Photo: Stephen Johnson ©
1 / 31
Vegan Potato, Pepper and Olive Phyllo Cups
Finely chopped potatoes are quickly boiled, then mashed with olive oil and nutritional yeast to make a creamy, "cheesy" base for these low-fat, one-bite vegan appetizers. Smoked paprika adds a bacon-y note (but there's no bacon here!). Make the filling the day before your next get-together, then fill, heat and serve on the day. P.S.: Meat eaters will love them too!
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Vegetarian "Southern-Style" Collard Greens
Sunny's hearty collard greens have all of the flavor of traditional southern-style collard greens, but none of the meat.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©
3 / 31
Mushroom Wellington with Creamy Carrot Sauce
We took inspiration from an important part of traditional beef Wellington, the duxelles (a paste of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs cooked in butter), and made a hearty filling for a satisfying, low-fat vegetarian version. Serve this impressive main course with the bright carrot sauce, which gets its creaminess from just a touch of cream cheese. (Don't be afraid to use full-fat cheeses — a little can go a long way!)
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Mushroom-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Stuff a pork tenderloin with a savory mix of mushrooms and bacon and roast to perfection — no one will guess that it's a healthy holiday main dish.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
5 / 31
Curried Sweet Potato Puree
Almond milk makes this creamy side dish dairy-free. The heat from the ginger and curry counter the sweetness of the potatoes, and the lime adds a bright kick at the end.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©
6 / 31
Vegetarian Spinach-Walnut Pâté
The words "vegetarian," "pâté" and "caviar" don't necessarily go together, but this creamy, flavor-packed appetizer spreads like pâté, and the tart bursts of pomegranate seeds are a little like caviar. This vegetarian (in fact, vegan) dish is inspired by the country of Georgia's dish pkhali, a spinach spread that can also be made with beets or mushrooms.
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Goat Cheese, Lentil and Brown Rice Rolls
Giada stuffs steamed Swiss chard leaves with a flavorful mixture of goat cheese, lentils, brown rice and herbs for a vegetarian main dish that even meat lovers won't be able to resist.
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Photo: Stephen Johnson ©
8 / 31
Vegan Saffron Risotto
Inspired by the flavors of bouillabaisse (the Provencal seafood stew), this creamy, saffron-hued risotto is a special-occasion dish for vegans, vegetarians and even meat eaters. Ingredients high in umami (the savory fifth taste), like tomato paste, soy sauce and canned tomatoes, add depth; nutritional yeast adds a bit of a cheesy taste. Make the stock ahead of time, and rewarm it when you're ready to make the dish.
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Photo: Anna Williams
9 / 31
Eggplant Ricotta Bites
Lightly breaded eggplant is sauteed instead of deep-fried, giving it crunch without excess oil. It's then topped with ricotta and tomatoes for an eggplant Parmesan-inspired appetizer with much less fat.
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Photo: Brian Kennedy ©
10 / 31
Shrimp Cocktail with Tomatillo-Horseradish Sauce
Bobby puts his spin on the classic seafood appetizer by first poaching the shrimp with lemon, peppercorn and coriander, then serving with them a dipping sauce of roasted tomatillo, jalapeno and horseradish.
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Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
Giada's meatless pasta dish gets a big punch of flavor from kalamata olives, tomatoes and sauteed greens. It's ready in 40 minutes so makes an easy vegetarian main dish or accompaniment to meat, fish or chicken for the meat-lovers at your table.
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Winter Fruit Salad
Guests are likely to bring cookies to share, so finish your holiday dinner with this jewel-toned winter fruit salad in lieu of a traditional dessert. It's full of winter fruit favorites like pomegranate, orange, mango and kiwi.
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Photo: Kana Okada ©
13 / 31
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Hazelnuts
Roasting Brussels sprouts brings out their nutty flavor; Bobby adds pomegranate seeds, orange zest and toasted hazelnuts to his roasted sprouts for a perfectly festive side dish.
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Low-Fat Eggnog
What's better than sipping on eggnog by the fireplace? Sipping our lower-cal version, made with lowfat milk flavored with fragrant citrus zest, vanilla beans and bourbon.
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Photo: Andrew McCaul
15 / 31
Grapefruit-Mint Salad
Take advantage of citrus season by turning grapefruits into a salad. Honey and fresh mint balance the healthy citrus fruit's natural tartness.
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Photo: Anna Williams
16 / 31
Avocado-Feta Dip
Feta cheese is a lower-fat choice with a very bright flavor. A little bit goes a long way in this fresh, green dip.
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Photo: Antonis Achilleos
17 / 31
Eggplant Caponata
Food Network Magazine's jewel-toned eggplant dish makes a beautiful addition to the holiday table, whether as a side dish or appetizer, served with toasted bread.
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Cucumber Cups with Creamy Salmon Whip
Ellie's take on this retro appetizer replaces most of the full-fat cream cheese with reduced-fat cottage cheese. With only 60 calories in three pieces, this is an appetizer you can feel good about serving (and eating!).
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Green Bean Casserole
A slimmed-down version of this classic offers the creamy mushroom flavor and sweet tang of onion you expect, with 60 percent fewer calories and 80 percent less fat.
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Photo: Yunhee Kim ©
20 / 31
Roasted Fennel with Charred Tomatoes, Olives, and Pecorino
The flavor of fennel marries well with the Mediterranean flavors of slightly charred tomatoes, meaty kalamata olives, and crystalline bursts of earthy, aged Parmesan cheese.
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Photo: Matt Armendariz ©
21 / 31
Oven-Fried Latkes
Using the oven to make crisp latkes saves a lot of calories and fat -- and hassle. You can cook a large batch quickly in a very hot oven. Egg white takes the place of a whole egg, keeping the cholesterol low, too.
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Photo: Yunhee Kim ©
22 / 31
Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Chile
Roasting cauliflower gives it a deep, nutty flavor. Drizzle it with a flavorful chile-caper sauce for an easy side dish to serve alongside roasted meat or fish.
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Photo: Antonis Achilleos
23 / 31
Roasted Pork and Potatoes with Creamy Applesauce
Pork tenderloin is a lean cut of meat and a perfectly elegant choice for a holiday meal.
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Hummus
This holiday appetizer is ready in just 10 minutes. Ina keeps the hummus simple with garlic and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with crisp vegetables on the side for dipping.
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Photo: Kana Okada ©
25 / 31
Light Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Chiles
Scalloped potatoes get a kick from roasted poblano chile pepper in this dish from Food Network Magazine. This healthier take uses modest amounts of Parmesan and Mexican crema (or sour cream) to supply satisfying creaminess.
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Photo: Christopher Testani
26 / 31
Warm Spinach Salad
Pistachios and red grapes add a variety of textures and flavors to this warm spinach salad tossed with Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Small amounts of crisp bacon and crumbled blue cheese make the recipe seem more decadent than it is.
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Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Try these Cornish game hens from Food Network Magazine as an alternative to traditional turkey at your holiday feast. A parsley pesto made with pumpkin seeds brings an earthy, aromatic flavor to the meat.
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Photo: Antonis Achilleos
28 / 31
Potatoes With Chili Butter
A little bit of butter goes a long way in this flavorful side dish from Food Network Magazine.
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Photo: Kat Teutsch
29 / 31
Scallop and Shrimp Cocktail
Tide holiday guests over with a spicy seafood cocktail made with scallops and shrimp. Zippy ingredients like lime juice, chile and onion deliver lots of flavor but very few calories.
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Photo: Con Poulos
30 / 31
Mulled Wine Granita
This mulled wine granita is similar to an Italian ice or sorbet, but it is flavored for the holidays with a cinnamon stick and cloves. The presentation is sophisticated, but the preparation is simple: Just freeze the mix and scrape with a fork. Bonus: There are only 165 calories per serving.
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Roasted Balsamic Onions
Roasting onions with a splash of vinegar makes them sweet and tender, and as a bonus, the dish is low in calories.
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