Nutritional Facts 1 serving (¾ cup) equals 116 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 449mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein.
JNote: Stir-fry isn’t usually a festive holiday recipe, but in this case I’ll make an exception. It’s quick and full of gourd goodness, and it’s still warm food in my belly. The red pepper, zucchini, and squash make this a fine Mabon flavor blast indeed.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Nutritional Analysis: One serving (4 ounces cooked chicken, skin removed) equals 203 calories, 5g fat (1g saturated fat), 99mg cholesterol, 95mg sodium, trace carbohydrate, trace fiber, 36g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat.
JNote: This recipe is diabetic-friendly and low-fat. Add some sage (I love sage), rosemary and thyme and go!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals 207 calories, 10g fat (3g saturated fat), 90mg cholesterol, 414mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 22g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 lean meat, 1 fat, ½ starch.
JNote: I love this recipe. It’s low-fat and low-cal, not to mention diabetic-friendly. The sage and oats give this turkey loaf a great festive flavor.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Vegan Entreés
Makes two pies, 12 or more servings
- 8 medium potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, quartered and finely chopped
- 3 cups diced vegetables of your choice
(choose 3 or 4 from among cauliflower,broccoli, carrots, leeks, peas, corn kernels, zucchini, yellow summer squash,mushrooms, kale, etc.) - 2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
- 1 cup vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional but highly recommended)
- 11/2 tablespoons all-purpose seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Two 9-inch prepared good-quality pie crust, preferably whole grain
- 1 cup fine whole grain bread crumbs
- Paprika for topping
Cook or microwave the potatoes in their skins until done. When cool enough to handle, peel them. Dice four of them and mash the other four coarsely. Set aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden. Add the vegetables of your choice, layering quicker-cooking vegetables like peas, corn, and zucchini over longer cooking ones like cauliflower, broccoli, and leeks (though none of these are terribly long-cooking). Add a bit of water; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender but not overdone, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour into the skillet, then pour in the stock. Add the optional nutritional yeast. Cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. until the liquid thickens. Stir in both the diced and mashed potatoes. Heat through gently. Stir in the seasoning blend, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and pat in.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over each pie, then top with a sprinkling of paprika. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Let the pies stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or so, then cut into wedges and serve.
JNote: This wonderful vegan recipe is so full of vegetables—cauliflower,broccoli, carrots, leeks, peas, corn kernels, zucchini, yellow summer squash,mushrooms, kale (pick two? Are you serious? I love them all!)—and herbs— thyme, parsley, and paprika— that this is one vegan Mabon dish that’s sure to impress!
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Makes 4 substantial servings, or 8 smaller ones
- 2 medium butternut or carnival squashes(11/2 to 2 pounds each)
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon olive or other healthy vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, cut into thick 2-inch-long matchsticks
- ½ cup rice milk
- 1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
- 2 teaspoons salt-free seasoning blend (such as Spike or Mrs. Dash)
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and fibers. Cover with aluminum foil and place the halves, cut side up, in a foil-lined shallow baking pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife but still firm. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp, leaving a firm ¼- to ½-inch-thick shell all around. Mash the pulp and set side until needed.
In the meantime, combine the potatoes with enough water to cover in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then simmer steadily, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and carrot and sauté over medium heat until the onion is golden and the carrot is tender-crisp. Remove from the heat.
When the potatoes are done, drain them and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the milk and mash until smooth. Stir in the onion-carrot mixture, followed by the peas, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the reserved squash pulp, and stir gently until the mashed potato and squash are well integrated.
Divide the mixture evenly among the four squash shells. Bake for 15 minutes, until well heated through. Serve each half as one substantial portion, or cut each half crosswise to make 8 smaller portions.
JNote: This vegan meal is full of hearty potatoes and squash, so it’s great for Mabon.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Low-Sodium
- Prep/Total Time: 5 min.
- Yield: 48 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon each dried parsley flakes, basil, marjoram and thyme
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mace
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Use to season pork, chicken or fish. Store in an airtight container.Yield:¼ cup.
Nutritional Analysis: ¼ teaspoon equals 1 calorie, trace sodium, trace cholesterol, trace carbohydrate, trace protein, trace fat. Diabetic Exchanges: Free.
JNote: Here is a nice recipe for a salt substitute for any time of year.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
- Prep: 15 min. Bake: 45 min.
- Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups sliced peeled tart apples
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
- 1-½ cups unsweetened apple juice
- 2 tablespoons honey
Directions
- In a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender; add apples and saute 1 minute longer. Place chicken in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with onion mixture. Combine apple juice and honey; pour over all. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until meat juices run clear.Yield:6 servings.
Nutritional Facts One serving equals 223 calories, 5g fat (0 saturated fat), 63mg cholesterol, 57mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 23g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1-½ fruit, ½ fat.
JNote: This Mabon entreé is great for low-sodium and diabetic-friendly needs. The apples and honey are all Mabon, baby!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
- Prep: 10 min. Bake: 2 hours + standing
- Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
- 4 teaspoons dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 boneless pork loin roast (2-½ pounds), trimmed
- 8 small red new potatoes, quartered
- 1 pound fresh baby carrots
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, marjoram and pepper; set aside 1 tablespoon. Rub remaining mixture over roast; place in a shallow roasting pan. Combine potatoes, carrots and oil in a large resealable plastic bag; add reserved spice mixture and toss to coat. Arrange vegetables around roast. Cover and bake at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 1 hour longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°-170°. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.Yield:8 servings.
Diabetic Exchanges: One serving equals 4 lean meat, 1 vegetable, ½ starch; also, 283 calories, 92mg sodium, 84mg cholesterol, 12 gm carbohydrate, 31 gm protein, 12 gm fat.
JNote: This recipe even has “rosemary” in the title. It’s diabetic-friendly and low-sodium. The carrots, pepper, and rosemary are all Mabon herbs.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Vegetarian Entreés
- Prep: 30 min. Bake: 30 min.
- Yield: 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes or 2 cans (15-¾ ounces each) sweet potatoes, drained
- ¼ cup butter, cubed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
- If using fresh sweet potatoes, place in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 25-40 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly and peel. Cut into chunks.
- Place sweet potatoes in a 2-qt. baking dish. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over potatoes.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.Yield:8 servings.
Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 cup) equals 173 calories, 6g fat (4g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 68mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 1g protein.
JNote: The maple syrup, sweet potatoes and ground cinnamon n this recipe are huge for Mabon. And you should have some left over!
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
- Prep/Ttotal Time: 30 min.
- Yield: 2 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 small potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Dash paprika
Directions
- In a large skillet, saute potato and onion in oil until crisp-tender. Add squash; saute 4-6 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.Yield:2 servings.
Nutritional Facts 1 serving (½ cup) equals 143 calories, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 300mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 3g protein.
JNote: Another skillet recipe, but again, I’ll overlook it. The potato and squash in this dish are very festive.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
- Prep: 15 min. Bake: 35 min. + standing
- Yield: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Directions
- In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender; drain. Stir in sage and thyme. Spoon into pastry shell. Sprinkle with cheese. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over cheese.
- Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.Yield:6-8 servings.
Nutritional Facts 1 serving (1 piece) equals 302 calories, 19g fat (11g saturated fat), 147mg cholesterol, 435mg sodium, 21g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 10g protein.
JNote:Quiche is so yummy! The nutmeg, thyme and sage are the festive herbs in this dish.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Diabetic-Friendly Entreés
Southern Roast Turkey with Bourbon Peach Glaze
Yield: 20 Servings
Ingredients
- 115-Pound WHOLE TURKEY fresh or frozen (thawed)
- 1-½ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Cup peach preserves
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon
- 2 Teaspoons Angostura bitters
- 5 pickled peaches for garnish
Directions
- Remove giblets and neck from turkey; reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavities of the bird.
- Fold neck skin and fasten to the back with skewers. Fold the wings under the back of the turkey. Return legs to tucked position.
- Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (no more than 2-1/2” deep) roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into thickest part of the thigh, being careful it does not touch the bone.
- Roast turkey in a preheated 325 degree F. oven about 3-¾ hours. Baste with the pan juices.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, over low heat, combine preserves, bourbon and bitters. Cook until preserves are melted.
- During the last 30 minutes of roasting time, baste the bird with the bourbon peach glaze. Continue to roast until the thermometer registers 180 degrees F. in the thigh, or 170 degrees F. in the breast.
- Remove turkey from the oven and allow the bird to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
- Place on a warm large platter and garnish with pickled peaches. Note: Provides 22 servings at 6 ounces per portion.
- Nutritional Information (Per Serving)Calories:355Protein:45 gSodium:258 mgCholesterol:132 mgFat:16 gCarbohydrates:5g
JNote: This diabetic-friendly Mabon recipe is very festive with the wonderful use of peaches!
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Yield: Serves 14 to 16.
Ingredients
- 7 to 8 pound spiral-cut, bone-in, cooked ham
- 2-½ pounds fresh asparagus
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1-¼ cups water
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme or parsley
Directions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place ham on rack in a shallow baking pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion (not touching bone) registers 135 degrees F. (about 15 minutes per pound).
- Meanwhile, remove and discard woody stems from asparagus spears. Arrange asparagus in a 15 x 10 x 2-inch baking pan. Drizzle with cooking oil. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. When ham reaches 135 degrees F., add asparagus to oven. Roast about 30 minutes more or until asparagus is tender and ham registers 140 degrees F.
- For lemon sauce, in a 11/2-quart saucepan combine cornstarch, sugar, bouillon granules and pepper. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon peel. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly. Cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in butter and snipped thyme or parsley.
- To serve, slice ham. Serve with asparagus and lemon sauce. (Use remaining ham for sandwiches or another recipe.
JNote: This is such a wonderfully pretty meal. The thyme, parsley and lemon peel are all Mabon herbs.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Ingredients
- 2 pounds loin of pork
- ½ cup apple juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small apple, peeled cored and sliced
Directions
- Trim all the visible fat from the roast.
- Place the meat on a rack set into a roasting pan.
- Mix together the apple juice, sliced apple and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour the apple juice mixture over the meat. Cover.
- Roast in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for about 70 minutes. Continue cooking and baste with pan juices for about 30 minutes or until glazed and the meat thermometer registers “well done for pork”.
- Nutritional Information (Per Serving)Calories:194Protein:17.5 gSodium:66 mgCholesterol:56 mgFat:11.2 gCarbohydrates:4.8 gExchanges:¼ Bread/Starch, 2-½ Medium-Fat Meat
JNote: The apple in this recipe is a very nice autumn flavor.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Group and Potluck Entreés
Ingredients
Brining
- 8 quarts cold water
- 2 cups coarse kosher salt
- 8 large fresh or dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons whole allspice
- 116- to 17-pound turkey; giblets removed, neck reserved
Herb butter and gravy
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh marjoram
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 2 cups apple cider
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy) or other brandy
Roasting
- 2 large Granny Smith apples, quartered, cored
- 2 large onions, quartered
- 1 cup apple cider
Preparation
To brine the turkey:
Line extra-large pot or bowl with two 13-gallon (or larger) plastic bags, 1 inside the other. Combine 1 quart water, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until salt dissolves. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart cold water and cool to lukewarm. Pour into plastic bags; mix in remaining 6 quarts water. Wrap turkey neck and refrigerate. Submerge turkey in brine to cover completely, gathering bags tightly to eliminate any air; tie bags closed. Refrigerate turkey in brine in pot at least 18 hours and up to 20 hours.
Line large roasting pan with 4 layers of paper towels. Remove turkey from brine and drain well; discard brine. Place turkey in prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
For herb butter and gravy:
Mix parsley, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, and nutmeg in small bowl. Transfer ¼ cup herb mixture to small bowl; mix in ½ cup butter.
Combine broth and apple cider in heavy large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes. Pour broth reduction into bowl. Melt remaining ¼ cup butter in same saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Whisk in broth reduction, then cream, Calvados, and remaining herb mixture. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until gravy base is thickened and reduced to 23/4 cups, whisking often, about 20 minutes. Cool gravy base slightly. (Gravy base and herb butter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
To roast the turkey:
Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Remove turkey from roasting pan; drain any accumulated juices from main cavity. Discard paper towels from roasting pan. Melt herb butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Brush bottom of roasting pan with some of herb butter. Return turkey to prepared pan. Tuck wing tips under; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place some apple quarters and onion quarters in main cavity. Brush remaining herb butter over turkey; sprinkle with pepper. Scatter remaining apples and onions around turkey in pan. Add reserved turkey neck to pan.
Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste with ½ cup apple cider. Roast turkey 30 minutes. Baste with remaining ½ cup cider. Roast turkey until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175°F, basting turkey every 30 minutes with pan juices and covering breast loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 2 hours longer (31/2 hours total). Transfer turkey to platter; let stand at least 30 minutes before carving (internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees).
Discard apples, onions, and turkey neck from pan. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup; spoon off fat from surface. Pour degreased juices into gravy base and bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Boil until gravy thickens enough to coat spoon and is reduced to 31/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Season gravy to taste with pepper.
Serve turkey with gravy.
JNote: This is a complicated recipe, but rewarding for a nice potluck dinner. The apples, cider, parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, bay leaves and allspice are all potent Mabon herbs. This is a Mabon recipe to brag about.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
So that’s the end of the long list of Mabon entreés I have for you. Coming up next are side dishes! Please comment with other ideas, questions, and concerns. :)
