Recipe for Arugula Chickpea Salad with Feta and Balsamic-Tahini Vinaigrette

I love this Arugula Chickpea Salad with Feta and Balsamic-Tahini Vinaigrette.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This recipe from 2010 has arugula, chickpeas, feta, balsamic vinegar, and tahini, all ingredients that I never get tired of!)

I love quick recipes with interesting ingredients and lots of flavor, and this salad I made for lunch recently turned out to be a winner with the spicy flavor of arugula, creamy chickpeas and feta, and an interesting vinaigrette combination with balsamic vinegar, tahini, and a touch of lemon. If you're not as crazy about arugula or chickpeas as I am, you could make a milder version of this salad using spinach or regular white beans if you prefer. Adding a touch of tahini to the dressing was just an impulse for me, but I loved the richness of flavor it provided. If you don't have tahini, try adding a little almond butter or peanut butter instead.

Recipe for Spicy Slow Cooker Soup with Ground Turkey, Pinto Beans, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Chiles

A spicy slow cooker soup, with Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce adding some heat.

Ever since I made the Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Green Chiles I find myself grabbing a few cans of Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce whenever I'm at the grocery store.  There are other good brands of green chile enchilada sauce, but Hatch brand seems perfect to my tastebuds, and when I wanted to spice up this spicy ground turkey and pinto bean slow cooker soup the Hatch enchilada sauce plus a can of diced green chiles gave me just the right amount of heat.  I loved the soup with a little grated cheese sprinkled on top, and for those who'd like even more heat, Green Tabasco Sauce is the perfect thing to add to your soup at the table.

Baked Mini-Frittata Recipe with Mushrooms, Cottage Cheese, and Feta (Phase One, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Baked Mini-Frittatas with Mushrooms, Cottage Cheese, and Feta are great for Meatless Monday.

I often make Egg Muffins, but this recipe for Baked Mini-Frittatas with Mushrooms, Cottage Cheese, and Feta is different, something I'd eat with a fork, maybe with a dollop of light sour cream.  For the mini-frittatas I used Jumbo Muffin Cups, and the recipe has lots of mushrooms and cheese, for a baked egg dish that's a fairly dense in texture.  I love starting the week out with Meatless Monday for so many reasons, and one of them is how it encourages simple meals when you've had a weekend that was slightly indulgent, and I'd love this for a meatless breakfast, lunch of dinner.

Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Recipe for Pot Roast with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

Pot Roast with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce, made in the slow cooker.

(Updated with improved photos and step-by-step instructions, November 2012.)  I know some people are still looking for leftover turkey recipes, but if your turkey is gone and you're looking for something comforting but still pretty healthy to make in the slow cooker this weekend, this Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce makes great leftovers too.  I love those two-in-a-pack chuck roasts they sell at Costco, and this recipe from 2007 is one of my favorite ways to use them.  The sauce is a little chunky, but if you'd like a smoother sauce use onion powder instead of the chopped onion.  Here's How to Make Pot Roast in the Crockpot which you might want to read before you make this.

Twenty-Five Tasty Recipes Using Leftover Turkey (or chicken) and Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I made this Layered Mexican Casserole with chicken, but it would be a perfect use for leftover turkey!

(Updated with five more great ideas for turkey leftovers November 2012.)  I love to write round-up posts spotlighting my favorite recipes, but the problem with food blogging is that every year you try more recipes that end up being favorites.  That's why I'm updating last year's leftover turkey recipes with five new ideas from 2012.  After I finish this, I'm finalizing my grocery list, going shopping, and then I'll be heading out to spend the holiday with my sister and her very cute kids.  I'm even going to try to spend a couple days ignoring both my blogs and concentrating on having fun!

This year, and every year  I love the idea of a holiday dedicated to feeling gratitude, something I try to focus on every day.  And without turning this into a long list of all the things I'm thankful for, let me acknowledge how much I feel blessed to have a life filled with family, friends, interesting work, and all the cooking tools any food obsessed person could ever want!  And on Thanksgiving and every other day I also give thanks for the people who read this blog and leave nice comments or send e-mails that enrich my life.  Now here's my updated list of 25 Tasty Recipes Using Leftover Turkey (or chicken), with the new ideas from 2012 featured at the top of the post.   And for all my U.S. readers, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration that's filled with love and good food.

Recipe for Leftover Turkey (or chicken) Salad with Indian Spices, Lemon, and Cilantro

Here's a Phase One turkey salad to get you back to reality after Thanksgiving!

You can't go wrong with any of my leftover turkey ideas, but this delicious salad with leftover turkey (or chicken) is an especially good option for anyone who wants to get right back on the healthy eating plan after the big day of indulgence.  This Phase One salad features leftover chunks of turkey with a dressing that's partly made with non-fat Greek yogurt and seasoned with Indian spices.  The finishing touch is chopped cilantro, but if you're not a cilantro fan I would just use more green onion.

Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe with Moroccan Spices (and 10 More Tasty Ideas for Roasted Vegetables!)

I'd eat this Roasted Butternut Squash with Moroccan Spices for a Meatless Monday option any time of year!

(Updated with better photos, November 2012.)  Although I'm still mostly focused on Thanksgiving Recipes around here, since it's Monday I want to share something that would make a wonderful Meatless Monday option any time of year when you don't mind using the oven.  I love all things butternut squash, but since I first made it in 2007, this Roasted Butternut Squash with Moroccan Spices is one of my very favorite ways to cook it.  If you have a toaster oven, that's a great way to cook a small batch, but it also reheats well, so go ahead and make a big batch.  And if you're trying to avoid those sugary sweet potatoes that often show up at Thanksgiving, I think this would make a wonderful holiday side dish as well.

Recipe for Leftover Turkey (or chicken) Shepherd's Pie Casserole with Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower Topping

This Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Cauliflower Topping is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

Yes, I realize a lot of you are still looking for Thanksgiving Recipes, but in the weird world of food blogging I've already tested a few recipe for leftover turkey and fallen in love with this Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie Casserole with Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower Topping.  The days we sampled this recipe my nephew and cooking assistant Jake kept saying "This is really good" every time he took a bite.  The recipe uses turkey gravy, but if you don't have any leftover gravy from Thanksgiving, you really should buy some gravy (like we did!) and give this recipe a try.

Pureed Cauliflower Recipe with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese (Plus 10 More Yummy Cauliflower Ideas!)

Delicious Pureed Cauliflower that's a healthy dish with no desired to act like potatoes!

(Updated with new photos and better instructions, November 2012. While we're spotlighting Thanksgiving Recipes I thought I'd mention this lovely mashed cauliflower, which would taste great with a spoonful of turkey gravy over it if you're avoiding potatoes because they're so high on the glycemic index.)  

Before I ever thought seriously about going on the South Beach Diet, I heard about their now-famous recipe for "Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes" and the idea of cauliflower masquerading as mashed potatoes struck me as a little strange. I've since seen many recipes comparing pureed cauliflower to potatoes, but this pureed cauliflower is perfectly happy about being cauliflower, and thrilled to be flavored with garlic, goat cheese, and Parmesan.  If you like cauliflower, this is good stuff.  If I was seriously dieting at the time, I'd be happy to have this cauliflower on my plate at Thanksgiving Dinner, next to some Whole Wheat Stuffing or Stuffing Muffins topped with gravy. 

Recipe for Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan (plus 10 More Broccoli Recipes for Thanksgiving)

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This Broccoli Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan is one of the ways I regularly cook broccoli for a special occasion, and it's always a hit.)

It's November, so the focus is on Thanksgiving Recipes.  Today's recipe is adapted from one I saw in A Pinch of Salt Lake, a book published by the Junior League of Salt Lake. For years my family wanted Broccoli with Cheese Sauce for Thanksgiving. It's definitely tasty, but nowdays I rarely cook with canned soup and this Broccoli Gratin recipe is fresher-tasting and a bit lighter. This is still probably a "once in a while treat" for South Beach dieters, but for Thanksgiving dinner, it's a perfect vegetable option.

Low-Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie Recipe for a Thanksgiving Dessert

I think this Low-Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie is officially my favorite Thanksgiving Dessert.

(Updated November 2012.  As we count down to turkey day, I'm going to highlight some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  This Low-Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie has been my favorite for several years now, and I'm making it again for this Thanksgiving.)

I never was a fan of pumpkin pie, and back in the days when I wasn't watching my sugar intake I'd always pick banana cream for my Thanksgiving pie. Then I started eating the South Beach Diet way, and discovered a recipe for Reduced Sugar Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake that I really liked, and I made that a few years for Thanksgiving. This year I got the urge to try something slightly different, and this pumpkin cheesecake pie is halfway between pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. It has more pumpkin than the cheesecake, and the texture is a little closer to pumpkin pie, while still having that creamy mouth feel of cheesecake. How did I like it? I just gobbled up the piece you see in this photo for breakfast! I'm adding this recipe to our list of Thanksgiving Recipes, and I highly recommend it for a slightly different bake on Thanksgiving pie.

Recipe for Arugula, Red Grape, and Shaved Manchego Salad (and 10 More Salad Ideas for Thanksgiving)

I'd love this flavorful salad with arugula, red grapes, Manchego cheese, and almonds for Thanksgiving!

I've been talking with my sister Val about Thanksgiving dinner plans, so I think the countdown to Thanksgiving has officially begun, and this amazing Arugula Salad with Red Grapes, Manchego, and Almonds is something that might become one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  The slightly bitter and spicy flavor of arugula is tamed in a delicious way by the grapes and the grape-infused dressing, and the Manchego adds the perfect touch of savoriness to the salad.  And if you don't have time to make the grape-infused dressing on Thanksgiving, I think this salad would still be wonderful with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.  Manchego is an amazingly delicious nutty-flavored cheese from Spain, but if it's not in the budget or you don't want to buy cheese just for one salad, any type of dry cheese that can be shaved with a vegetable peeler could be substituted.

Savory Roasted White Sweet Potatoes Recipe with Red Onions, Rosemary, and Parmesan

Savory Roasted White Sweet Potatoes with Red Onion, Rosemary, and Parmesan.

(Updated with step-by-step photos, better instructions, and a PSA about sweet potatoes in November 2012.)  Through the years I've added a lot of ideas for roasted vegetables to my collection of healthier Thanksgiving recipes, and this favorite recipe for roasted white sweet potatoes is something that's a great alternative to the overly-sweet orange sweet potatoes you often see this time of year.  In case you need help with the mental image, think golden roasted white sweet potatoes, crispy carmelized red onions, a hint of rosemary,  and a little Parmesan cheese tossed with the sweet potatoes when they come out of the oven.  This is something many people will enjoy if they aren't fans of the sweeter orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.

Recipe for Vegan Farro and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Pine Nuts and Tahini-Sumac Vinaigrette

Farro and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad for a Thanksgiving recipe or a Meatless Monday idea.

Recipe ideas are constantly popping into my head, and every once in a while I get one that ends up being a complete winner like this Vegan Farro and Roasted Sweet Potato Vegan Salad with Pine Nuts and Tahini-Sumac Vinaigrette.  This salad has so many of my favorite flavors that anyone who knows my taste preferences won't be surprised that I like it, but even my nephew Jake (who's a tiny bit averse to sweet potatoes ) gobbled this up and pronounced it "very good."  And when I ate the leftovers a couple of days later, I was pleasantly surprised how good the salad was after being in the fridge.  Even if you're not sure how much you like sweet potatoes, if you like the other flavors here I'm betting you'll like this salad.

Barely-Cooked Green Beans with Tahini-Lemon Sauce (plus 10 More Green Beans Recipes for Thanksgiving)

Barely-Cooked Green Beans with Tahini-Lemon Sauce and Parsley are a great Thanksgiving side dish!

Thanksgiving is kind of a fun paradox.  Even though it's a food holiday where most people have traditional favorites that they make every year, it's also the biggest time of year for food magazines, cooking shows, and food bloggers to recommend new possible Thanksgiving menu options.  I've been suggesting diet-friendly Thanksgiving Recipes for the last seven years, and that includes quite a few recipes for green beans (including Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan, which has turned into one of the most popular recipes ever on the blog.)  This new recipe for Barely-Cooked Green Beans with Tahini-Lemon Sauce and Parsley was quick enough to be super-easy for Thanksgiving, and it was something that Jake and I gobbled up when we tested the recipe.  If you don't feel adventurous enough to have this for Thanksgiving I hope you'll try it another time, because these beans are really good!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts was the recipe that turned me into a Brussels Sprouts fan!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  It's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving Recipes, and this recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts from Thanksgiving 2007 is not only the first brussels sprouts recipe I ever posted on Kalyn's Kitchen, but it's the recipe that turned me into a lover of brussels sprouts.)

This recipe is worthy of a big drum roll, not only because it was so delicious, but also because this is the very first time I've posted a brussels sprouts recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen. Yes, I confess that I've been a little slow to warm up to the idea of brussels sprouts, but that was before I tried roasting them. This version of crispy golden brussels sprouts, tossed with Parmesan cheese and just a smattering of pine nuts is something that will be on my table again soon.  It's also perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish; just put the brussels sprouts in to roast when you take out the turkey.

Recipe for Apple-Jicama Slaw with Sweet and Spicy Sriracha Dressing

This Apple-Jicama Slaw with Spicy Sriracha Dressing is a fall salad that would be great on the Thanksgiving table.

Over the weekend I spent a couple of hours updating my index page for Thanksgiving Recipes, a great collection of lower-glycemic holiday options that I've been adding to for the last seven years.  Even though that page has quite a few of my personal favorites for turkey day, every year I try some new ideas that might be fun for the Thanksgiving table, and the first new one I've tried this year is this delicious Apple-Jicama Slaw with Spicy Sriracha Dressing that my friend Bonnie sent me.  Bonnie knows my love for cabbage, cilantro, and Sriracha Sauce and she was sure I'd love this slaw that combined those flavors with slivered apples and jicama.  Thanks Bonnie; I definitely loved this salad!

Recipe for Meatless Penne Pasta with White Beans, Roasted Tomatoes, and Herbs

A delicious meatless sauce for penne pasta with white beans, roasted tomatoes, and herbs.

(Updated with new photos and better instructions, November 2012.)  The longer you've been food blogging, the more certain it is is that you have some wonderful recipes back in the archives with really ghastly photos.  When I spotted this recipe from 2007 for Penne Pasta with White Beans, Roasted Tomatoes, and Rosemary, I remembered it had been good, but I knew I had to take new photos if I was going to entice anyone to try this for a Meatless Monday dinner.  Luckily,  I had slow roasted tomatoes in the freezer and fresh rosemary and basil in the garden, and although re-taking old photos can sometimes seem like an endless job, eating the food again is definitely one of the best perks of blogging.  (Scroll down past the step-by-step photos to see the picture from 2007.)

Recipe for Baked Whole Wheat Spaghetti Casserole with Turkey Italian Sausage and Mozzarella

My lighter version of Baked Whole Wheat Spaghetti Casserole with Turkey Italian Sausage and Mozzarella.

Even when you're committed to healthy eating, once in a while you want something that's pure comfort food, so when I saw the Baked Spaghetti on Budget Bytes, I decided to try creating a South Beach Diet friendly version of this classic recipe.  My recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti, with less spaghetti in proportion to the other ingredients.  I use low-fat Turkey Italian sausage, which still has plenty of flavor. and a pasta sauce with the least amount of sugar I can find.  And I use low-fat cottage cheese and mozzarella, which allows the casserole to have enough cheese to make it really good.  Jake and I tested this recipe twice to get it just right, and we preferred it with Sweet Turkey Italian Sausage, but you can use the hot sausage if you'd like a bit more spice.   Even with all my adjustments, this is probably still a "once in a while treat" if you're actively losing weight, but on a night when you need some comfort food, this will really seem like a treat. 

Recipe for Onion Gratin with Rosemary and Thyme

This Onion Gratin with Rosemary and Thyme is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  It's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving Recipes, and this Onion Gratin with Rosemary and Thyme is a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.) 

Creamed Onions was one of the dishes my family used to consider a "must have" for Thanksgiving dinner, and I started thinking about them recently when it rained for days and I had a ten pound sack of Vidalia onions to use up. I knew I'd have to get creative, since the old family version had butter, cream, and lots of full-fat cheese. Then I remembered the Broccoli Gratin I made for Thanksgiving this year, and I experimented using that topping on roasted onions. When I shared it with the guys working on my house and my contractor's teenage son Scott said, "I don't like onions, but that was good!" I knew we had a winner.

South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for October 2012

This month's pick: Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken, Green Chiles, Pinto Beans, and Cheese.

The extended Denny family has quite a few people who've lost weight using principles from the South Beach Diet, and one of them is my niece Emily.  She's now a complete fitness success story and fully embraces low-glycemic eating and exercise as a lifestyle, but in her early days of doing South Beach I remember her telling me, "Some days I feel like all I can eat is meat and salad."  Lately I've been reflecting on how much that simple comment Emily made a few years ago impacted what I'm trying to do here on Kalyn's Kitchen.   Anyone can lose weight eating grilled chicken and salad, but I hope my creative efforts are helping provide other low-glycemic eating choices to make it easier to stay on plan.  Lately I've been trying to get creative with Phase One Casseroles and Slow Cooker Dishes, and  with that in mind, I'm adding another category for those dishes to the monthly South Beach Diet Phase One Recipe Round-ups, starting with this month.