Trisha's Go-To Holiday Recipes

I hosted friends at the cottage this weekend for an optimal Thanksgiving meal. The below four recipes have been my go-to optimal recipes for feeding friends and family over the holidays.  They're such crowd pleasers that I've been serving them for the last 5+ years and are great for any special holiday occasion.

Here's four optimal holiday recipes:

1. Creamy tahini mashed potatoes

2. Mushroom gravy baby!

3. Garlicky kale (my friend’s favorite)

4. Lentil loaf

These recipes could help you shed pounds sustainably (my clients lost weight over Thanksgiving week eating these and other optimal meals).

Cheers to eating delicious food that nurtures that sweet sweet bod of yours!

Take Control Now!

Would you try this recipe?  Let me know what you think in the comments!

Optimal Mushroom Gravy Recipe

This optimal mushroom gravy recipe is a crowd pleaser for the whole family because it tastes that good!  I've served it to many non-optimal eaters and it's always a favorite.  It's also low fat, vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients:

1. Cimini aka baby bella mushrooms (16 oz package equally sliced).  You can also substitute or add gourmet mushrooms like shiitakes 

2. Garlic chopped, ½-1 head depending on your flavor preferences 

3. Shallots, 4, diced

4. Vegetable stock

5. Soy sauce

6. Thyme (fresh is best)- 1 tsp. 

7. Poultry seasoning - ½ tsp.

8. Corn starch (or potato starch) - any thickener

Directions:

1. Saute the shallet with vegetable stock and add thyme until translucent

2. Add garlic with more stock so it doesn’t burn sauteeing for another 2 minutes

3. Add mushrooms and poultry seasoning and sautee until cooked adding more stock as needed

4. Add more stock to make it “gravy consistency”

5. Turn heat down to medium low

6. Add 3 tb of soy sauce. Taste. Add more until you like how it tastes

7. Add cornstarch to thicken. Mix/whisk

8. Taste, cook on low until ready

Take Control Now!

Would you try this recipe?  Let me know what you think in the comments!

Garlicky Kale Recipe

When I cook my kale like this, I can eat an entire head of it within 24 hours.  That’s how good it is! I hosted friends for dinner last week and this was their favorite item!  Even my friend who never liked kale said this was his favorite.  It's also low fat, vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

• A head of kale, trimmed and chopped into large pieces

• A half to a full head of garlic finely diced 

• Vegetable stock 

• Salt

Directions

1. Sauté garlic in a large pan with ample veg stock until cooked (1-2 minutes)

2. Add kale, toss in veg stock (add more), then cover for 5-10 minutes (until bright green and a texture you’d enjoy eating). Add more veg stock and salt if needed through cooking process

Take Control Now!

Would you try this recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments!

How Angela Shed 32 Pounds Eating Optimally and Improved Her IBS and Arthritis

Angela Clary came to Trisha struggling with excess weight she couldn’t lose, IBS, arthritis pain and had tried many other diets without any success. She was isolating herself, in pain constantly, and was always looking for the bathroom when she was in public. After seeing Trisha on the TV show “Making It Grow” Angela decided to reach out to her, even though she was at the point of giving up. Angela…

❤️ Lost 20 lbs in just 10 weeks!
❤️ Lost 32 lbs in 5 months of eating optimally! 
❤️ Had not been able to get her weight under 200 lbs for over a year and hit that goal within just 3 weeks of Eating Optimally
❤️ Can now participate in a 1 hour Zumba class once a week
❤️ Has the energy and stamina to exercise and move again
❤️ Attends social gatherings with friends and is not isolating anymore
❤️ Not going to the bathroom as much anymore and doesn’t have to worry about where the bathroom is when she’s in public
❤️ Completed a 5k after just a few weeks of eating optimally
❤️ Living her life again!

- Angela Clary, 59, Lexington, South Carolina

TAKE CONTROL NOW

Comment below and tell me… what part of Angela’s story resonates with you?  What’s the greatest take away you took from her interview?

I would love to chat with you too to let you know what results are possible for you based on your unique situation (and tastebuds!).  Schedule a time to chat with me, just like Angela did, here.  

Roasted Butternut Squash with Fresh Lemon Thyme and Apple Recipe

Just three ingredients in this sweet, delicious, simple and optimal mini meal that my friend Louise De Franco and I enjoyed Saturday at the cottage.  She’s also the licensed counselor on the Trishy Team that teaches our Phase II clients how to strengthen their emotional health while they shed pounds sustainably.   She loved it!

Ingredients:

1. One butternut squash
2. Lemon thyme
3. One apple

Instructions:

1. Set oven to 425 degrees
2. Peel a butternut squash and cut into equal sized slices
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat
4. Place squash on baking sheet and salt if desired
5. Bake until squash starts to golden then flip until golden
6. Core and slice apple while squash bakes
7. Serve squash with fresh thyme on top (I used lemon thyme from my garden) with the apple slices

So yummy, fall-inspired and simple!

We enjoyed it over a fire and it fueled us for a walk along (lol actually “in”) the Delaware River!

Cheers to food that fuels your body, is satiating and tastes great.  That’s what optimal eating is all about. 

In Your Corner,

Trish

P.S. Want even more optimal recipes for shedding pounds sustainably?  Click here for fifty optimal recipes hand picked by myself, Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes.