Three Healthy Holiday Side Dishes

The holiday season is always packed with parties, drinks, food and celebrating. Whether you’re hosting a holiday party or attending an office potluck, these easy appetizers will leave your friends and family wanting more.

Turkey Cranberry Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 egg white

1 (20) ounce package ground turkey

3 green onions (chopped small)

½ cup Craisins

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup barbecue sauce

4 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, place the egg white and beat lightly.
2. Add uncooked ground turkey, green onions, Craisins, soy sauce and salt and pepper.
3. Mix well with a large spoon or your hands until well blended.
4. Shape into 28 balls.
5. Spray large nonstick cooking spray. Add your meatballs to the skillet; cook over medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink in the center. Carefully turning occasionally to brown evenly.
6. Pour your barbecue sauce over your meatballs and stir them around until they are completely covered. Cover with lid and let them simmer on low heat for about 3 minutes.
7. Serve over rice

*You can also serve these meatballs with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Sweet Potato Rounds with Herbed Ricotta and Walnuts

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 pinch ground cinnamon

Herbed ricotta:

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon honey

1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste

For serving:

1 cup raw walnuts roasted and chopped

3/4 cup dried cranberries

Honey

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients for the herbed ricotta to a small bowl and stir well to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add the sweet potato slices to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt and ground cinnamon over rounds. Use your hands to rub the oil and seasoning on both sides of the sweet potato rounds. Arrange rounds on a large baking sheet (or two if necessary). Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the rounds, then bake for another 17 to 20 minutes, or until rounds are cooked through and crispy on the edges.
3. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet. Ten minutes before the potato rounds are finished cooking, place the walnuts in the oven to roast.
4. Remove sweet potato rounds from the oven. Place walnuts on a cutting board and chop.
5. Place oven on high broil setting and move the oven rack second to the top shelf. Place a dollop of herbed ricotta on each sweet potato round and place in the oven for 2 minutes, just until ricotta is melty and warm. Add chopped walnuts and dried cranberries to the rounds. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Grilled Mushroom Appetizer with Bruschetta and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

12 fresh whole mushrooms (button or cremini)

2 small plum tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2–3 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat barbecue to medium.
2. Wash the mushrooms and pull out the stems. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the tomatoes, garlic and balsamic vinegar.
4. Spray a barbecue vegetable tray well with oil. Gently spoon the bruschetta into the mushroom caps (you’re going to want to discard as much liquid as possible) and arrange on the tray.
5. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, until mushrooms are cooked through.
6. Immediately place a small spoonful of goat cheese on the warm bruschetta, scatter the basil leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Serve immediately.