Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner party or planning on bringing a dish to share, it is always a good idea to have a few holiday dish ideas on hand. Knowing what to cook, especially when cooking for others, can be a challenge for people with chronic kidney disease.

Here are some ideas for the best holiday dishes for chronic kidney disease:

Roasted Turkey

Skip the brine and the fryer. Get back to basics with a delicious, simple roasted turkey. Rub poultry seasoning and herbs such as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme under the skin of the turkey. Brush the top of the turkey with melted unsalted butter and cover with aluminum foil. Baste every so often with low sodium turkey stock and the pan drippings. Remove the foil for the last 30 to 45 minutes to allow the skin to brown.

Tip: The wrapping on your turkey should tell you how long you need to roast your turkey. Typically, it is around 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees for a defrosted frozen turkey. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees. Always let your turkey “rest” for 30 minutes before carving.

Cranberry Sauce

Although the canned stuff won’t kill you, homemade cranberry sauce is always impressive, delicious, and surprisingly healthy.

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed

1/2 Cup honey

1/2 Cup water

1/4 Cup fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon of orange zest

In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, water, and honey over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes or until all of the cranberries have popped and the mixture becomes gelatinous. Stir in the orange zest and orange juice.

Tip: You can also use maple syrup or agave syrup instead of honey. These are all good substitutions for processed sugar.

Vegetarian Autumn Wild Rice (Recipe adapted from Davita.com)

Ingredients:

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

2 Tablespoons Raisins

1/2 Cup Wild Rice, uncooked

3/4 Cup Brown Rice, uncooked

2 Cups Apples chopped

¾ Cup Carrots, shredded

1/4 cup Celery, chopped finely

1/4 cup Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1/4 Teaspoon Dried Whole Sage

1/4 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

2 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (The best kind is Imagine Brand Low Sodium Vegetable Broth)

1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

Instructions:

Cook wild rice and converted rice in the normal way using the veggie broth as the liquid along with the sage and pepper. If you have a rice cooker the ratio is 1 cup liquid per 1 cup of dry rice. If you like your rice moister you can add up to ½ cup more liquid per Cup of rice.

If you are cooking it on the stovetop the ratio is 1 ½ cups liquid to 1 cup dry rice, simply bring the liquid to boil add rice and cook on simmer with the lid on until liquid evaporates and rice is cooked through. About 40 to 50 minutes.

Combine Raisins and 1/4 cup of hot water and let stand for five minutes, then drain off the water.

While the rice is cooking coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the apple, celery, green pepper and carrot; sauté until crisp-tender. When the rice is cooked, throw into the pan with the apple mixture, stir in raisins, juice of 1 lemon and let stand five minutes before serving.

There are more recipes just like these, including healthier versions of all of your favorite recipes, available to you just about anywhere. Your local library and the internet both have excellent resources for finding delicious kidney safe recipes that would be perfect for your holiday feast. Show any recipes that you are unsure about to your doctor or nutritionist to make sure you are making the best choices this holiday season.