Q: We're having Thanksgiving with relatives, one of whom cannot have any fats due to a severe bout with pancreatitis. I want to make sure she can enjoy some homemade foods. Do you have any suggestions for sides that include substitutes for all butters and oils?
Sent by Sarah
Editor: Sarah, how about a pureed vegetable soup? Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin give soups a creamy texture without the need for cream or butter. Here is a basic template for a pureed vegetable-leek soup without any fat.
Readers, what sides would you suggest for a guest who cannot eat any fats?
Related: How Can I Make Better Fat-Free Yogurt Dips?
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Pureed soups are definitely a great suggestion.
Mashed potatoes can be made with stock and fat free Greek yogurt. Add roasted garlic and no one will miss the fat.
Mashed sweet potatoes are simple and I actually prefer them sans cream and butter. Just roast the potatoes whole then mash with maybe a little maple syrup and a splash of lemon or orange juice for balance.
A big arugula salad with red onion, golden raisins, roasted pears, and fresh or dried figs is delicious with a drizzle of balsamic ( because of the roasted pears no one will miss the oil).
Good Luck!
I think a twice baked sweet potato could be a good fat free side dish. Just bake the sweet potato then scoop the potato out of the skin, leaving the skin intact, and mash. Whip in some brown sugar and cinnamon or even pumpkin pie spice, then refill the skins with the mashed mixture. Top with a few mini marshmallows and continue to bake until marshmallows melt and brown.
Also roasted brussel sprouts. Put them on tin foil and you dont need any oil. Add a little balsamic vinegar at the end. Maybe add some onion to the roasting too for a little extra sweetness.
Also, a fresh cranberry relish would be delicious. Put 1 1/2 c. fresh cranberries, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 tsp. orange zest, 1 navel orange (segmented and rind removed) in a food processor and pulse to reach desired consistency.
I could happily eat an entire plate of steamed vegetables. They can be really delicious with the right herbs and seasoning.
I've made dairy-free mashed potatoes by roasting potatoes in the oven (with a foil-wrapped garlic head alongside), then putting everything through a food mill, and adding hot salted stock. You could probably omit the fats by dry-roasting everything.
Sorbet or 0% frozen Greek yogurt could be a nice addition to the dessert table.
Ooooh, what about a pavlova with seasonal fruits for dessert? Egg whites are non-fat, I believe. You can omit the whipped cream, obviously, or serve it alongside.
a friend of mine made a delicious apple cider sorbet recently-- that would be a nice, homemade, seasonal & fat-free desert. i'm not sure what the recipe was but i bet a quick google search would do the trick.
My husband follows an extremely low-fat diet, so I'm paying close attention to these suggestions!
In past Thanksgivings, I've made sweet potato casserole (and crustless pumpkin pie!) using evaporated skim milk instead of regular evaporated milk and egg whites instead of whole eggs. Nobody has ever noticed the switch.
For stuffing, we buy a bag with the lowest fat (0g or maybe 1g)... I think it's the pepperidge farm blue bag... and make it with chicken broth instead of water & butter. Again, it turns out great.
Roasted veggies are great too. Cut up a bunch of different veggies (squash, onions, whatever you like), season with salt & pepper and a splash of chicken broth. Roast at 400 for an hour or so, until they are soft. Delicious with a little balsamic glaze (just boil balsamic vinegar until it reduces by half) and fat-free feta cheese (we like Trader Joe's brand, but you can find it at most grocery stores).
You could make a pumpkin loaf (like banana bread) with applesauce instead of oil or butter. Not sure if she can have eggs as they have some fat in them, so if she can't, look up a recipe for egg subsititute appropraite for the recipe.
All these ideas sound great! I wanted to add that one of my favorite things at Thanksgiving is always rolls and jam. While your guest can't have regular buttery rolls, you can totally make homemade bread that is fat free - most baguette recipes are, like this one: http://cupcakemuffin.blogspot.com/2011/12/baguettes.html. There's nothing like warm homemade bread, and if you have a good jam on the table, you won't even miss the butter!
Yay! Lots of great suggestions already. I'd been feeling like subbing broth in certain places on certain dishes may be one of the keys (along with a nice balsamic). Thank you.
Roasted squash - you can dress it up with apples and raisins and spices. I like to cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds (butternut squash works, but not quite as well), fill up the cavity with cubed apples and raisins and cinnamon. I put the halves in a dish filled with a couple inches of water and roast for about an hour at 400 degrees. Then the halves are their own little serving dishes. It's actually quite a substantial side dish in the end.