Thanksgiving 2013

Maple Glazed Spicy Apple Turkey

INGREDIENTS

• 1- 10 to 15 pound fresh turkey
For the wet rub
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Himalayan or unrefined sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 
   Recipes
• ½ tsp chai spice (see this post for the mix)
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
To stuff the cavity
• 3-4 large red apples, cut into quarters (I used Fuji)
• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
To be added to the roasting pan
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 cups all natural, unsweetened apple juice
• 2 whole star anise
• 2 whole cinnamon stick

Make Asian Pot Roast

INSTRUCTIONS

1. The previous day, combine the ingredients for the wet rub in a small mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon until well combined.
2. Pat the bird dry and carefully loosen the skin from the breast by delicately sliding your fingers under it from the neck end until you reach the end of the breasts. Be careful not to break the skin. Rub half of the spice mixture between the flesh and skin. Rub the other half all over the bird's skin, including breasts, thighs and wings.
3. Cover the turkey with plastic film and set it in the fridge to rest until the next day.
4. Preheat oven to 325F
5. Remove turkey from the fridge and place it on a rack in a roasting pan.
6. Stuff quartered apples as well as a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in the cavity. Tie legs neatly together.
7. Add maple syrup, apple juice, star anise and cinnamon stick to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle bird generously with salt and pepper. Tent loosely with foil and roast in a 325F oven for about 20 minutes per pound or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thighs registers 180F
8. Remove the foil for the last hour of roasting.
9. When turkey is done, take it out of the oven, place tent back over the bird and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
10. Oh, and by all means, do not chuck those baked apples; eat them. They are absolutely spectacular!

Bacon and Chive Sweet Potato Biscuits

Prep time:  30 minsCook time:  30 minsTotal time:  1 hourServes: 12
Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato or yam (equivalent to 2 cups mashed)

• 3 tablespoons Coconut Flour

• 3 eggs, whisked

• 6-8 strips of bacon, diced

• leftover rendered fat from bacon

• 3-4 tablespoons chives, thinly diced

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees.

1. Pork holes in your sweet potato with a fork.

1. Place in oven and bake for 30-40 or until soft.

1. Once the sweet potato is done baking, turn oven down to 375 degrees.

1. When you sweet potato is almost done cooking, place your diced bacon into a skillet and brown until crispy. Then place your cooked, crispy bacon on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up the excess fat. The fat that is left behind in the pan, you will use in your biscuits.

1. When your sweet potato is done, peel and place in a bowl and mash with a fork.

1. Then add in your eggs and mix well with your sweet potato. Then add your in your bacon fat and mix well.

1. Then your dry ingredients: coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

1. Finally add your diced cooked bacon and chives. Mix thoroughly

1. Now line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a large spoon to drop your biscuits on the sheet, shaping them as needed. Try to make them all equal in size so they cook the same.

1. Place in oven and bake for 22-27 minutes.

1. Let rest.

1. Top with some melted grass fed butter. You don’t have to, since it’s not paleo, but I did it, and it was delicious. Trust me.

Notes
If you don’t use bacon/bacon fat, add ¼ cup of coconut oil, melted.

SAUSAGE STUFFING

• 1lb ground pork sausage
• 5 pieces of bacon, diced
• 5 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 yellow sweet potato (is that a yam? or a sweet potato? whatever.)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 container of mushrooms, diced
• 2 apples, diced
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup chicken broth

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil, throw diced sweet potatoes/yams on it, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender, then set aside.
2. While those cook, pull out a large skillet, place it under medium-high heat and place chopped bacon in it to begin to cook down. When some of the fat has seeped out and bacon has begun to cook, add your chopped apples, celery, and onions. 
3. When onions begin to become translucent, add ground pork and mushrooms and your white wine vinegar. Let that cook down until pork is almost completely cooked through. You will be placing it in the oven so you want it pretty close to done. (If you're not sure how long that will be, use your eyes. Pink meat is not what we want here people.) Add salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Once the sausage is all done, add mixture to a bowl to cool. Now beat your eggs, add to your sausage mixture, and add your chicken broth, along with your sweet potatoes, pecans, and dried cranberries. Mix well.
5. You can now either use a 9x13 baking dish to place your stuffing in OR place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Either way will work.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until everything is a bit browned. 

Pomegranate, Kale, and Wild Rice Salad with Walnuts and Feta

Vegetarian • Gluten free • Serves 4

Pinch of Yum

Produce

2 cups	Baby kale
1/2 cup	Onion or shallot
1 cup	Pomegranate seeds

Condiments

2 tbsp

Honey

Pasta & Grains

2 cups

Wild rice, cooked

Baking & Spices

1/2 tsp

Salt

Oils & Vinegars

1/2 tbsp	Apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp	Olive oil

Nuts & Seeds

1/4 cup

Walnuts, toasted

Drinks

1 squeeze

Lemon or orange juice

Dairy

1/4 cup

Feta cheese

Liquids

2 tbsp

Water

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

• 5 whole Carrot, Raw, peeled and shredded
• 1 cup Maple Syrup, Grade B
• 3/4 cup Coconut Flour, sifted
• 1 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 10 Eggs, Pastured
• 10 Medjool Dates
• 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Coconut Oil, Organic, melted
• 2 cup Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1 cup Walnuts, Organic, chopped for garnish

Process

1. In a food processor, using the grating blade, shred carrots.
2. Place carrots in a large ziplock bag.
3. Pour maple syrup over carrots and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.
4. Preheat oven to 325°F.
5. In a small mixing bowl, add sifted coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
6. Make date mixture with 10 medjool dates and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.
7. In a large mixing bowl or kitchen mixer, blend eggs, vanilla, melted coconut oil, and date mixture.
8. Add dry ingredients to wet and blend.
9. Remove carrots from the fridge, and drain the excess maple syrup from the carrots using a colander.
10. Stir grated carrots into cake batter.
11. Grease two 9-inch cake pans with coconut oil.
12. Pour batter into pans.
13. (For easy removal, line pans with parchment paper)Bake for 35 minutes.
14. Test center with a tooth pick—if the tooth pick comes out clean, then the cakes are done.
15. Remove cakes from oven and cool.
16. Frost cake with cream cheese frosting, garnish with walnuts, and serve.

17. Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
    • 1/2 cup Maple Syrup, Grade B
    • 16 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese
    • 2 Tbsp Ginger Root, grated

    Process

    
    

    1. Allow cream cheese to come up to room temperature.
    2. Blend cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, and ginger with a hand mixer or kitchen mixer.
    3. Use right away, or refrigerate.