Thanksgiving Picks ~ 2019

It is 10 days until Thanksgiving!! Do you have your menu ready? Whether you are hosting and providing all the food or you are just bringing a dish or two to a family or friend celebration I have a list that is sure to give you plenty of options! Some of these items are the same as last year’s picks and some new ones have been added. I think you will enjoy them all!!

The first thing on my menu is the turkey of course. I started using a “spatchcock” method for cooking my turkey lately and I highly recommend it! It cooks so much more quickly and evenly. Check out how to Spatchcock a Turkey and get a bonus gravy recipe HERE.

Of course you can’t have a Thanksgiving feast with just meat! You are going to need some comforting side dishes as well. Using any of these options will add joy to your meal as well as adding health! You don’t need to skimp on comfort foods when you do them right. Here are my picks for the best things to enjoy alongside the bird with zero guilt or regret:

Sweet Potato Casserole (XO or E)

Bean Casserole(XO)

Green Bean Casserole (E)

The Best Green Beans (S)

Loaded Veggie Casserole (S)

Stove Top Style Stuffing (S)

Another Stuffing (S)

Cranberry Sauce (FP)

Just Like Canned Cranberry Sauce (FP)

Mashed Cauliflower (S or FP)

Rolls (S)

Broccoli Salad (S)

Quick Corn Casserole (E)

You’ve cleaned your plate and even eaten a good amount of vegetables! Good for you! Now you are going to want to indulge in a special dessert! Even those who are not following THM are going to love these options! I suggest the following:

Pumpkin Roll (S)

Coconut Cream Pie (S)

Pecan Pie (S)

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (S)

Pumpkin Pie (S)

Tagalong Pie (S)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (S)

Berry Crisp (S)

Pumpkin Pie Crisp (S)

Guilt Gone Cranberry Pie (S)

Holidays usually mean special drinks as well. Some people like hot drinks and some prefer cold. Here are my favorites for both hot and cold drinks. Some, like the cranberry wassail, can be served either way!

Cranberry Wassail (FP)

Pumpkin Spice Latte or Creamer (S or FP)

Party Punch (S)

Slow cooker or Stove top Hot Cocoa (S)

Egg Nog (S)

How is your holiday planning going? Are you looking toward next year yet? I am! In fact I am having a pre-order blowout sale on the first three group sessions I am hosting in 2020! Keep your eyes open for details!

Don’t miss out on this sale! It will run from 12am to 11:59pm on Black Friday and offer deep discounts on the first three group sessions I will run in 2020! Be sure to come back and check it out!

Have you ever considered getting a coach to help you on your journey but you aren’t sure what a coach could do for you? Contact me for a free consultation. I can explain to you how I would help you with no strings attached.

My Thanksgiving Picks

Do you know that Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from today! I feel ready and I hope you do too. I have spent the last several weeks gathering and posting recipes here to get ready for the holiday season. Here is what I have gathered.

The first thing on my menu is the turkey of course. I started using a “spatchcock” method for cooking my turkey lately and I highly recommend it! It cooks so much more quickly and evenly. Check out how to Spatchcock a Turkey and get a bonus gravy recipe HERE.

Here are my picks for the best things to have alongside the bird:

Sweet Potato Casserole (Crossover or E)

Bean Casserole(XO)

Green Bean Casserole (E)

The Best Green Beans (S)

Loaded Veggie Casserole (S)

Roasted Veggies (S, E or XO)

Stuffing (S)

Cranberry Sauce (FP)

Mashed Cauliflower (S or FP)

Rolls

Broccoli Salad (S)

And for dessert I suggest the following:

Pumpkin Roll (S)

Coconut Cream Pie (S)

Pecan Pie (S)

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake (S)

Pumpkin Pie (S)

Tagalong Pie (S)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (S)

Berry Crisp (S)

Need some beverage suggestions? Here are my favorites:

Cranberry Wassail (FP)

Pumpkin Spice Latte or Creamer (S or FP)

How is your holiday planning going?

Roasted Veggies

Sometimes you don’t need a big fancy recipe to make something delicious. Sometimes you just need a few simple ingredients and the right cooking method to turn out something everyone will love.

That is what is so great about roasted veggies. It is a simple preparation that can be done to almost any vegetable. It can be a S, E, FP or XO side dish depending on the type of veggie and the amount of fat you use. Roasting the veggies brings out the natural sweetness in them and can change your least favorite veggie into one you crave. Think you don’t like asparagus or brussel sprouts? Have you tried them roasted? If you haven’t then you can’t answer that honestly just yet.

So what do you need to know about roasting veggies? Temperature, location and size, that’s it!

First, temperature

You want a nice hot oven so set it at a minimum of 425 degrees for most veggies. Root veggies can handle a temperature of 450 degrees.

Second, location

Place the oven rack in the lowest position. Having the veggies roasting on the lowest position allows a better caramelization to occur.

Finally, size

Whatever size you choose, it needs to be uniform. When you are chopping your veggies you want them all to be pretty much the same size. (Shape does not matter.) If you have some large chunks and some tiny pieces the veggies won’t all finish at the same time. The size of your pieces will play into how long your veggies need to cook. The bigger the pieces the longer the cook time.

 

What veggies should you use?

Well, what kind of meal are you preparing? Is it an FP or an S? Then choose whatever non-starchy you’d like! Broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, brussel sprouts, asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, zucchini, green beans, even onions and tomatoes in moderation.

For an FP meal you want to chop your veggies into whatever size you like. Then you have two choices. You can either lightly spray the pan and veggies with cooking spray and sprinkle on your seasonings, or you can place your cut veggies in a Ziploc bag and add no more than 1 tsp of melted oil or butter per serving. You can toss the veggies around in the bag to make sure they are fully coated with oil then add your seasonings to the bag, moving everything around to be sure everything is evenly seasoned.

For an S meal you can do things exactly the same as above except be more liberal with the oil.

For an E meal you can add the starchier veggies. E meals are where I like to get my root veggies in. While some root veggies can be used in small amounts in other meal types, I like to have more of them when I am having them roasted, so I keep my roasted root veggies to E where I can really enjoy them. Sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, butternut or acorn squash. Cut your veggies into even pieces, apply oil and spices as you would for your FP meals above.

What oil and seasonings should you use?

Coconut oil, Red Palm oil, butter or olive oil are all good choices. As far as seasonings go I always use salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. Beyond that it is really up to your personal preference.

Cooking Method

Your cooking method is the same for all, even though your temperature will vary. Preheat your oven to 425 for non-starchies and 450 for the root veggies. Spread prepared veggies into an even layer on a lightly greased, rimmed sheet pan. Place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven. Check on the veggies and stir them around every 10 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the veggies and the size of cut you used. The cooking time will most likely take at least 20 minutes but could take 30 – 35.

 

Roasted vegetables fresh out of the oven

Try different varieties, different combinations, different seasonings. The variations are endless! I hope you will give some new veggies a try with this method!

5-Bean Casserole

There are some things that just scream Thanksgiving to you based on your experience. This recipe does that for me. We have always had it, for as long as I remember. I believe the recipe was passed down from my great aunt, I am not sure. What I am sure of is that as soon as I smell the sweet/tangy scent of apple cider vinegar mixing with the sweetener and onions I know that Thanksgiving has come.

This recipe is a crossover due to the fat used. It is true that you could use turkey bacon and omit the 1/4 c added oil that is suggested to make it an E. However, this recipe is a holiday celebration meal for me, so I leave it as a crossover. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

5-Bean Casserole ~ THM Crossover

Ingredients

8 Slices Bacon (If using turkey bacon you will need to add 1/4c coconut oil to the recipe)
2 onions, sliced very thinly
3/4 c xes sweetener or gentle sweet
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 14.5 oz can butter beans, drained
1 14.5 oz can red kidney beans or great northern beans, drained
1 14.5 oz can green beans, drained
1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
11 oz Amazing Baked Beans (or canned baked beans if you can find no sugar added)

Directions

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan but keep fat in the pan. (If you used turkey bacon you will need to add 1/4 c coconut oil to the pan.)

While bacon is frying, mix dry ingredients together with apple cider vinegar and molasses. Add vinegar mixture to the fat (oil) in the pan and whisk together over medium high heat. (Be prepared for your sinuses to be cleared!) Add onions to the pan and mix to coat. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.

While onions are cooking crumble the bacon. Mix drained beans together with baked beans in a large bowl. Add half of the crumbled bacon. When onions are finished cooking, pour this mixture over the beans. Stir well and put into a 3 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the rest of the bacon on top of beans.

Cover the casserole dish with lid or foil and bake at 350 for one hour.

(I actually made this a one – pot dish by using my cast iron Dutch oven for the whole process. Yay for less dishes! If you have a pan big enough that has a lid and goes from stove top to oven I highly recommend this method.)

Honestly, I like this dish best the next day after the flavors have had a chance to meld together. Therefore, I would really suggest getting this dish prepared a day in advance giving yourself more free time on Thanksgiving day! You can also cook this in the crock-pot if you’d like. In that case I would suggest cooking it on low for at least 4 hours, giving it that time to marry the flavors.

Be sure to keep checking back. I will be posting all of the recipes that I like to have on hand to keep me on track during the upcoming holiday season. I will eventually compile them all into a Holiday Menu post to be published on November 1st.

Sweet Potato Casserole ~ THM Crossover or E

Sweet potato casserole is my Thanksgiving day “splurge”. Sure, I am going to make lots of yummy treats for Thanksgiving day, I have a few different desserts planned even. But all of those fit into the S day I have planned for Thanksgiving. (If you have no idea what I am talking about then I highly suggest going over to Trim Healthy Mama, ordering their book and having your life changed!) Sweet potatoes are an E food though and this recipe is actually a crossover all by itself. But it is Thanksgiving! It is a feast day! I don’t intend to derail all the hard work I have done for the past year with a day of eating junk, but I do intend to feast! And this dish will be a part of this feast.

Like I said, this recipe, as written, is a crossover food. It contains both a significant amount of carbs and fat. This is the way I will serve it on Thanksgiving. The rest of the food will be S food (even the stuffing!) so adding this dish to it will make my meal either an S Helper (if I have a very small serving) or a crossover if I have a regular sized serving. At the end of this post I will put in tweaks you can use to make this recipe an E recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole – THM Crossover

Potatoes

• 6 baked sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 c xes sweetener or gentle sweet
• 2 eggs*
• 1/3 c half and half or heavy cream*
• 1/3 c melted butter*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

• 1/2 c xes sweetener or gentle sweet
• 3/4 tsp black strap molasses
• 1/8 tsp of caramel, butterscotch or rum extract
• 1 c chopped pecans*
• 1/3 c baking blend
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 c melted butter*

Let’s make it!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Combine potato ingredients with a hand mixer and put mixture in baking dish. (I am baking the sweet potatoes a day ahead of time to save time on Thanksgiving day. In fact, lots of this recipe could be done the day before. You could also combine all the topping ingredients (except butter) and store them in a baggie till the next day).
3. In another bowl combine sweetener, molasses and extract together to make “brown sugar”. Then stir in all other topping ingredients to make a crumble.
4. Pour crumble evenly over the top of potatoes.
5. Bake for 35 minutes.

*E Tweaks

Anything you see above that has an asterisk needs to be adjusted for an E variation, but the assembly/cooking process is exactly the same. Here is the E variation:

Sweet Potato Casserole – THM E

Potatoes

• 6 baked sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 c gentle sweet
• 3 egg whites (or carton egg whites)
• 2/3 c almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Topping

• 1/2 c gentle sweet
• 3/4 tsp molasses
• 1/8 tsp of caramel, butterscotch or rum extract
• 1 c old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 c baking blend ~OR~ oat flour (just grind rolled oats in your blender)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 8 tsp melted butter (if you make this into 8 servings this is the entire amount of your added fat for an E meal)

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Be sure to keep checking back. I will be posting all of the recipes that I like to have on hand to keep me on track during the upcoming holiday season. I will eventually compile them all into a Holiday Menu post to be published on November 1st.