Healthier Versions of Holiday Favorites from "Hungry Girl"

The holidays are full of traditional recipes -- stuffing, cranberry sauce and dessert -- but often these favorites can be high in calories and fat. If you're looking for healthier versions of holiday favorites look no further. Lisa Lillien, a.k.a. "Hungry Girl" and author of Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World has some great ideas for making over traditional holidays favorites.

Save-The-Day Stuffing

6 slices light bread (40 to 45 calories each with about 2g fiber per slice)
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup fat-free broth (chicken or vegetable), at room temperature
1/4 cup Egg Beaters with Yolk
1 tablespoon light whipped butter or light buttery spread
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme, to taste

For best results, leave bread uncovered for a night or two, until slightly stale. Otherwise, begin by lightly toasting bread.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray and place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

In a medium pot, combine broth, celery, and onions. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat.

Remove pot from heat and add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt, black pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Let cool for several minutes.

Add Egg Beaters with Yolk and butter to veggie/broth mixture and stir. Pour mixture into the baking pan, evenly covering bread cubes. Mix gently with a fork. Bread cubes should be moist, but not saturated. If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water and then mix again.

Cover with foil and cook dish in the over for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and fluff and rearrange stuffing. Return dish to oven, uncovered, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Makes 5 servings.

I Can't Believe It's Not Sweet Potato Pie

1 large butternut squash (large enough to yield 2 cups mashed flesh)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters with Yolk
1/3 cup light vanilla soymilk
1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetner (granulated)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a sharp knife to remove both ends of the squash. Peel squash and cut into large chunks, removing seeds.

Fill a large, microwave-safe dish with ½ inch of water. Place a squash into the dish and cover. Microwave for about 8 minutes and then drain (squash should be tender enough to mash, but not overcooked).

With a potato masher, food processor, or fork, mash squash thoroughly. Measure out 2 generous cups, lightly packed, and place in a baking dish.

Add all ingredients except for the marshmallows to the dish. Mix ingredients thoroughly, but do not over-stir (squash should still be pulpy). Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until solid and not liquidy.

Top the "pie" with mini marshmallows. Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until marshmallows begin to brown. Allow to cool before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Cheery Cherry Cobbler

3 cups halved and pitted sweet cherries, fresh or thawed if frozen
4 sheets (16 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers
2 tablespoons Egg Beaters with Yolk
2 tablespoons no-sugar-added applesauce
2 tablespoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetner (granulated), divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar (not packed)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 2/3 cup of cold water with brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and half of the Splenda, stir well. In a medium pot, combine cherries with this mixture.

Heat cherry mixture over medium heat, stirring often. Once liquid thickens to a syrup consistency and begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes and then transfer cherry mixture to a medium round baking dish. Set aside.

Next, break graham crackers into pieces and crush them (either in a food processor or blender, or by placing cracker pieces in a sealable plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin on the bag). Transfer crumbs to a microwave-safe dish and add Egg Beaters with Yolk, applesauce, cinnamon, and remaining tablespoon of Splenda. Stir well.

Microwave cracker mixture for 1 minute. Use a fork to break up the toughened mixture as much as possible and then allow to cool for a few minutes.

Transfer cracker mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse until crumbly and uniform. Evenly distribute graham cracker topping over cherries.

Place the dish in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

About the Author:
Lisa Lillien, creator of the online foodie web site HungryGirl.com and author of the new book Hungry Girl Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-free Eating in the Real World, is a typical woman battling the same food issues most females struggle with every day. She tries the latest fad diets, chomps on new fat-free foods and diet products, and, of course, orders everything on the side. Hungry Girl is not a nutritionist. She's just hungry.

Go to HungryGirl.com to find out more about Lisa Lillien.