3 Green Substitutes for Tired, Unhealthy Thanksgiving Sides

With so many traditions associated with Thanksgiving it can be easy to fall in a rut and relive some really tired and minimally healthy dishes annually. Green bean casserole with most of the ingredients straight from the can is so not worth the calories, so why not make it a cleaner, greener recipe that you'll be excited to relive every year? Here are a few simple, eco-friendly substitutes for some traditionally heavy or not so healthy (or environmentally healthy) sides:

• Canned cranberry sauce.
  Instead of canned cranberry sauce, why not serve a seasonal cranberry http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/cranberry-compote-recipe.htm salsa? Canned food can lack nutrients when compared to that fresh local produce that you get at the farmers' market and it often travels across the country to get to your table.
  
  Cranberry Salsa
  
  3 cups fresh organic cranberries
  1/2 medium, local purple onion, chopped
  2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
  1/2 cup raw organic honey
  1 tbsp grated orange rind
  
  Directions:
  
  1. Process all the ingredients in the food processor until coarsely chopped.
  
  
  2. Cover and chill for 8 hours.
  
  
  Serves 8


• Green bean casserole
  Instead of throwing a bunch of canned ingredients together and coming up with an oh-so-salty and unhealthy casserole, why not come up with a fresher, greener dish straight from the farmers' market? Try fresh garlic green beans with almond slivers and onions.
  
  Garlic Green Beans and Almond Slivers
  
  3 cups organic green beans, ends snapped and blanched
  1/2 local purple onion, chopped roughly
  1/4 cup organic almond slivers
  3 cloves local garlic, chopped finely
  2 tbsp organic olive oil
  Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
  
  Directions
  
  1. Saute onions in garlic and olive oil until softened.
  
  
  2. In a separate skillet, roast the almond slivers for a few minutes. When you begin to smell them they're cooked.
  
  
  3. Add the blanched green beans to the onions.
  
  
  4. Add almonds and season with salt and pepper.
  
  
  Serves 8


• Sweet Potato Souffle
  Though I must admit that sweet potato soufflé can be pretty tasty it's loaded with tons of sugar and marshmallows that can hide the taste of your fabulously fresh farmers' market sweet potatoes. All that sugar is loaded with tons of calories that certainly aids the average American weight gain of between 1 and 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years. Instead, let that sweet potato be the center of attention with a simple mash.
  
  Sweet Potato Mash
  
  4 large sweet potatoes
  1/2 cup vegetable broth, (Add it as you need it to keep the sweet potatoes moist.)
  2 tbsp local butter
  1 tsp sea salt (Add a bit more if you like.)
  1/4 tsp cinnamon
  1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
  Directions
  
  1. Boil potatoes until they are cooked through, about 20 minutes.
  
  
  2. Drain the potatoes and mash them.
  
  
  3. Add in broth, butter, and seasonings.
  
  
  Serves 8

Related Posts:
Emeril Episode: Sensational Sides
Emeril's Amaranth With Basil and Olive Oil
New York Cheat Sheet for the 100 Mile Thanksgiving Challenge

Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.

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