It is always important to start a meal off right, and your Thanksgiving meal is no exception. Continuing the countdown to Thanksgiving, today we provide three delicious and healthful recipes for appetizers that will impress your guests and set the tone for a fabulous Thanksgiving meal. These recipes not only taste great, but also contain psoriasis and eczema superfoods, including squash, apples, spinach, and walnuts. So go ahead and dig in!
Butternut, Apple and Sweet Potato Soup
from Fiona Hayes, About.com
Yields 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 small (2 pound) Butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 large Granny Smith Apple
- 4 cups fat-free vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Directions
Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Sauté onions, squash and sweet potato for 5 minutes. Add apple, vegetable broth and herbs. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and purée until smooth.
To serve, we recommend serving the soup inside small pumpkins (see picture). However, the soup also looks beautiful in regular bowls.
Read more: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/soup1/r/butapswpotsoup.htm
Vegan Butternut Squash Dip
from The Lunchbox Bunch (love their vegan blog!)
Yields 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can organic butternut squash
- 4 heaping Tbsp zesty garlic hummus
- 1/4 cup organic maple syrup
- 1 tsp dried organic orange peel (spice bottle)
- 2-3 Tbsp soy creamer (plain flavor)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
- 5 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- Optional: dash of cayenne for a spicy accent, dash of cinnamon to turn up the ‘warm’ fall flavor
Directions
Spoon butternut squash puree into a small-medium mixing bowl.
Add hummus, maple syrup, soy creamer, orange peel, salt and pepper.
Whip mix well until dip is smooth and well blended.
Fold in a pinch of sage leaves.
Microwave on high for 1 minute or until dip is warm. (Heating dip allows for the flavors to mesh together.)
Fold in the rest of your sage leaves and your salt to taste. If adding cayenne and/or cinnamon, fold in a dash now. Microwave for another 20 seconds, whip well again.
Spoon dip into a serving dish. Garnish with a fresh sage leaf.
Serve with crostini bread, crackers or veggie sticks.
Read more here: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/perfect-butternut-squash-dip-party.html
Spinach and Green Apple Salad
from Ellie Krieger and the Food Network
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 5 cups lightly packed)
- 1 Granny Smith apples
- 1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame until fragrant, about 2 minutes
Directions
In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss the spinach with the dressing until evenly coated then divide the spinach among 4 serving plates.
Core the apple and slice it into matchsticks. Sprinkle a quarter of the apple pieces on top of each salad. Follow with the walnut pieces. Serve immediately.
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