From our table to yours!
Please enjoy these healthy and delicious Thanksgiving Recipes
Cranberry Relish
Modified by Dr. Lexi Lain, Cynthia Lair, and from an adaptation of a recipe from Natural Foods Cookbook by Mary Estella (Japan Publications, 1985) that uses apple juice and maple syrup to add sweetness to tart cranberries. Dr. Lain loves adding fresh pomegranate seeds for a crisp crunch.
½ cup fresh cranberries
1/3 cup chopped apples
1 tablespoon currants
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of Salt
½ cup apple juice
¼ cup of fresh pomegranate seeds
Place cranberries, apples, currants, zest, maple syrup, salt, and juice in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, remove cover, and simmer 20-25 minutes until excess liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Once cool, add pomegranate seeds. Serve at room temperature. Will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Beet, Apple, and Carrot Salad
Modified by Dr. Lexi Lain from Cynthia Lair’s Whole Food’s Cooking Class
1 raw beet, grated
2-3 raw carrots, grated
1 apple, chopped
3 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ tsp sea salt
Spiced Candied Walnuts
Mix all ingredient into a salad bowl and serve immediately or cold.
Spiced Candied Walnuts
1 Cup Walnuts
1 tablespoon 100% butter
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
Pinch of salt and cayenne pepper.
Melt butter in a skillet. Add the walnuts and maple syrup, salt and cayenne pepper. Constantly move the walnuts around the pan for about 5 minutes to prevent sticking or burning. Once you start to smell the walnuts, remove from heat onto Parchment paper, and allow to cool.
Add the walnuts to any salad.
Home Made Green Bean Casserole
Why should we sacrifice one of the best dishes on the table because of food sensitivities. Sure you might have to make it from scratch but who knows, you might discover you like it much better.
Making the Cream of Mushroom Soup 3 tbsp Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil
2 yellow onions diced
4-6 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 lbs of fresh cremini mushrooms. Feeling adventurous? Add some shiitake mushrooms.
4 tsps fresh Thyme chopped
4 tbsp nutmeg
1/2 cup red or white wine of choice
4 cups vegetable broth
Orrington Farms Vegan Beef Broth Seasoning - 2 tbsp
6-12 tablespoons chickpea flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of heavy cream alternative (2/3 cups of soy milk + 1/3 cup of olive oil)
Fresh parsley and Thyme
Heat oil and the saute' onions until soft. Then add the mushrooms and saute' until their juices are released. Then add the garlic, Thyme, and nutmeg. Stir. Add the wine and stir, letting it cook for 3 minutes or so. Sprinkle in the chickpea flour using a sieve and then add the vegetable broth. Mix until flour is evenly dispersed and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce health and allow to simmer. While simmering, add salt, pepper, and Orrington Farms Vegan Beef Broth Seasoning. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickening. Reduce heat and add cream alternative. Mix in fresh parsley and Thyme.
Green Beans
1-2 large bags of Green beans, washed and trimmed
2 tbsp avocado or coconut oil
2 yellow onions
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
Fresh Thyme, salt, and pepper.
Wash and trim green beans. Depending on how many people come to your Thanksgiving, will depend on how many green beans to buy but I usually buy 1-2 large Trader Joe's bag of green beans. Steam until bright green but still a little crunchy.
Meanwhile, in a pan, place avocado or coconut oil in a pan and saute' 2 yellow onions. Add fresh Thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper.
In a baking pan, add green beans, sauteed onions, and cream of mushroom soup. Stir and bake in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes. You may add gluten free fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes.
Sugar n' Spice Butternut Squash
Dr. Lexi's Recipe
Depends on how many people are coming but I would consider 2-3 Butternut Squashes for 8-10 people.
8-10 Tbsp butter (2 tbsp butter for each slice)
Drizzle with maple syrup making sure to coat entire flesh of squash.
Sprinkle Cinnamon to cover flesh of squash lightly
Sprinkle nutmeg to lightly dot the cinnamon. Almost a 1:4 ratio. 1 part nutmeg to 4 parts cinnamon as nutmeg has a strong flavor.
Very light dusting of Cayenne pepper.
Salt and peppter
Turn oven on to 375. Cut squash in half and remove seeds and stringy flesh. Place on baking sheet and put 2 tbsp of butter in each hole of squash or "cavity". Then coat with maple syrup and add cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and a dash of salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes. Check every once in a while to see if you can pierce it with a fork. When ready, cut through flesh into cubes, kind of like you would for an avocado and scoop out into a serving dish.
There are so many more delicious recipes but this is a great starting point.
Enjoy~
Dr. Lexi