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Thanksgiving Dinners to Please Everyone
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Thanksgiving Dinners to Please Them All
This time of year, there's something for everybody. Here are some dishes for celebrating Thanksgiving low-carb, low-fat, paleo, vegetarian and vegan. The right Thanksgiving dinner menus can please 'em all. PhotoSpin
Low-Carb Dishes
Turkey is a great main dish for a low-carb Thanksgiving dinner. To sidestep the bread stuffing think about making stuffing with sausage, celery and cranberries instead. You can slather your roasted, baked or steamed veggies with lots of butter. If you're longing for gravy but don't want to use flour or corn starch, you can make low-carb gravy by letting the liquid reduce to half its original volume. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin
Low-Carb Desserts
A parfait featuring strawberries, raspberries or blueberries in layers alternating with whipped cream is a delectable end to a Thanksgiving dinner. Those berries could also dress up a low-carb cheesecake or custard. Pie shells can be problematic for the low-carb diner. But a pumpkin pudding, seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, may be just the thing, topped with a hefty dollop of whipped cream, of course. Yvonne Bogdanski/PhotoSpin
Low-Fat Dishes
If you can say no to the butter and cream, accent your potatoes with the flavor of sour cream or fat-free milk, with fat-free chicken broth instead. Herbs and garlic are high on flavor and low on fat and calories. Enjoy your turkey knowing that it has lots of protein but is low in fat especially if you remove the skin. White meat contains less fat than dark meat. Skip the butter and cheese sauces for your vegetables. Add some more flavor with almond slivers or walnuts, or use a little wine vinegar and herbs to wake up your salad. Zadiraka Evgenii/PhotoSpin
Low-Fat Desserts
Wrap your pumpkin or other fillings in phyllo, or filo, dough which contains less fat and calories than a traditional pie crust. Apple crisp, angel food cake, and fruit sorbet are delicious endings to a meal in their low-fat form. Darius Dzinnik/PhotoSpin
Paleo Dishes
Baked ham, roast goose, or high in fat and in flavor. Want to ramp things up a bit more? Add goose fat to roasted sweet potatoes. To avoid white sugar, sweeten your cranberry sauce with apple or orange juice. Olive oil, coconut oil and butter on vegetables can please your paleo palate. Stuffing can be made paleo-style with ground beef or pork, peppers, onions, and your favorite seasonings. And speaking of stuffing, mushrooms stuffed with crab meat are great appetizers. Jerry Bernard/PhotoSpin
Paleo Desserts
Cheesecake is not a no-no on a paleo diet. Not when you substite cashews, coconut oil and coconut milk for dairy. And coconut shines in other recipes. Macaroons, chocolate mousse, peaches in coconut cream are just a few delicious concoctions. Season spiced baked apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, raisins and walnuts for another taste sensation. Svetlana Foote/PhotoSpin
Vegan Dishes
Pumpkins can sit center stage in more ways than pie at a vegetarian Thanksgiving. Pumpkin soup is a beautiful focal point for the dinner table, especially served in mini-pumpkin bowls. Add some pumpkin to your salad, roast the seeds for a snack. Canneloni, risotto, bread and muffins, all benefit from adding pumpkin to the mix. Assorted pasta dishes, rice in a pilaf or risotto, potatoes both white and sweet, cauliflower in many forms, are hearty and filling. Darius Dzinnik/PhotoSpin
Vegan Desserts
Cookies a la vegan come in limitless variety. Shortbread, gingerbread, peanut butter, chocolate chip and lemon cookies are just a few that make a holiday table more festive. If you are more inclined to pie, lean toward pecan, apple, cherry, strawberry, peach, and of course the traditional pumpkin. Berries or slices of fruit are refreshing and simple to make, and to eat. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin
Vegetarian Dishes
Feel like pasta? Choose from lasagna, manicotti and pasta shells and stuff them with cheese, your favorite vegetables, or both. If potatoes are more your style than noodles, a vegetarian shepherd's pie with white and sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, lentils and celery sets a great table. Potatoes au gratin, or stuffed with your favorite fillings, are great cold weather dishes. Soup is warming and welcome. Vegetable soup, ratatouille, pumpkin soup, and corn or potato chowder go beautifully with crackers or homemade rolls. MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin
Vegetarian Desserts
Gingerbread seems like the logical cookie for this time of year. Shaped like bells, candy canes, boys or girls, or the traditional gingerbread man are in sync with the season. Cobblers with fruit like peaches or apples are a warm way to end a meal. Cheesecake can be dressed up with strawberries, cherries, blueberries or chocolate. Fruit and yogurt is a healthy and tasty combo that can make any Thanksgiving dinner complete. Tags: Thanksgiving, low-carb, low-fat, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, dinner, dessert Evgeny Karandaev/PhotoSpin
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