) and pinch of salt. Cover and refrigerate while you cook the vegetables.


3. Add potatoes, sweet potatoes and leek to the boiling water and return to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook until tender enough to pierce with a knife, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and return the vegetables to the pan (off the heat).


4. Add the remaining 2/3 cup buttermilk, the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, butter and pepper to the pan; coarsely mash with a potato masher. Serve topped with the sauce and chives.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare sauce (Step 2) and vegetables (Steps 1 & 3), cover and refrigerate separately for up to 1 day. Reheat vegetables, covered, in the microwave or a double boiler before continuing with Step 4.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 117 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 21 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 190 mg sodium; 318 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (142% daily value), Vitamin C (18% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

 

Sweet & Sour Green Beans

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed


• 1/4 cup cider vinegar


• 1/4 cup sugar


• 1 ice cube


• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots


• 2 tablespoons canola oil


• 1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. Fit a large pot with a steamer basket, add 1 to 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Add green beans, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain.


2. Meanwhile, heat vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in ice cube until it dissolves. Whisk in shallots, oil and salt.


3. Transfer the green beans to a large bowl, pour the dressing over them and toss to coat.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate beans (Step 1) for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the dressing (Step 2).

NUTRITION

Per serving: 71 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 99 mg sodium; 146 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium-large sweet potatoes


• 6 ounces crisp gingersnap cookies (26-28 small cookies)


• 2 tablespoons canola oil


• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar


• 3/4 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt, divided


• 2 large eggs


• 1 large egg yolk


• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)


• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar


• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.


2. Tightly wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Carefully unwrap and set aside to cool.


3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.


4. Process gingersnaps in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, add oil and stir until well combined. Using a spoon, spread and pat the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until just barely beginning to darken, about 10 minutes.


5. Clean and dry the food processor workbowl. Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer to the food processor. Puree until smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups (if you have extra puree, reserve it for another use). Return the 1 1/2 cups puree to the food processor. Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup yogurt, eggs, egg yolk, cinnamon and nutmeg; pulse just until combined. Spread the sweet potato filling in the warm crust.


6. Clean and dry the workbowl again. Add the remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and ginger; puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. Dollop tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture onto the filling, spacing them evenly. Draw the tip of a wooden skewer or a thin knife through the cream cheese mixture and sweet potato filling repeatedly to create a swirled design.


7. Bake the pie until firm to the touch and starting to puff around the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 2 hours.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Loosely cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving; blot any moisture on the top as needed.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 242 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 60 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrates; 22 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 153 mg sodium; 270 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (135% daily value)

Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2

Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

-Recipies taken from Eatingwell.com