Holidays recipes with a twist

For most of us, Holiday celebrations involve gathering around a table with a bountiful spread of delicious food. Traditional dishes lovingly prepared by family members are taken out of the oven with palpable anticipation, and often devoured with equal intensity.

However tasty these culinary creations may be, they are often loaded with fat or sugar. And so, we are sometimes torn between enjoying the traditional foods we loved as children and looking out for our health. If only there were a way to marry tradition and health.

With this goal in mind, a number of top chefs have applied their special touch to the Holiday meal. Here are some of their creations. Enjoy!

Semi-vegetarian Tourtière
Source: Canal Vie.

Ingredients
• 1 cup firm tofu, diced
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 2/3 lb store-bought pie dough, divided into two parts
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken broth without added salt
• 1 egg, whisked

Preparation
• Place tofu cubes and soy sauce in a bowl. Let cool 3 hours in refrigerator.
• In a non-stick pan, brown pork until it loses its pink hue, then add tofu cubes and heat for a few seconds.
• Transfer mixture to a large bowl, add onion, lentils, potatoes and spices, and season with salt and pepper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the two pie dough parts.
• Place one of the two parts into an 8 in. deep square mold, letting it hang over the sides.
• Pour filling over dough, pressing down very gently. Cover with remaining dough and seal, cutting away any excess dough.
• Preheat oven to 375ºF.
• Poke a hole in pie top and pour in chicken broth.
• Brush pie top with whipped egg.
• Bake in oven about 1 hour or until dough is hard and thoroughly cooked.
• Remove from oven, let cool, and serve.

Purple Potato and Cauliflower Salad
Source: Ricardo.

Ingredients
• 6 cups baby purple or white potatoes
• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 4 green onions, white part only, chopped
• 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation
• In a pot of salted water, cook potatoes until tender. Let cool in ice water and drain.
• Cut potatoes into halves or quarters, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook cauliflower in a pot of salted boiling water, until al dente. Set aside.
• Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add potatoes and cauliflower, and toss to coat thoroughly with dressing.
• Serve at room temperature.

Almond Turkey
Source: Cuisine actuelle.

Ingredients
• 4 turkey fillets
• 1 egg white
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into segments
• 3 small onions, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 3.5 oz shelled almonds
• 1 can bamboo shoots, drained
• 3 tbsp oil
• 5 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp porto
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 bunch coriander, rinsed and chopped
• 1 pinch pepper

Preparation
• Cut turkey fillets into strips. Marinate for 15 minutes in 3 tbsp of soy sauce mixed with 2 tbsp porto.
• Brown turkey strips in a baking dish with 2 tbsp oil.
• Sprinkle with ginger and pepper, mix, then cook another 5 minutes.
• Add chopped vegetables, bamboo shoots and almonds.
• Whip egg white with 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp porto, and pour into baking dish.
• Mix, then add coriander.
• Serve hot, accompanied with rice.