If you followed Chef Michael Newman’s M&F Thanksgiving recipe, you are going to love what he has in store this Christmas. The buff baker and star of “MasterChef: Legends” presents these exclusive dishes for those looking to keep their macros in-check, while still enjoying a whole lot of festive cheer. Stuffed with protein and at less than 250 calories per serving, there’s no need to lose track of your fitness goals this holiday season.
Whether you are vegan or not, these side plates serve as a great way to complement Christmas dinner, using fresh ingredients to keep you in the holiday spirit. Acorn squash is considered to be the most nutritious squash, containing an abundance of folate, calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is also simple to prepare and eat, because you don’t need to peel it before roasting or consuming. While green “string” beans are a great addition to a warming casserole anytime of year, since they are packed full with vitamins A, C, and K.
For Michael Newman, the New Jersey native who earned Gordon Ramsay’s culinary kudos on Fox’s MasterChef: Legends, Christmas is a time of year where he is happy to let the family takeover, so being able to contribute a bit of vegan flavor on the side makes perfect sense. “My mother, who is full Italian, generally takes charge during the Christmas holidays,” he says. “Though, I do enjoy being able to spend time and help her in the kitchen during this time of year because I don’t see her or my father that often during the year because they live out of state. But, I am happy to say that this year my parents have moved back to New Jersey, making it much easier to see more of them!”
When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, Newman, who is also a relationship and lifestyle coach, is hoping to continue the growth of this “JerseyStyle” brand while staying fit and reaching out to others “My first resolution would be the most obvious and that’s to maintain, and even become more fit,” says the chef. “I also have a business resolution and that is to expand our lifestyle brand, JerseyStyle with my wife, Basia. Finally, the most important resolution of them all is to continue to help individuals and on a larger scale, the world, to be a more loving and positive place to exist. That is why our JerseyStyle mantra is LOVE + POSITIVITY = SUCCESS!”
The Newman family will also be reflecting on all the good things that have happened to them this year by giving something back to the community. His family are volunteering their time at a local soup kitchen and will also provide support to a nearby food bank. “We will feel extremely blessed and grateful to be able to help people in need on Christmas since, for some, it’s a very difficult time to get through,” says Newman. Now that’s the spirit!
Courtesy of Michael Newman
Traditional String Bean Casserole: Veganized
Serves: 3-4
Nutritional Values Per Serving:
Cal: 236
Protein: 12g
Fats: 16g
Carbs: 20g
Ingredients:
16 oz. frozen green beans defrosted (not canned)
1/2 cup of walnuts, blended into a walnut breadcrumb
1/3 cup of raw cashews
3/4 cup oat milk
3 tbsp of nutritional yeast*
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup French fried onions to top
Preparation Instructions:
Cover cashews with 1 cup of boiling water and set aside for 1 hour, then drain.
Place defrosted green beans into a mixing bowl.
Add the drained cashews, oat milk, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast to blender. Blend until smooth.
Combine cashew cream mixture with green beans and mix thoroughly.
Spray a 9 x 7 baking dish with cooking spray and place combined mixture into dish.
Cover casserole with ground walnut mixture and the French-fried onions.
Place in oven at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and you are ready to serve. Enjoy!
*Nutritional yeast adds additional protein to most vegan dishes.
Courtesy of Michael Newman
Baked Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 4-6, depending on size of acorn squash
Nutritional Values Per Serving:
Cal: 184
Protein: 19g
Fats: 13g
Carbs: 24g
Ingredients:
2 small/medium acorn squash
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
6 tbsp of nutritional yeast *
2 Beyond Meat Italian or Spicy Sausage Links
1/2 cup of Walnuts
1/2 cup of Craisins
1 cup of diced white button mushrooms (2nd highest mushroom in terms of protein)
2 cups of bread for stuffing, or 1 box of Stove Top Savory Herb Stuffing
1 apple of choice, cored and peeled
1 1/2 cup of vegetable stock
Preparation Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Cut off ends of the acorn squash to prevent from rolling. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the center and then place on the baking sheet.
Drizzle on some EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven and partially cook the squash for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Stuffing:
Dice onion, garlic, mushrooms, and apples. Set aside.
Place 2 tablespoon of EVOO in a pan along with the Beyond Meat Sausage and then mash until ground.
Cook for 2 minutes and then add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and apples to the Beyond Meat Sausage. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for protein.
While the mixture is cooking, add the vegetable stock to the bread mixture to soften.
Combine sausage mixture to bread stuffing. Next, add craisins and walnuts to mixture. Mix well until fully combined then let cool.
Once cooled, stuff acorn squash with the stuffing, and reduce oven to 375°F, return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes until the stuffing is golden brown and the acorn squash is soft to touch.
Remove from the oven and you are ready to serve. Enjoy!
*Nutritional yeast adds additional protein to most vegan dishes.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.