Healthy Holiday Recipes from USA Health

The USA Health Integrative Health and Wellness Program invites you to try these delicious and healthy recipes with your friends and family this holiday season. With a focus on culinary medicine, we strive to combine the science of nutrition with the art of food preparation to make dishes that are not only good for us but also unapologetically delicious.

Many of these recipes are inspired by ones from New York Times Cooking, which offers free access for employees of USA Health and the University of South Alabama. Just visit their Education Access page, search for University of South Alabama, and create a New York Times account or link your existing one.

Give to the Integrative Health Program

Recipe for the baked turkey featured in the video above: Dry your turkey (16-20 lbs.) off with a paper towel. Rub olive oil all over the outside and inside of the turkey. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake per instructions from the turkey insert. To keep it from drying out, tent your turkey with aluminum foil. Remove the foil for the last hour of baking to allow the skin to become golden brown. Check for a temperature of 180° F in the thigh and 170° F in the breast to ensure your turkey is cooked thoroughly.

Baked Cauliflower and Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, peeled stems, cut into 1-inch pieces
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
Black olives, halved
Provolone cheese, grated or sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Boil cauliflower and broccoli for about 5 minutes. Drain.
Sauté olive oil and onions. Salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble cauliflower and broccoli into a casserole dish lined with a small amount of olive oil on the bottom.
Place cheese, olives and onions on top. Lightly drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 375 degrees until dish is heated through and cheese is golden, about 20-30 minutes.

Farro Salad

Full recipe from NYT Cooking:

Charlie Bird’s Farro Salad

Green Bean Salad

Full recipe from NYT Cooking:

Green Bean, Artichoke and Radicchio Salad

Roasted Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Mushrooms, trimmed and washed
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano, thyme, or rosemary if desired

Instructions:

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
May need to drain liquid if too watery.

Sweet Potatoes

Full recipe from NYT Cooking:

Sweet Potatoes With Cranberry Chutney

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Brussel sprouts, trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste (approx. 1 tsp)
Red pepper flakes, optional
1 tsp oregano
Olive oil

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

French Apple Tart

Adapted from NYT Cooking:

French Apple Tart (Tart aux Pommes)

Instructions:

Step 1

Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup lukewarm water, add the sugar, and allow to sit until the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and the olive oil. Combine the flours and salt, and stir into the yeast mixture. You can use a bowl and wooden spoon for this, or you can use a mixer, combining the ingredients using the paddle. Work the dough until it comes together in a coherent mass, adding flour as necessary. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead gently for a few minutes, adding flour as necessary, just until the dough is smooth — do not overwork it. Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step 2

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gently knead a couple of times, and cut into two equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball without kneading it. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for five minutes. Then roll out into thin rounds and line pans. If not using right away, freeze the dough to prevent it from rising and becoming too bready. The dough can be transferred directly from the freezer to the oven.

Filling

On the stovetop combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and water into a saucepan. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until apples are soft. Mash apples with fork to consistency of chucky applesauce. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat and set aside. Warm up apricot jam with a bit of water to slightly thin. Strain if needed.

Assemble

Remove frozen pastry dough from freezer. Spread jam onto crust. Add cooled applesauce. Layer apples in desired pattern. May add additional jam to top of apples. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees. May need to cover edges with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

Ingredients:

Filling

3-4 medium apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tbsp sugar or honey
Juice from ½ lemon
½ cup water

Tarte

3-4 medium apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 tbsp apricot jam

Crust

2 tsp active dry yeast
¼ tsp sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature, beaten
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached flour (more as needed)
¾ tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon, optional