Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Yes, it's that time of year again!  Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated in October so officially, the 2nd Monday of the month is Thanksgiving Day... it's a long weekend in Canada and the holiday takes many forms.  Some people have their celebrations on Sunday while others wait till Monday.... the latter has always been my preference.

I do love to roast a turkey... it is such an easy meal to prepare.  I no longer stuff the bird so it only takes a few hours to cook in the oven.  And without stuffing, the meat is so moist and tender.

I make a stove-top bread stuffing for anyone who wants it and we always have lots of vegetables... including white potatoes and sweet potatoes, too.

If you are interested in a gluten-free traditional turkey dinner, check out this post... with recipes for all the items on the menu:

Roasted turkey and potatoes

Turkey gravy

Quinoa dressing

Homemade cranberry sauce

Steamed carrots

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

What's your favorite part of Thanksgiving Dinner?

Happy Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Yes, a gluten-free Thanksgiving Dinner can be done and in a very HAPPY way that the whole family will enjoy…

We celebrated our first gluten-free Thanksgiving a couple of years ago… just the thought of it was very daunting. But with a bit of research and some planning, it all came together in a very easy and DELICIOUS manner. 

Here is what is on the menu:

Roasted turkey and potatoes

Turkey gravy

Quinoa dressing

Homemade cranberry sauce

Steamed carrots

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Pinot Grigio/ice water

 

Check out the pictures and the recipes on my original blog post… and get cooking!

 

Is this your first gluten-free Thanksgiving?  What are you preparing?

Happy #Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Yes, it's true... a gluten-free Thanksgiving meal can be a very happy experience!  The whole meal prepared for our traditional Canadian Thanksgiving turkey dinner this year was gluten-free. and it was truly delicious.



On the menu:

Roasted turkey and potatoes

Turkey gravy

Quinoa dressing

Homemade cranberry sauce

Steamed carrots

Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Pinot Grigio/ice water

We gave up stuffing our turkey a few years ago.  Not only does it cook much quicker, but the meat is moister, by far.   There is a lot more jus to make gravy, too.  Neither of us ever cared for the bread dressing that was cooked inside the turkey anyway, so we don't miss that one little bit.



We peeled and cut up russet potatoes and set them around the turkey to roast along side it. Roasted potatoes taste so good, and require no mashing and who needs all the butter that it takes to do that!

The turkey jus was thickened slightly with a bit of cornstarch instead of white flour and and then seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper before serving.  I heated it in a saucepan and then mixed a bit of it in a little bowl with some cornstarch and then added that back to the sauce pan to thicken the jus just a bit.  I don't like a thick gravy so this worked really well.



The Quinoa Dressing is made with celery, onion, herbs,  and chicken broth... quite lovely!  And I made enough for lots of leftovers.  I will share the recipe later in this post.  Just an aside...we both do like bread dressings... but we opted to make a gluten-free dinner this year and so decided not to go this route. I will make a bread dressing later for The Captain to have with leftovers... and I will bake it in the oven so it is crispy and crunchy on the edges, just the way he likes it.



I made my homemade cranberry sauce.  It can be made with sugar or with an artificial sweetener for those of you looking to lower calorie and P+ values of your meal.



Steamed fresh carrots need no explanation. I chose them because they are easy and nutritious and they go nicely with turkey.  And they are colorful and look like Thanksgiving!



Rather than fussing with a gluten-free piecrust, I opted for a crustless pumpkin pie.  This is such an easy and delicious dessert.... dress it up with real whipping cream or vanilla yogurt if you like.  It is great and you will make it again and again.



I served an very cold Pino Grigio with dinner and we also like to have a glass of ice-water to sip on, too.

There you have it.. a wonderful gluten-free traditional roasted turkey Thanksgiving Dinner! I hope this will inspire you to think about your own.  Eating gluten-free doesn't have to be an isolating or expensive undertaking. 

 





Stove-Top Quinoa Dressing
Makes 16 servings, approximately 1/2 cup each

• 2 cups quinoa
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
• 1 Tbs fresh or dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Heat oil in large saucepan on MEDIUM, and then saute the celery, and onion till they are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the quinoa, chicken broth, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil.
3. Cover the pan and reduce heat. 
4. Simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed the chicken stock.
5. Remove from heat and fluff the qunioa with a fork. 
6. Replace the lid and keep covered till ready to serve.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 98;  Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 16g; Fat 2g; Fibre 2g.

Printable Recipe

Pumpkin Favorites

In the Fall,  this hungry woman's fancy turns to.... Pumpkins!

I love everything about pumpkins... the feel of the outside skin, the goey soft inner flesh and seeds, the aroma and texture of the cooked flesh, the taste, the shape, and especially the color.  And I love that all of this is so good for me!

Pumpkins and other winter squashes are chock full of vitamins, antioxidants, fibre and minerals.  Not only is pumpkin loaded with vitamin A and antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes, it’s a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron. Half a cup of cooked pumpkin has 3.5 grams of fiber.


I live in a part of the country where pumpkins grow profusely, and during the late Summer and early Fall  the local fields are orange with beautiful, plump pumpkins.

I am always on the lookout for new ways to use pumpkins and other winter squashes.  They can usually be interchanged in recipes without any fail.  Especially where you are subbing pumpkins for other orange squashes such as ambercup or red kurri.

One of my very favorite dishes to make for special dinners during the Fall is home made chili, served in baked sugar pumpkins.  You just cut a lid in the top of the pumpkin and then scoop the seeds out of the centre. Bake the pumpkins for about an hour, fill them up with hot chili and serve on a plate.

You will have a lovely edible bowl and your family and guests will be knocked out by the visual delight and wonderful flavor that the pumpkin bowl brings to the meal.  And the best part is, that as you eat the chili, you eat the cooked pumpkin along with it!

You can also serve soup in the baked pumpkins, or you can use raw pumpkins for dips and fruit salads.

I like to make a special coffee drink in the Fall and Winter, with canned pumpkin puree.  It is very similar to one you can find at your favorite coffee house, but without the fat and calories!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Makes 2 servings 

• 2 cups fat free milk
• 4 Tbs pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
• 2 packets Splenda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee 

1. In a saucepan combine milk and pumpkin and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming.
2. Remove from heat, stir in Splenda, vanilla and spice, and whiz with immersion blender till foamy, about 15 seconds.
3. Pour into two mugs.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of the hot coffee over each.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 90; Protein 10g; Carbohydrate 14g; Fat 0g; Fibre 1g.

Note:
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use dashes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and allspice

Heating the pumpkin and millk on the stove.

Dust the foam with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg before serving.



Printable Recipe

Here are some of the recipes I have previously featured that have pumpkin in them.

Spicy Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Butter

Microwave Muffins

Making Vegetable Soups

Power-Packed Pumpkin Smoothie



Savory Pumpkin Grilled Cheese



Flourless Protein Pumpkin Pancakes

I have two other recipes I want to share with you ... these are both old Weight Watchers favorites and have been making the rounds amongst members every Fall for the past many many years.  I have update the nutritional information for them both, to reflect the current Weight Watchers Points Plus Program values.

But if you are not a Weight Watcher, don't let that deter you... these are both great recipes in their own right and you and your family and friends would never know they are low fat and low calorie too.  They are both delicious!



No-Bake Pumpkin Fluff Pie
Makes 8 servings

• 1 can (15 oz.) canned pumpkin puree
• 1 pkg Jell-o fat free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup fat free milk
• dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice
• 1 packet Splenda
• 1 low fat graham cracker crust
• 8 Tbs  (1/2 cup) fat free whipped topping

1. In a medium bowl mix the pumpkin, pudding mix, milk, spices, and Splenda together until well blended.
2. Pour the mixture into a low fat graham crumb pie crust.
3. Place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. To serve, cut the pie into 8 pieces and plate each piece.
5. Spoon 1 Tbs of fat free whipped topping onto each piece.

Per serving, 1/8th of pie.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 162; Protein 3g; Carbohydrate 25g; Fat 5g; Fibre 3g.

Printable Recipe

And here is the other one....





Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Makes 8 servings 

• 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin pumpkin puree
• 1 (12 oz.) can fat free evaporated milk
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12 packets Splenda 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Pour mixture into a 9" pie pan that has been lightly coated with non-stick spray.
4. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, and then at turn oven to 325°F and bake for 45 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
5. To serve cut into 8 pieces and plate each. Top with fat free whipped topping if you like.

Per serving, 1/8th of pie, without topping.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 50; Protein 4g; Carbohydrate 8g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

Note:
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, use dashes of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and allspice

Printable Recipe