Takes these lean ideas from kitchen to table this turkey day

You've been eating well so far this fall, avoiding over-sized pieces of fresh apple pie ala mode and steering clear of the kids' trick-or-treat buckets. But a major diet challenge lies just around the corner: Thanksgiving dinner. Here's a buffet of lean ideas for approaching the feast.

• Consider roasting a brined, whole, bone-in turkey breast . Brining keeps the lean breast moist and flavorful (and leftovers make terrific turkey sandwiches).

If you're having a large get-together, cook two whole turkey breasts. Since I first shared that idea and the recipe several years ago, reader response has all been positive. Some noted how much their teenagers finally enjoyed the white meat.

• If your guests really count on dark meat, brine a whole turkey so both the white meat and the dark meat benefit from the seasoned bath. In my experience, cooking an unbrined bird long enough to get the dark meat to a safe temperature ends up over-cooking and drying out the white meat.

• Dress down the dressing. Check out the directions on that bag of stuffing mix and you'll find a stick (1/4-pound) of butter or margarine on the ingredient list. I start with the bagged stuffing, too, but make significant changes.

I don't use hot water, instead boosting the flavor with heated chicken broth into which I've whisked a (1/2-ounce) Butter Bud packet (that's equal in flavor to a stick of butter, with almost zero calories and fat).

I bump-up flavor even more by sautéing sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped onions and celery in a whisper of olive oil. Great tasting and guilt-free.

Although dressing seems to taste better when baked inside the bird, today's food safety pundits recommend baking this bready side in a casserole dish. This method ensures that you won't over-roast your turkey just to make sure the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, and the turkey will cook faster un-stuffed. Yes, you'll need to factor oven space and time into your preparation schedule.

• Stir up some (nearly) guiltless gravy. For great gravy, I toss some carrots, celery and onion chunks in the bottom of my turkey roasting pan and pour a couple of cups of chicken broth over them, basting with additional broth if needed.

When the turkey's done, I skim all the fat from the pan, discard the vegetables and add more broth that I cook into gravy.

I add no fat to my gravy and thicken it with either flour or cornstarch (use as much of either as you normally would). My fat-free gravy tastes great and boosts my mashed potato's flavor, too.

• For fat-free mashed potatoes, use skim milk (you can also use fat-free half-and-half), fat-free sour cream and fat-free squeezable margarine spread (like Smart Beat). Yukon Gold potatoes work very well and naturally look buttery.

• Don't skip dessert. Go ahead and use the two whole eggs most pumpkin pie recipes call for since they contribute a mere 1 fat gram per slice. Choose evaporated skim milk instead of whole to cut calories and fat without compromising the flavor or appearance. Most fat in a pumpkin pie comes from the crust, so I either factor that into my meal plan or just eat the filling.

Making these simple changes won't disappoint a single guest and when Weigh Day rolls around you won't be disappointed either.

Try this recipe: I really like Brussels sprouts to be part of my T-day dinner. I parboil them, then sauté them with bacon and fresh thyme. They taste great and still get less than 30 percent of their calories from fat -- that's major magic.

Brined and Roasted Whole Turkey

2 gallons good-tasting tap water or bottled spring water

2 cups kosher salt (or 1 1/2 cups noniodized table salt)

2 cups granulated sugar

12-14 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 fresh turkey (12 - 15 pounds), rinsed thoroughly; giblets and neck removed

3 onions, chopped coarse

2 carrots, chopped coarse

2 celery ribs, chopped coarse

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

Add the water to a clean 5-gallon bucket (can be lined with a plastic bag) and in it dissolve the salt and sugar. Stir in the peppercorns and bay leaves. Add the turkey and refrigerate or set in a very cool spot (no warmer than 40 degrees) for 8 to 12 hours. (If refrigerated, it may soak overnight.)

Add the onions, carrots, celery and thyme to a large mixing bowl, stirring to coat with the thyme.

Fifteen to 20 minutes before roasting, place the oven rack in the lowest position and begin heating the oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the chicken broth and white wine until combined.

Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse under cold running water. Using paper towels, pat dry inside and out.

Set a heavy-duty, roasting rack in the bottom of a foil-lined roasting pan. Fill the cavity of the turkey with the vegetable mixture. Scatter the remaining vegetables around the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour 1 cup of the broth mixture over the vegetables in the pan.

Tuck the wings behind the back. Sprinkle the turkey with the ground pepper. Spray the roasting rack with vegetable oil and place the turkey, breast side down, on the rack. Roast for 45 minutes. Remove the roasting pan with the turkey from the oven.

Using a thick layer of paper towels or potholders, rotate the turkey to breast side up. Brush the breast with some broth mixture and if the liquid in the bottom of the pan has evaporated, add 1 cup broth.

Roast for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast registers 165 degrees and the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 degrees. Remove the turkey from the rack to a carving board and let it rest about 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

Nutrition values per 4-ounce serving of mixed white and dark meat: 193 calories (26.3 percent from fat), 5.6 g fat(1.8 g saturated fat), no dietary fiber, 33.2 g protein, 1.1 gm carbohydrate, 86 mg cholesterol, 579 mg sodium.

LeanNote: You can make a terrific lean gravy by simmering the remaining broth/wine mixture in the bottom of the roasting pan. Strain out the vegetables and thicken with cornstarch. Or use the broth in your favorites gravy recipe.

Cook's notes: If you cannot get a fresh turkey, a frozen turkey will brine and roast well. Make sure the turkey is completely de-frosted.

When roasting a turkey larger than 12 to 15 pounds, increase cooking time by about 10 minutes

Brined and Spiced Turkey Breast

1 fresh, whole, bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, about 6 to 8 pounds

1 1/2 cups kosher salt (I prefer Diamond brand; table salt not recommended)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 gallons bottled water

Spice Rub

5 teaspoons dry mustard (I like Coleman's)

1 tablespoon celery seeds

1 tablespoon coarse-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves, crumbled

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 quart sodium-free or low-sodium chicken broth

Rinse the turkey breast under cold water and set aside.

Prepare the brine: Using a large clean bucket or a stock pot, mix the salt, sugar and water together until dissolved. Submerge the turkey breast in the brine making certain it is completely covered. Cover and refrigerate for 5 hours.

While the turkey breast brines, prepare the spice rub. In a small bowl stir together the mustard, celery seeds, black pepper, crumbled thyme, crumbled oregano, coriander and rosemary. About 15 to 20 minutes before roasting, place oven rack in lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil and put a V-shaped roasting rack in the pan.

Remove the turkey breast from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Place breast on the rack, brush olive oil over the breast and sprinkle evenly with half the spice mixture. Turn breast over, brush with remaining oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining spice mixture. Make sure the narrow end of the breast is down so the wide end of the breast sits higher on the rack. Pour chicken broth in the bottom of the pan.

Put pan in the oven with the large end of the breast at the rear of the oven. Roast for 15 minutes. Rotate pan so the large end faces forward. Roast for 18 minutes. Turn the pan so the breast is sideways in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting, rotating the pan 1/2 way through, for about 30 to 45 minutes more, or until the internal temperature registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast.

Remove breast from the oven, let it stand for 20 minutes. Remove the skin and carve.

Serves six to eight.

Nutrition values per serving (6-pound breast, six servings): 197 calories (5 percent from fat), 1.1 g fat (0.4 g saturated fat), 0 carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 43.9 g protein, 122 mg cholesterol, 579 mg sodium.

LeanTip: The liquid at the bottom of the roasting pan makes delicious gravy. Skim off the fat and thickening with cornstarch. Swirling 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream into the gravy at the end adds flavor and makes the gravy smooth as silk.

Brussels Sprouts With Bacon and Thyme

3 pounds Brussels sprouts

6 bacon slices, trimmed of some fat, finely chopped

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

#189; teaspoon salt

#189; teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Fill a small stockpot two-thirds full with cold water; place over high heat and when it comes to a boil add 1#189; tablespoons salt.

While water comes to a boil, rinse Brussels sprouts under cold water, trim stems and outer leaves, and cut in #189; from stem to top (#188;, if large).

When water comes to a full boil, add Brussels sprouts and stir. Reduce heat slightly so water boils easily and cook sprouts for about 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain in colander.

Cook bacon in a large, high-sided saut#233; pan over medium-high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain off #189; of the accumulated bacon grease, lower heat to medium and stir in breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add Brussels sprouts, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Serves 10.

Nutrition values per serving: 135 calories (29.3 percent from fat), 4.4 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 20.4 g carbohydrate, 5.2 g fiber, 9.3 g protein, 10 mg cholesterol, 290 mg sodium.

SaltSense: Omitting the added salt reduces the sodium per serving to 174 milligrams.