A Healthy Holiday: Conclusion ~ Soup & Leftover ideas
Happy the day before the day before New Year’s Day! 
I LOVE holiday meals because to me leftovers always mean SOUP and tons of fun new things to try I LOVE Turkey Noodle Soup after turkey day and a warm, hearty bean soup after Christmas. I decided to put a spin on the White Bean with Bacon and Pesto Soup by using ham and a ton veggies.
Next Day Ham and White Bean Soup
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb dried navy beans
1 c chopped ham
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 red bell pepper (I used 1/2 green & 1/2 red), chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
32 oz Chicken Broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 leftover ham bone or smoked ham hock (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
bacon pieces and chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Soak overnight or use the following quick soak method. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain beans.
2. Heat oil in a large stock pan over medium heat and add ham. Brown for about 4-5 minutes. Add bell pepper and the next 5 ingredients (bell pepper through minced garlic); sauté 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in the broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomatoes, beans and spices. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender.
3. Remove ham bone and allow to cool. Remove ham from bone and chop into pieces. Add to soup if desired or save for another time.
4. Place 2 cups of the bean mixture in a blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureéd mixture to pan. If using, top with the bacon and parsley.
Makes 8, heaping 1 1/2 cup servings.
Nutritional information per serving (excluding toppings) (3 WWP’s):
Calories 159.0, Total Fat 3.2 g, Saturated Fat 0.8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g, Cholesterol 15.9 mg, Sodium 867.6 mg, Potassium 459.5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 20.7 g, Dietary Fiber 6.2 g, Sugars 4.1 g, Protein 11.5 g
Enjoy!
Note: This soup will freeze well for up to two months. Pour into an airtight container, leaving enough room for expansion (usually an inch or two at the top). To reheat, thaw completely in the refrigerator; then place contents in a saucepan over low heat, adding some liquid if necessary.
LEFTOVER IDEAS:
I froze some of our ham so I can make this New Years Day Soup next ~ doesn’t it sound amazing and I LOVE the stats.
Here are some other ideas for how you can use up all the leftovers you have from your healthy holiday celebration:
Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese Quiches (I make these every year – they are so easy and awesome!)
Green eggs and ham
Ham, Spinach & Sun Dried Tomato Calzones
Ham & Pineapple Sandwiches
Leftover Veggies tossed on salad
Is there such a thing as leftover Au Gratin Potatoes?
Oh and last, but, not least, do NOT forget to FREEZE your leftovers. Make your own healthy little mini frozen dinners for the nights you don’t want to cook or save some ham for soup another day.
I hope you all have a FANTASTIC time brining in the New Year whatever you end up doing.
See you all tomorrow when I resume blogging my daily eats or possibly for some Coconut Pound Cake (a not-so-healthy recipe) but totally worth EVERY calorie! It really just depends on how much time I have before we head out to celebrate the New Year!
Nite all!
A Healthy Holiday Part 4: Key Lime Pie
I LOVE citrus desserts because they seem so refreshing and light after a heavy meal. Key Lime pie is one of my favorites because you get the smooth creamy filling with an awesome cinnamon graham pie crust. I have reduced the fat and sugar by using fat free milk and egg substitute without giving up the creamy texture or flavor. If you want your pie to look green vs yellow, use liquid egg whites instead of substitute.
EASY & HEALTHY KEY LIME PIE
INGREDIENTS:
1 prepared low-fat graham cracker pie crust or make your own healthy version
14 oz fat-free sweetened condensed milk
8 oz fat-free egg substitute or liquid egg whites**
1/4-1/2 cup fresh lime juice, from “key” or regular limes (about 2-3 limes), depending on desired tartness
1-2 tsp freshly grated lime zest
Whipped Cream for topping, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Place graham cracker crust on a baking sheet; set aside.
2. Whisk together condensed milk, egg substitute and lime juice. Add lime zest and pour mixture into crust.
3. Bake until center looks set but still slightly quivery, like gelatin, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely, about 1 to 2 hours.
Cut into 10 slices and serve with whipped cream if desired.
4 Points Per Serving (using a prepared crust and excluding whipped topping)
Nutritional Information Per Serving (using a prepared crust and excluding whipped topping):
Calories 197.1, Total Fat 2.8 g, Saturated Fat 0.4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Cholesterol 83.2 mg, Sodium 106.2 mg, Potassium 102.2 mg, Total Carbohydrate 37.2 g, Dietary Fiber 0.4 g, Sugars 29.2 g, Protein 6.3 g
STEP-BY-STEP:
1. Did you all know it only takes 4 things to make an AMAZING and HEALTHY Key Lime Pie?
2. Combine your condensed milk with your lime juice.
3. Add in the egg substitute and whisk everything together
**NOTE ~ Use Egg whites if you want your pie to look green and add green food coloring if needed.
4. Zest your lime using the super cute mini grater that Santa gave you for Christmas
5. Add the lime zest to your lime pie filling.
6. Pour pie filling into your prepared graham cracker crust.
7. Bake at 325 for about 15-20 minutes until center is slightly firm and jiggles like gelatin.
8. Cool and resist digging in until AFTER dinner 
You can find the rest of the Healthy Holiday Series below.
Part 1: Simple Glazed Ham with Pineapple
Part 2: Au Gratin Potatoes
Part 3: Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Bacon plus Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cashews.
Do you all like the idea of the healthy holiday series? I thought it would be fun to mix things up a bit and share the fun healthy recipes I tried out over Christmas I love knowing that the holidays can be made healthy with a few things to be enjoyed (in moderation of course). I would love to hear your feedback so I know if I should bombard you all on future holidays .
No worries though, I will begin posting my eats again soon and tomorrow I will be back with some great uses for all those leftovers.
Nite all!
A Healthy Holiday Part 3:Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
Green Beans with Caramelized Onions & Bacon is one of my FAVORITE childhood classic dishes. However, the version I grew up with was not so healthy ~ picture loads of butter with the onions and mushrooms “fried” in the bacon green. I cleaned up this recipe by using a healthy cut of bacon and just a kiss of real butter. It’s pretty easy to make and can be whipped up fairly quickly while everything else cooks for your holiday meal.
I doubled up the vegetable sides to go with the Simple Glazed Ham with Pineapple and Au Gratin Potatoes. The other veggie was Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cashews. I find it helps me stay on track easier when I have two delicious vegetables that I can pile on half my plate leaving 1/4 of my plate for protein and 1/4 for carby goodness.
GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BACON
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound green beans
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 cup sliced white mushroom, optional
6 slice Cooked Center-Cut Bacon or Turkey Bacon
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Prepare all veggies – snap ends off beans and break in half, slice onion and mushrooms.
2. Cook bacon and break into pieces. Set aside.
3. Spray a skillet with nonstick cooking spray and add onions and mushrooms (if using). Saute onion and mushrooms until tender and slightly browned/carmelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Boil green beans in enough water to cover them for 6-8 minutes or until crisp tender and drain.
5. Add butter, garlic salt, pepper, onion/mushrooms, and bacon. Stir just until combined.
Enjoy – makes 6 servings – 1/2 cup each and only 1 Weight Watcher Point
NUTRITIONAL INFORMAITON PER SERVING:
Calories 60.9, Total Fat 3.3 g, Saturated Fat 1.7 g. Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 10.1 mg, Sodium 219.6 mg, Potassium 113.8 mg, Total Carbohydrate 5.7 g, Dietary Fiber 1.9 g, Sugars 0.2 g, Protein 3.2 g
STEP-BY-STEP:
1. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and add onions (plus mushrooms if using). I omitted them this time since The Husband’s mom does not like mushrooms.
2. Cook and crumble your bacon ~ set aside.
3. Steam your green beans. I saved time by buying Trader Joe’s steam in a bag Green and Yellow Beans. I LOVE green beans, but, do NOT love preparing them ~ Thanks TJ’s!
4. Add garlic salt, pepper and butter to your green beans. TIP ~ You can always let your butter melt a little and remove any extra if you feel you have enough to cover your veggies.
5. Add caramelized onions (plus mushrooms) and bacon.
6. Stir to combine and enjoy!
MMMMM….I am hungry again now! I hope you all are enjoying the series ~ it is definitely giving me a break while we are at home this week cleaning and organizing away
Tomorrow I will be sharing a Easy Healthy Key Lime Pie recipe to complete my Healthy Holiday series. See you all then!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY DISH TO ENJOY EACH YEAR ~ HEALTHY OR NOT?
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