South Beach Diet Phase One Low-Glycemic Recipes Round-Up for December 2013, and Happy New Year Everyone!

Kalyn's Favorite Phase One Recipes from December 2013 were Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate, Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Stew with Tomatoes, Olives, and Chiles, Slow Cooker Frittata with Broccoli, Swiss, Cottage Cheese, and Parmesan, and Easy Shrimp Cocktail with Creamy Sriracha Cocktail Sauce.

I start every month by posting a round-up of the South Beach Diet Phase One Low-Glycemic Recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen and other blogs for the previous month, but there's something special about that post when it falls on the first day of a brand new year.  I love the way the new year is full of possibilities, and for many of us that means a chance to begin or resume a healthier way of eating.  My goal with these round-ups is to prove there's plenty of knock-your-socks-off delicious food to enjoy, even when you're limiting carbs or trying to choose low-glycemic foods.  And I can tell from my blog stats that a lot of people have already started on a healthier eating path, so I hope these recipe suggestions are useful for you.  Happy New Year everyone; I hope 2014 will be a delicious and healthy year for you.

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Kalyn's Picks for Ten Favorite Phase One Recipes from Other Bloggers for 2013

From all the South Beach Diet Phase One Low-Glycemic Recipes Round-ups I've posted in 2013, these are my Phase One Picks from other blogs!

When fellow Utah blogger Becky from Project Domestication asked if I wanted to join a blogging event sharing favorite recipes from other bloggers, I loved the idea of spotlighting healthy recipes from some of my blogging friends, but I wasn't sure how to narrow down the choices.  Then I had the idea of picking my Ten Favorite Phase One Recipes from Other Bloggers from all the South Beach Diet Phase One Low-Glycemic Recipes Round-ups I've posted during 2013, which Becky said would be fine.  I'm excited to share these healthy recipes from some of my favorite Utah blogging friends to finish out the year; here's wishing all my readers a healthy and happy year in 2014!  

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Five Delicious Recipes for Black-Eyed Peas for Good Luck in the New Year!

Eat some black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, and I promise you'll have good luck in the new year!

I'm a complete believer that you should celebrate New Year's Eve or New Year's Day by eating something with black-eyed peas!   I learned about this tradition in the early days of my blog, and the black-eyed peas have certainly brought me good luck.  I love the flavor of this humble little ingredient, and I've had fun experimenting with it.  Here are five of my very favorite black-eyed pea recipes to celebrate New Year's, and I truly hope they will bring you some good luck.  (Check after the photos for links to some other places to find fun recipe ideas with black-eyed peas.)

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The Top Ten Slow Cooker Recipes of 2013 from Kalyn's Kitchen (and a few Honorable Mentions)

Out of all the Slow Cooker Recipes from 2013, these are my top ten picks!

As we're counting down to the end of 2013, I've been sharing my picks for Top Ten Recipes in a few categories.  I've already shared my Top Ten Vegetarian Recipes of 2013 and Top Ten Meat, Poultry, and Fish Recipes of 2013, and today I'm bringing you the Top Ten Slow Cooker Recipes of 2013.  That's a lot of favorite recipes, and as I worked on each of these posts, I'd open up a recipe and think "I need to make that again!"   Hope you're enjoying the top ten lists as much as I am; still to come is Ten Favorite Phase One Recipes from Other Bloggers.

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The Top Ten Meat, Poultry, and Fish Recipes of 2013 from Kalyn's Kitchen (and a few Honorable Mentions)

Out of all the recipes using meat, poultry, or fish during 2013, these are my picks!

It's the day after Christmas and I hope all my readers have been having a wonderful holiday, no matter how you're celebrating.  Here's the next group of my picks for Top Ten Recipes from 2013.  I've already shared my Top Ten Vegetarian Recipes of 2013, so this post is giving equal time to the meat-lovers with my top ten picks for recipes that have meat, poultry, or fish.  One of the things I love most about blogging is the idea that I'm encouraging people to cook and eat dinner at home, and all these recipes are things I'd love to serve when I invite someone over for dinner.  (Coming up over the next few days will be The Top Ten Slow Cooker Recipes of 2013 and Ten Favorite Phase One Recipes from Other Bloggers, hope you enjoy trying some of my favorites!) 

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Things I'm thinking About on Tuesday (12-24-2013)

Photo of Christmas Balls from All Things Christmas.

It's Christmas Eve, and I'm spending a few days celebrating Christmas with my sister's family including some very cute kids.  This may be a short edition of Things I'm Thinking About, but I do want to share a few Christmas things I spotted on the web, and of course I want to send out wishes for a happy holiday season to my wonderful readers.  My life is enriched so much by the nice messages I get almost daily from people who are enjoying the healthy food.  Happy Holidays everyone and thanks for your support of my blog!  And no matter how you're celebrating this magical the season, I hope you'll be able to spend time with those you love, hopefully enjoying some good holiday food.

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The Top Ten Vegetarian Recipes of 2013 from Kalyn's Kitchen (and a few Honorable Mentions)

Out of all the vegetarian recipes posted on Kalyn's Kitchen during 2013, these are my picks for the top ten!

I love this time of year when blogs start posting their Best of the Year posts, and I've been doing best recipes posts on Kalyn's Kitchen since 2007!  My standards are always high about what makes it on the blog, so every year I have a hard time narrowing it down to ten.  But this year after I went through the monthly archives and bookmarked the recipes I had especially loved this year, I had 52 recipes bookmarked!  That's when I decided to do a series of best recipes posts, starting off with The Top Ten Vegetarian Recipes of 2013.  (Stay tuned from now until the end of the year for The Top Ten Recipes with Meat, Poultry, and Fish for 2013, The Top Ten Slow Cooker Recipes of 2013, and Ten Favorite Phase One Recipes from Other Bloggers.)  

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Recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Red Bell Pepper, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts (Christmas Caulifiower)

Technically this Christmas Cauliflower is probably a side dish, but I ate a big bowl of it for lunch!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this delicious cauliflower side dish is not only festive from the red and green colors, but it's a delicious combination of flavors.)

When I made this cauliflower I ate a big bowl of it for lunch, and I first posted it as a Meatless Monday dish.  But if you don't care about that, this would make a perfect festive side dish for any kind of holiday meal.  And with the red and green colors and all the flavors going on here from red bell peppers, green olives, pine nuts, and capers, this is cauliflower at its finest, which is why I think it deserves the title of Christmas Cauliflower!

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Easy Shrimp Cocktail with Creamy Sriracha Cocktail Sauce (and Ten More Shrimp Recipes for the Holidays)

This Easy Shrimp Cocktail with Creamy Sriracha Cocktail Sauce will be a hit at a holiday party!

We are officially in the season of Tempting Holiday Food.  I'm working hard to bring you a few food choices that are delicious but won't sabotage the diet or raise your blood sugar, and this Easy Shrimp Cocktail with Creamy Sriracha Cocktail Sauce is something I promise will be a hit for a holiday party.  The recipe uses thawed frozen cooked shrimp, which saves the work of cooking them, and the Creamy Sriracha Cocktail Sauce takes about five minutes to make.  In fact, the hardest part of this recipe might be remembering to thaw the shrimp overnight in the fridge, but I do recommend doing that so they'll be icy cold when you serve them.  

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Things I'm Thinking About on Tuesday (12-17-2013)

Photo of Cinnamon Almond Hasselback Sweet Potatoes from Our Apron Strings

Thanks to everyone who left nice feedback on my first edition of Things I'm Thinking About on Tuesday.  I'm happy that people are interested in this kind of post every so often, because I find so many fun things online that I want to share.  This time, it was these Cinnamon Almond Hasselback Sweet Potatoes from Our Apron Strings that caught my eye amongst all the Christmas cookie recipes I'm seeing everywhere.  This is a recipe that my friend Donna says has "Minimum Fuss" and "Maximum Impressiveness."  Really, what more could you want this time of year? 

Here's what else I'm thinking about this Tuesday.

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Greek Yogurt and Tahini Dip for Tomatoes and Cucumbers (plus 10 More Healthy Vegetable Dips)

This healthy Greek Yogurt and Tahini Dip will be welcome on a buffet table loaded with rich holiday foods!

Everyone who's trying to make it through December without gaining ten pounds, raise your hand.  (Kalyn has both hands raised.)  Every year I think about the dilemma of joining in holiday celebrations without overdoing it on sweets and other rich holiday foods.  There's no easy answer,  but having something healthy to nibble on among the more indulgent choices can really help, and that's where this Greek Yogurt and Tahini Dip for Tomatoes and Cucumbers comes in. When I spotted a recipe for Tahini Dip in The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook I remembered how tomatoes and cucumbers are amazing paired with Greek yogurt and tahini, and when Jake and I tried out this combination we both loved it.  And it's festive-looking as well as delicious, hope you enjoy!

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Recipe for Roasted Green Beans and Red Bell Pepper with Garlic and Ginger

Beautiful roasted green beans and red bell pepper for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and these Roasted Green Beans and Red Bell Pepper with Garlic and Ginger are not only beautifully red and green for the holidays, but they're delicious!)

I came up with this recipe as an idea for my collection of Low-Glycemic Thanksgiving Recipes, but these green beans are so festive and colorful that they'd be perfect for anyone who's looking for a holiday side dish for Christmas dinner as well.  The beans and peppers roast at high heat for a short time, so they can cook while you're coming up with the final touches on the meal.

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Five Amazing Spice Blends to Give for a Homemade Christmas Gift

Five Amazing Spice Blends that your friends and co-workers will love!

(Updated December 2013 with more ideas for gifts from the kitchen.)  Through the years I've discovered some favorite spice and herb blends that I like to mix up in large batches and give as Christmas gifts.  When I manage to plan ahead, I order small glass jars to put the spice mix in, but I've also given them in mini zip-top bags with the recipe stapled on.  If you're looking for easy ideas for a food-related gift, here are five of my favorites.

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Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour (and 35+ Recipe Ideas Using Almond Flour)

Almond flour is a versatile ingredient for gluten-free, low-carb, or Paleo baking, and it makes a great coating for meat too!

I first discovered Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour when I tried Elana's Cheese Crackers (from my friend Elena at Elana's Pantry)  and since then I've used this versatile product in so many different ways.  That's why I may have let out a little squeal of joy when I saw it on the shelf at Costco recently!   And the fact that this is a Utah product makes me even more excited to recommend it to you as one of my Kalyn's Kitchen Picks.  

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Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate

This delicious chili recipe uses lean ground turkey, white (or pinto) beans, ancho chile powder, and cocoa powder.

(Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions, December 2013. This recipe was first posted in 2007 when I was excited about an article in the Deseret News that spotlighted my blog and mentioned some other food blogs too.  Utah is having an unusually cold winter this year, so it seemed like the perfect time to make this chili again and update the photos!)

I wasn't the biggest fan of ground turkey when I first tried this recipe, but it's low in fat and healthy and it's really grown on me through the years.  I'm glad that back in 2007 when I saw a recipe in The Bon Appetit Cookbook for chili that used white beans, ground turkey, and just a taste of unsweetened cocoa powder, I was game to give it a try. This recipe is a bit spicy with very generous amount of ground Ancho chile powder, some regular chili powder, a little ground Chipotle chile, plus dried oregano, ground cumin, and cocoa powder for that hint of chocolate that makes it so good.   (You can certainly use a bit less of the spicy chili powders, which I would recommend if you're making it for kids.)  Here in Utah we're hoping for some warmer weather, but I have some of this in the freezer for those remaining cold days I know are still coming.

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Recipe for Low-Sugar Gluten-Free Cranberry Apple Crisp

This festive Cranberry Apple Crisp is made with low-calorie natural sweeteners and it's gluten-free!

Today's my birthday (and if you check that post you can tell it's kind of a significant one), so I'm skipping Meatless Monday this week and going straight to dessert with this delicious recipe for  Low-Sugar and Gluten-Free Cranberry Apple Crisp!   The inspiration for the recipe was a huge bag of cranberries I bought to make my favorite Fresh Cranberry Salsa for Thanksgiving, and I was frankly surprised at how much I loved the combination of fresh cranberries and apples.  I had to make this a couple of times to get it just right, and I might have even loved it a little too much (apple crisp for lunch, mmmm.)  I've never been that much of a fresh cranberry fan, so even if you might think cranberries are not really your thing, be open minded about this one!

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Recipe for Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup

This Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup may be my favorite lentil soup ever!

(For Phase One Fridays I feature Phase One Recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this delicious Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup has hot turkey Italian sausage, one of my favorite ingredients to use in soup.  I first made this when there was snow on the ground and it's another snowy day in Salt Lake, so I think it's time to make this again!)

Today I woke up to snow on the ground, which makes me especially happy that I have some of this Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup in the freezer.  I made this a couple of times to get the recipe just right, upping the the amount of spices, sausage, and tomatoes and decreasing the lentils in the final version, and this might be the best lentil soup I've ever made.  Of course, I love, love, love lentil soup, which isn't a bad thing at all since they're one of The World's Healthiest Foods.  If you're someone who's still undecided about lentils, I challenge you to try this soup and I'm betting you'll become a lentil fan!

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Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Stew Recipe with Tomatoes, Olives, and Chiles

This Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Stew with Tomatoes, Olives, and Chiles can be perfect for anyone who's eating Paleo.

I have a couple of friends who have embraced the Paleo Diet, so I've been learning more about it.  Happily, there's a lot of overlap between my South Beach Diet way of eating and Paleo, so it's not that much of a stretch for me to try to feature recipes occasionally that will work for my Paleo friends.  What *can* be challenging is that everyone who does Paleo seems to have their own rules about what they can or can't eat!  That's why when I redesigned my blog and added the new row of tabs to categorize the recipes by more diet types, I made a tab that says Can be Paleo.  Under that tab you'll find recipes that most Paleo eaters will be able to enjoy, like this Slow Cooker Southwestern Beef Stew with Tomatoes, Olives, and Chiles.  And even if you're not eating Paleo, I bet you'll still like this a lot if you like Southwestern flavors!

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Things I'm Thinking About on Tuesday (12-3-2013)

This Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing from Pinch of Yum has my mind spinning!  (Photo from Pinch of Yum.)

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember back when I used to do Five Fun Things on Friday.  Every Friday I wrote those posts about things I'd spotted on the web and sometimes a little about what was happening in my life.  I enjoyed sharing things that way, but eventually it got to be a burden to do it every Friday and I switched to Phase One Fridays, which I'm really committed to now because of how it perfectly fits the overall purpose of the site.

But lately I've been missing the opportunity to share things just for the fun of it.  After thinking about it for a few weeks, I've decided to do Things I'm Thinking About posts occasionally, probably not every week, and not always on the same day of the week, but when I find enough worthwhile things for a post I'll share them.  Of course, I'm always thinking about food, so let's start this first one out with the amazing-looking Chopped Brussels Sprouts Salad with Creamy Shallot Dressing shown above from Pinch of Yum.  The salad has a few ingredients that aren't especially SBD friendly. (Like bacon!  Did I mention there's bacon?) There's also a lot of juice in the dressing that would make it high in sugar, but I think it would be fun to try coming up with a diet-friendly version of this salad.

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Slow Cooker Frittata Recipe with Broccoli, Swiss, Cottage Cheese, and Parmesan

A healthy frittata made in the slow cooker featuring broccoli, Swiss, Cottage Cheese, and Parmesan.

This is the third time I've experimenting with cooking eggs in the slow cooker and this Slow Cooker Frittata with Broccoli, Swiss, Cottage Cheese, and Parmesan was creamy and delicious, although it did take me three tries to get a combination with broccoli that I thought was enough of a *wow* recipe to share it on the blog.  I did like one version with broccoli and mushrooms that tasted quite good, but the mushrooms turned the eggs kind of gray after the long cooking time, and in the end I decided it wasn't a keeper.  What made this particular recipe appeal to me was how the strong flavor of the Swiss cheese balanced out the broccoli, and the low-fat cottage cheese added a nice creaminess.  Have you tried a slow cooker egg dish yet?  I recommend it for an easy breakfast option, and there are more ideas below after the main recipe.

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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for November 2013 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

Kalyn's favorite Phase One Recipes for November 2013 were Green Beans with Tahini-Lemon Sauce, Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Rich Salad with Hearts of Palm, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocado and Pecans.

Back in 2008 when I had the brainstorm to post a monthly round-up of all the South Beach Diet Phase One Low-Glycemic Recipes I spotted around the web or featured on Kalyn's Kitchen during that month, I was definitely not thinking about months like November!  When nearly every food blog is posting recipes for Thanksgiving foods, you're just not going to find as many Phase One Recipes as usual.  But even if this months round-up is a bit smaller than some, with a definite emphasis on side dishes, I promise there are some deliciously-healthy recipes here for anyone who's doing Phase One or looking for lower-carb eating options.  And it's December 1, so Thanksgiving weekend is officially over and it's time to get back on track!

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

If you happen to end up with some, here are 25 Tasty Recipes Using Leftover Turkey (or chicken!)

(Updated with more new ideas for turkey leftovers November 2013.)  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 my previous post of 25 Tasty Ideas for Leftover Turkey with a few new ideas from 2013.  After I finish this, I'm finalizing my grocery list, going shopping, and then I'm going to take the rest of this week off and spend some time with my family.  (Here are all the Thanksgiving Recipes in case you still need them!)

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, not to mention an amazing new kitchen where I have fun using them!  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),  And for all my U.S. readers, I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration that's filled with love and good food.

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Recipe for Slow Cooker Lemony Turkey (or chicken) Soup with Spinach and Orzo

If you have leftover turkey this year, make this Slow Cooker Lemony Turkey Soup with Spinach and Orzo!  You can always make the soup with chicken if you don't have any turkey.

I realize plenty of people haven't even started looking for Thanksgiving Recipes (and here are my Top Ten Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes if you need ideas.)   But in the crazy world of food blogging, if I want people to find my ideas for leftover turkey, I need to post them well before Thanksgiving so search engines will index them and they'll get shared on Pinterest.  And truthfully, this Slow Cooker Lemony Turkey Soup with Spinach and Orzo was so delicious I couldn't wait to share it.  I gave some of the soup to my sister Pam, and everyone at her house pronounced it to be a keeper; in fact Pam asked when the recipe would be on the blog.  Of course, if you're not going to be having any leftover turkey, you can certainly make this with chicken instead.

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Recipe for Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan

This Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan is a bit of a splurge, but it's perfect for Thanksgiving!

For weeks now I've been sharing Thanksgiving Recipes to give my readers plenty of healthy Thanksgiving options.  I like getting started early, but now I've already posted my Top Ten Thanksgiving Recipes and yet there's no doubt this Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Swiss and Parmesan would have made it on to that list if I'd tested the recipe sooner.  But even so, it's the weekend before Thanksgiving, and this recipe is just too amazing to save for another year.  These delicious brussels sprouts are the siblings of several other easy vegetable gratin recipes I've made through the years, and any of those recipes can be assembled earlier in the day and then put in the oven to finish cooking while you carve the turkey and make the gravy. And I tested this out on my gorgeous niece Alyson who stopped by to pick up some soup, and she gave it an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

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Recipe for Rich Salad with Hearts of Palm, Avocado, and Radicchio from The Silver Spoon

Maybe because of the pricey ingredients, this vegan salad with hearts of palm is called Rich Salad!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and all during November I've been spotlighting vegetables and salads that I'd love for Thanksgiving.  Now it has been brought to my attention that not everyone wants salad for Thanksgiving (you know who you are) but personally I'd love a salad like this to balance out the other higher-carb foods.  Check out the my Top Ten Thanksgiving Recipes or all the other Thanksgiving Recipes if you're still working on your menu!)

I love hearts of palm, a tasty and low-glycemic delicacy that I learned to like years ago when I worked at Le Parisien, a French Restaurant in Salt Lake that's no longer in business.  For years I would rarely buy them at grocery store prices, but that changed when Costco started selling them in two-packs of 25 oz. jars at a price that was a lot more affordable.  Now they're something I always have in my pantry.  Still this salad using them includes avocado, radicchio, butter lettuce, and pine nuts, all things that aren't really everyday ingredients which may be why it's called Rich Salad!  But when you need something for a special dinner party, this is a delicious salad that's sure to impress, and if you can get those two-packs of hearts of palm from Costco, you can have it a little more often.

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Kalyn's Top Ten Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes (and ten honorable mentions!)

My ten favorite Thanksgiving recipes, plus ten honorable mentions!

(Updated 2013)  Thanksgiving is almost here, and it's time to narrow down your menu!  I love Thanksgiving, both the idea of giving thanks for our lives of abundance and also the wonderful food that's enjoyed on that day.   For the last nine Novembers now I've been testing recipes that might be good for Thanksgiving and adding them to my list of Thanksgiving Recipes if they make the cut!  My standards are pretty high about what shows up on the blog, so when I try to make a list of all-time favorites for Thanksgiving it's not easy to narrow it down to just the top ten favorites you see here.  In the end I couldn't pick just ten, so I had to include ten "honorable mentions" which are also great recipes.

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Thanksgiving Green Bean Salad Recipe with Blue Cheese, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans

Thanksgiving Green Bean Salad has Blue Cheese, Cranberries, and Pecans, and it can be made ahead!

There's a lot to love about this Thanksgiving Green Bean Salad.  Not only is it Thanksgiving-dinner-worthy in the flavor department, but you can cook the beans and marinate them in the dressing, and toast the pecans, crumble the blue cheese and measure the cranberries all in advance, so when it's turkey dinner time all you need to do is toss the salad together.  The salad is great at room temperature too, so you don't even need much fridge space.  I'm calling it Thanksgiving Green Bean Salad because there are a few ingredients here (like dried cranberries and blue cheese) that are a bit of a splurge if you're trying to lose weight, but I'd definitely indulge in this salad on Thanksgiving.  

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Ten Favorite Deliciously Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes that are Perfect for Thanksgiving

Ten of my favorite healthy sweet potato recipes, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Healthy sweet potato recipes for Thanksgiving!  Just say NO to brown sugar and mini-marshmallows.

For many, many years I was one of those people who would wrinkle their nose up at the mere mention of sweet potatoes (or yams as they are often mistakenly called.)  I didn't think I'd ever like them, but then I tried Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and had a sweet potato epiphany.  I realized that what I didn't like was those overly-sweet dishes with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and mini-marshallows,  the ones that so many people serve for Thanksgiving.  Since then I've experimented with different ways to prepare sweet potatoes sans marshmallows.  A few years ago I picked six favorite sweet potato recipes, and now I'm updating this post with four more.  That's a total of Ten Favorite Deliciously Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes to recommend for your Thanksgiving table.  Even if you're one of the people who like those marshmallow-topped holiday sweet potato dishes, I bet some of my favorite recipes for sweet potatoes for might be things you'd like to add to your sweet potato options.

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Recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onions with Feta

You could have these Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onions with Feta for Thanksgiving, but I'd happily eat this for a Meatless Monday main dish.

I realize these Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Red Onion and Feta may be a tough sell with some people who love sugary sweet potato casserole, but I loved them and so did my nephew/cooking assistant Jake who never used to like sweet potatoes at all.  I've been trying out savory sweet potato recipes for a few years now, and somewhere along the way Jake realized he *does* like sweet potatoes when they aren't topped with brown sugar/and or mini-marshmallows.  I also think that roasting the sweet potatoes is a wonderful trick to bring out their natural sweetness, and combining them with something salty like Feta cheese gives that wonderful salty-sweet combination that is so appealing.  I'm adding this to the Thanksgiving Recipes on the blog, but quite seriously, I'd also be very happy with a big dish of this for a Meatless Monday dinner as well.

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Recipe for Barely-Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds

Barely Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds is a nice change for Thanksgiving!

(I had to miss Phase One Fridays yesterday so I could post my tribute to Lis, but there are so many Thanksgiving recipes I want to share before the big day that I decided just this once we could have Phase One Saturday; this recipe is something I think everyone would love for Thanksgiving!)

Even though there's a great list of Low-Glycemic Thanksgiving Recipes in the recipe index, every year I have fun testing new ideas that might make it onto the Thanksgiving table.  Last year my favorite new Thanksgiving recipe was probably 100% Whole Wheat Stuffing "Muffins" with Sausage and Parmesan, a dish I worked on for several tries until I got it just right.  It's too early to tell what's  going to be my favorite from Thanksgiving 2011, but I know that this Blanched Broccoli Salad with Feta and Fried Almonds is something I'll be making over and over.  If you like broccoli, Feta, and almonds, be sure to try this dish even if you don't make it for Thanksgiving.

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Recipe for Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Spread (and a tribute to Lis - Queen of the Daring Bakers)

(Updated November 2013 - One of the best things about blogging is the amazing way that people you'll never meet in person can touch your life in the virtual world. This week the food blogging community was stunned and saddened to learn about the death of Lisa Cifelli, co-founder of The Daring Bakers, who died at the far-too-young age of 44.  Through The Daring Bakers, Lis encouraged others to challenge themselves with amazing recipes for baked creations of every type, and her enthusiasm and generosity was part of the reason this blogging event eventually had thousands of contributors every month.  I was never a Daring Baker, but I enjoyed following along each month as the bakers shared their posts, and I "knew" Lis through other events like the one featured below.  She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, and I'm dedicating this post to her memory.)  

My Italian is pretty basic, although I studied it a bit when I was going to be traveling to Italy, and I'm learning ingredient names from my great friend Ilva's blog. But I know enough Italian to guess that Festa al Fresco means something like a feast of fresh ingredients. So when I heard Ivonne of Creampuffs in Venice and Lis of La Mia Cucina were hosting La Festa al Fresco, I was excited about participating in the biggest virtual food bloggers picnic ever.

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Ten Favorite Deliciously Healthy Green Vegetable Recipes that are Perfect for Thanksgiving

Here are Ten Favorite Deliciously Healthy Green Vegetable recipes from Kalyn's Kitchen that are perfect for Thanksgiving! 

Everywhere I look these days I see Thanksgiving recipes, and for people like myself who like to try at least one new recipe every year, narrowing down your choices can be a challenge.  I want to give you lots of options, so in this post I'm sharing ten favorite deliciously healthy green vegetable recipes I think are perfect for Thanksgiving.  Every Thanksgiving dinner needs plenty of green vegetables to balance out all those less diet-friendly choices, right?  

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Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocados and Pecans

Roasted Brussels sprouts are already amazing, and they get kicked up a notch with avocado and pecans!

For years I wasn't much of a brussels sprouts fan, and then I tried roasted brussels sprouts.   Roasting them gave the brussels sprouts an amazing nutty flavor (and the fact that the recipe had balsamic vinegar, parmesan, and pine nuts didn't hurt a bit.)  Since then I've made two more variations of roasted brussels sprouts, both equally delicious, so I probably didn't really need this recipe on the blog.  But when I spotted a recipe in Food and Wine that combined brussels sprouts, avocado, and pecans, I couldn't get that flavor combination out of my mind.  

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Recipe for Vegetarian Penne Pasta with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Scallions, and Goat Cheese

This delicious Vegetarian Penne Pasta with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Scallions, and Goat Cheese has just enough goat cheese to add an interesting flavor boost.

I've already confessed to being a butternut squash addict, and I'm always craving it at this time of year.  And even though I wrote a post about How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash, sometimes I can't resist those package of pre-cut butternut squash that show up at Costco every fall.  This delicious Vegetarian Penne Pasta with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, Scallions, and Goat Cheese is a recipe I came up with that used half a two-pound package of pre-cut squash with some brown Crimini Mushrooms, a generous amount of chopped scallions, and just enough goat cheese  to keep it interesting.  You can use Feta if you're not a fan of the more pungent goat cheese, and some people might like to add some freshly grated Parmesan at the table.  This recipe does have a few steps, but it's quick enough for an easy week-night dinner, and perfect for Meatless Monday.

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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!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this recipe I first tried for the countdown to Thanksgiving last year is now something I love to make whenever I have fresh green beans.  If you buy those thin green beans at Costco, they're perfect for this.  And if you're looking for a Thanksgiving recipe that everyone can enjoy, this recipe is Paleo, Gluten-Free, and Vegan!)

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!

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Ten Favorite Deliciously Healthy Salads that are Perfect for Thanksgiving

All these deliciously healthy favorite salads would be perfect for Thanksgiving!

The annual food lover's countdown to Thanksgiving has officially begun!  I know there are people who would be happy with just turkey, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie every year for Thanksgiving dinner, but those people are probably not reading food blogs.  For those of you who love to try just one or two interesting new dishes every year, I've started sharing Thanksgiving suggestions on Facebook (are you following me there?)  I think every Thanksgiving dinner needs a special salad that's just a little bit unusual, so here are ten of my favorites.  (And if you're really in the mood to start planning the menu, take a look at all the Thanksgiving Recipes.)

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Low-Sugar and Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Banana Bread Recipe

This Low-Sugar and Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Banana Bread is hard to resist!

I'm not an expert baker, and when I decide to try to adapt a baking recipe for a low-sugar and whole-grain version, I usually expect it will take several tries to come up with a result that's a winner.  So I was happily surprised when this recipe for Low-Sugar and Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Banana Bread turned out perfectly the first time!  I loved this slightly-sweet pumpkin banana bread, and Jake also pronounced it to be "excellent."  (And he's not a big pumpkin fan, and doesn't always like my low-sugar experiments, so I consider that to be high praise.)

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Spicy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries are deliciously vegan for Meatless Monday!

(Updated with better photos and step-by-step instructions, November 2013.)  I try to post a meatless main dish every week for Meatless Monday, but some weeks it just doesn't work out.  Last week I tried out an idea for a meatless pasta dish, and it was definitely tasty.  Unfortunately, the photos were so unappetizing that the recipe still needs work.  Luckily, I did manage to get some good photos this week to update this favorite recipe for Spicy Sweet Potato Fries.  The first time I made this recipe, I took one bite and knew immediately I'd be making these sweet potato fries over and over.   My favorite sweet potatoes fries are not only meatless, but this recipe is deliciously vegan.  Who knows, this just might become your favorite way to cook sweet potatoes?

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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for October 2013 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

Kalyn's favorite Phase One Recipes for October 2013 were Greek Salad Spaghetti Squash Bowl,  Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew, Chicken Paprikash, and Turkey and Black Bean Mexican Cabbage Bowl.

It's time for the monthly Round-Up of South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes that I've posted during the previous month or spotted on other food blogs.  You can tell it's Fall by scrolling through these recipes; I spotted lots more soups and not many salads, and cauliflower seems to be Veggie of the Month for October.  I doubt many people start a diet in November, so I hope it doesn't seem cruel to draw attention to Phase One when everyone's thinking about Thanksgiving Recipes.  But in January when you're looking for food that's a bit lighter and lower in carbs, you might enjoy looking back through my Low-Glycemic Recipe Round-Ups like this one! (And for those who try to stick to a low-glycemic eating plan even during the holidays, more power to you!  I do my best, but it's hard this time of year.)

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Recipe for Shredded and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds and Parmesan

Roasted Brussels Sprouts are a wonderful side dish, so don't save them just for Thanksgiving.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Almonds and Parmesan are amazing.  And since today officially starts the Countdown to Thanksgiving 2013, I'm recommending this recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish.  But don't save them just for Thanksgiving, please try these for dinner soon!)

Now that roasted brussels sprouts have turned me into a brussels sprouts fan, I've been paying attention to how people cook the little guys, and lately I've noticed brussels sprouts being shredded into thin strips. When I looked for recipes, I found shredded pan-fried brussels sprouts, but not shredded and roasted ones, but since I love the leaves that fall off and get extra crispy when you're roasting brussels sprouts, I decided to try it and see how they turned out. I'd say it was a success, since I made these today and ate the entire bowl for lunch! I realize that some families have very determined brussels sprouts haters (and I'm looking at my sister Pam when I say that) but I'm adding this to my growing list of Thanksgiving Recipes as another option if people in your family are open-minded about brussels sprouts.

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Ground Turkey Soup Recipe with Rice, Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash

I loved the flavors in this Ground Turkey Soup with Rice, Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash.

For a while now I've been trying to develop a long-term relationship with ground turkey, which I think definitely has the potential to be a bit boring.  I think I'm getting to know ground turkey a little better though, because this year I've had a couple of recipe success stories using it, and this Ground Turkey Soup with Rice, Kale, Mushrooms, and Butternut Squash is definitely another winner.  If there's a secret to ground turkey success, it's to use a lot of other flavorful ingredients with the turkey, and in addition to mushrooms, butternut squash, and kale, this soup has plenty of dried herbs and a generous amount of balsamic vinegar stirred in at the end.  I loved the soup; hope everyone else who's developing an appreciation for ground turkey will enjoy it too.

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Chicken Paprikash Recipe (Paprika Chicken)

Here's my updated recipe for Chicken Paprikash, which is warm and comforting for fall!

(Updated with better photos, a better recipe, and step-by-step instructions October 2013.)  I've been updating photos on my oldest posts for over five years now, and there's something so satisfying about taking a favorite recipe that was hidden away in the archives and showing it off so current readers will want to try it.  Sometimes I decide I can improve the recipe as well, and with this favorite recipe for Chicken Paprikash I realized that now I'd prefer the recipe with less meat and more of the roasted red peppers that make this dish so flavorful.  Of course Chicken Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian dish that usually includes a roux made of flour and chicken fat or butter, but if you like chicken, onions, roasted red peppers, paprika, and sour cream, I bet you'll like my diet-friendly version just as well.

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