Thanksgiving is getting healthy!

I saw this recipe on Facebook today and thought it looked tasty and healthy. I wanted to make Thanksgiving a little healthier this year and this seemed like a good place to start.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It has all the things I love, family, friends, carb-loaded food, and more food!  Check out my page on races this month to off-set the calories. 🙂

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans and Cranberries by Julia

roasted-recipe-704x437

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:
  • 3 cups Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt, to taste

 

Roasted Butternut Squash:
  • 1 and ½ pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Other Ingredients:
  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Roasted Brussels sprouts:
    1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
    2. Make sure Brussels sprouts have trimmed ends and yellow leaves are removed. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).
Roasted butternut squash:
    1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
    2. In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.
    3. Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.
    4. _Note:_You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.
Assembly:
  1. In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired – do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.

 

Enjoy!

If you have a favorite healthy recipe, please share it in the comments below. Or if you have tried this recipe, let me know how you liked it. Thanks.

I hope everyone is healthy this year. Be grateful for all that you have, especially good health. Not everyone is so lucky.

Keep running and stay healthy!

Leave A Comment

Tell me what you think...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.