Thanksgiving Recipes: Healthy Skin Edition

It’s that time of year again-- It's almost Thanksgiving!

We are all awaiting the flood of family and friends that are soon to gather around the dining room table with eyes that are twice as big as their stomachs.

But first, we have to plan this year's spread. Will we do the same exact recipes, or will we add something new?  The Thanksgiving meal is everything, after all.

Well, here at Noche, we have complied three perfect recipes for you to try out. All these recipes are great for your skin. And, yes, they are absolutely delicious. 

A Grilled Vegetable Salad— 30 minutes to make.

Start your meal off right with a delicious vegetable salad that your skin will thank you for.

This salad has onion, zucchini, pepper, parsley, and tomatoes. It is full of vitamin C, lycopene, and beta-carotene. It is also cholesterol free.

It takes only 30 minutes to make, and it’s delicious. Here's the instructions:

Dressing:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated onion

1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

A dash of salt

Salad:

1 small zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1 small sweet yellow pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

2/3 cup cherry tomatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons minced fresh basil

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients until blended. Refrigerate until serving.
2. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, yellow pepper and tomatoes. Add oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to a grill wok or an open grill basket; place on grill rack. Grill, covered, over medium-high heat 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Transfer vegetables to a serving bowl; sprinkle with herbs. Serve with dressing.

We put it over arugula to really get the salad style. Or, of course, you can keep it on its own. Serve it as a delicious vegetable side with a heavier dish. Think chicken, or fish. Speaking of:

A Walnut Crusted Salmon— 3 hours to make.

Salmon and other fatty fish are full of omega-3, which your skin needs to stay healthy. Omega-3 also gets rid of dry skin, reduces redness, and helps get rid of acne. Omega-3 is why fish oil supplements are so good for your skin.

Walnuts are also full of essential fatty acids, which your body needs. They are also full of Omega-3. Walnuts also have zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, and protein.

This recipe also has kale, chicken stock, and chickpeas. All three are good for our bodies.

Walnut crusted salmon:

3/4 cup California walnut pieces,

1/4 cup (1 stick) butter

8 teaspoons dry breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives

  pinch salt

  pinch pepper

6 salmon fillets, 4 ounces each, skin removed if desired

Stewed Kale and Chickpeas:

1 1/2 heads kale, (about 3/4 pound total), tough stems removed

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3  cloves garlic diced

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (or more for spice)

  salt

  pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or one 15-ounce can chickpea, rinsed and drained

Directions for the Salmon:

1. To make the crust mixture, put the walnuts and butter in a food processor and process until the nuts are finely ground, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the container.
2. Add the breadcrumbs, chives, and pinch each of salt and pepper, and process until blended. Scrape this into a small bowl, then cover and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you wish.
3. Coat a large baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper and place them, skin-side-down, in the baking pan. Using your fingers, press and pat 2-3 tablespoons of the walnut crust mixture in a thin layer over each piece of salmon.
4. When you are ready to serve, preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the salmon for 15 –18 minutes, until the crust has browned lightly around the edges.

Directions for the Stew:

1. To make the stewed kale and chickpeas, wash the kale leaves and drain them, then cut the leaves into strips about an inch wide. Set that aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until the garlic begins to brown.
2. Add the kale and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir and toss to coat the kale with the oil and garlic mixture; then cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it begins to wilt. Add 1/2 cup of the chicken stock then cover the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice, for 15 minutes.
3. Add the chickpeas and the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Cover and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15–20 minutes more, until the chickpeas and kale are very tender. If made ahead of time, cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.
4. To serve, spoon the kale mixture into warm bowls or plates, then top with a piece of walnut-crusted salmon.

Now… What goes with a vegetable salad and walnut salmon… Oh! We know!

A Sweet Potato, Pumpkin, and Apple Puree— 1 ½ hours to make.

Can’t get many more Thanksgiving flavors than pumpkin, apple, and sweet potato!

You should make this recipe a day before you eat, and it’s not too hard to make or heat up. This recipe is easy.

Sweet Potatoes are full of beta-carotene. Our bodies break down beta-carotene into vitamin A.

Sweet Potatoes are also full of carotenoids. Carotenoids and beta-carotene protect your skin against UV rays. Here are the directions:

Ingredients:

1 pound of sweet potatoes, scrubbed

1 pound of pumpkin, seeds removed

2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Braeburn

2 tablespoons lime juice

5 tablespoons plain Greek-style yogurt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes, and pierce them in several places with a sharp knife. Pierce the apples in a few places. Line a baking sheet with foil, lightly oil the foil, and place the potatoes, pumpkin (cut side down) and apples on top.
2. Bake the pumpkin and apples for 30 to 40 minutes, until a knife can easily be inserted right to the core of the apples (it’s fine if the skin pops off the apples, or if they collapse) and the pumpkin is soft. Remove the pumpkin and apples from the oven.
3. Continue to bake the sweet potatoes until thoroughly soft and beginning to ooze, 15 minutes or longer, depending on the size. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool until you can handle them easily.
4. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Remove the skins from the potatoes and pumpkin. Peel and core the apples, and scrape off any apple flesh that adheres to the skin.
5. Chop everything coarsely, and place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth.
6. Add the remaining ingredients, and blend well. Transfer to a lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish.
7. Heat the puree in the 350-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until steaming. Serve hot.

The ingredients list and instructions are also in the links below. Have fun making these delicious and skin-healthy meals. They’ll taste delicious, and your family and skin will thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Recipe Links

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/grilled-vegetable-salad-with-poppy-seed-dressing/

https://pulses.org/nap/recipe/walnut-crusted-salmon-with-stewed-chickpeas-and-kale/

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012885-sweet-potato-pumpkin-and-apple-puree

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/well/healthy-recipes/recipes/sweet-potato-pumpkin-and-apple-puree

Sources

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-foods-for-healthy-skin

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahwu/2014/09/16/eating-for-beauty-the-best-diet-for-healthy-clear-skin/#3fc12bb1e601