I am not Terrified :)

Hi Friends!

Well this week is Thanksgiving week.  For many of us, this means a Happy Week looking forward to spending time with family and friends with good food!  however behind all the warm feelings, there might be some underlying fear of what all this might mean to our waist line.  I say don't fear.  Most of us do not eat like this all year round.  Definetly strategize, but hey!  like Chalene says, "who likes the Food Police?" I know I don't! and hopefully I won't become one.  My only strategy for this Thursday is: eat and taste everything! I will not feel deprived and  it will also help me be mindful of portion control.  If I am going to taste everything I can't over indulge in any one dish ;) 

With that said, this year I am going to strive to making a healthy dish and I really doubt the kids will even notice it! This year I've choosen to add Quinoa Pilaf with Cranberries and Pecans as a new  side dish to our feast:

Quinoa Pilaf Ingredients:

2 cups dry whole-grain quinoa

4 cups water

2/3 cup dried cranberries

4 to 6 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

2/3 cup toasted pecan pieces

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

4 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions:

Add quinoa and water to rice cooker and cook until quinoa is soft and water has been absorbed. Add quinoa to large serving bowl and let cool about 15 minutes. If you don’t have a rice cooker, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in 4-quart saucepan. Add quinoa and bring back to boil. Cover saucepan and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all the water.

Stir dried cranberries, red onion, celery, and pecans into quinoa.

In a small bowl, combine citrus vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk. Drizzle over quinoa mixture and toss to blend ingredients. Cover and refrigerate pilaf until ready to serve.

Yield: Makes about 12 side servings

Per serving: 227 calories, 5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fat, 1.1 grams saturated fat, 7 grams monounsaturated fat, 2.9 grams polyunsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.3 grams fiber, 58 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 43%. Omega-3 fatty acids = 0.2 grams, Omega-6 fatty acids = 2.7 grams.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!