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?

Tangy Orange Cranberry Sauce

For some reason, I cannot imagine a roast turkey dinner, without cranberry sauce.  When I was a kid I would only eat cranberry jelly; no lumpy berries for me!  But since I discovered fresh cranberries a few years ago, I have come to love the tart taste and meaty texture of the whole berry.

In the past, I have made cranberry sauce a couple of different ways.  And at Christmas this past year, I tried a lovely Cranberry-Apple Sauce… a bit different and really good.  I wanted to use less sugar and the apples helped sweeten the sauce considerably.

But for Easter this year, I wanted something a little more unusual.. .but again without too much sugar.

We have been really enjoying the small navel oranges that are available here lately. They are very sweet and very juicy and flavor-full so I decided to make an Orange Cranberry Sauce to go with our Easter turkey.

Now I did already know that cranberries and oranges go together. In the past I have shaved some orange zest into my cranberry sauce as it cooks… and I love the dried cranberries lightly flavored with orange that I was able to purchase from Trader Joes.

So the addition of a whole orange to my cranberry sauce was not a huge stretch… and it turned out so well and is so tasty, I wonder why I never thought of it before.
I started cooking the cranberries in some water and added my spices and a bit of sugar, then whizzed up a whole orange in the food processor.  When it was broken down into small bits, I added it to the berries, which were just starting to pop, and let it all simmer for about 10 minutes.

The Captain wandered into the kitchen, wondering what I was making cause he could smell a lovely citrus scent wafting out the doors onto on the balcony…

Next time you want to surprise your dinner guests with something a bit different, try this lovely Orange Cranberry Sauce. I think it will be really nice with some roast pork too.

Orange Cranberry Sauce
Makes 2 cups

• 1 bag fresh cranberries, 12 oz.
• 1 small whole orange, cut into chunks and seeded
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup white sugar

1. Mix cranberries with water, spices and sugar in a medium sauce pan and set over Medium-High heat.
2. Put chunks of orange into a food processor and whizz till pieces are quite small.
3. Add the orange to the saucepan.
4. Allow mixture to boil lightly  for about 10 minutes.  The berries will pop as they cook.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool.  The mixture will become quite thick as it cools.
6. Store in refrigerator till needed. Leftovers can be frozen.

Per 1/4 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 51; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 13g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

Bubbling away on the stove, steam rising and spices smelling lovely!

The Captain's dinner plate. 

Printable Recipe

Are you a cranberry sauce fan or do you prefer cranberry jelly?

Store bought or home made?

Cranberry-Apple Sauce

I love to be able to cook a traditional turkey dinner at Christmas, with all the fixings... some kind of dressing for The Captain, potatoes, gravy, veggies and cranberry sauce.  It just doesn't seem like a traditional turkey dinner without cranberry sauce... but we are eating less sugar these days, and almost no artificial sweeteners, so I needed to come up with a new recipe to accompany our Christmas turkey dinner this year.

I didn't want to use any Splenda and I sure didn't want to use a whole cup of sugar... both of which I have used in the past.  Cranberries are so tart that they really do need some kind of sweetening to make them edible!

I decided to cut up a couple of apples to add a sweetness to the tart cranberries, and it worked really well.  The natural sugar in the apples allowed me to put just a few tablespoons of added sugar into the mixture, and the natural pectin from the apples helped firm up the sauce when it cooled, too.  If you like it a bit sweeter, then you can certainly add more sugar. 

At first I thought I would use applesauce but opted to go for the cut up apples instead. I think it was a better choice because I like a firm cranberry jelly, and the applesauce may have made it a bit too runny.

This is my plate, without dressing...



Cranberry-Apple Sauce
Makes about 2-1/2 cups

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed
• 2 apples, cored and cut into small pieces
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutmeg

1. Place everything in a medium saucepan over HIGH heat.
2. Bring to boil and then turn down to simmer.
3. Stir continuously as the cranberries split open while they cook.
4. After about 8 or 9 minutes, turn off the heat and cover with a lid.
5. Allow to rest and cool for 15 or 20 minutes.
6. Remove to a covered storage container and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per 1/4 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 1.
Calories 40; Protein 0g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 0g; Fibre 2g.

 

 



Printable Recipe
 

 

Do you like cranberry sauce with turkey?  Tart or sweet?

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

Turkey Leftovers? Create this Biggest Loser Egg Foo Yung!

Here is another one of my favorite dishes to use up that leftover turkey.  It makes a wonderful high protein and filling breakfast... but you could also enjoy it for lunch or even dinner.  If I were making it for one person, I would make it up as written, and then save the leftover for my lunch the next day.

I have also made it using my trusted canned chicken breast, Kirkland brand in the bright blue can, from Costco.  Instead of chopping cabbage and carrots, I use 3/4 cup of tri-color coleslaw mix.  So convenient and quick in the morning.

Try it... I bet you will love it as much as we do!  I am going to post the recipe as I found it in one of the Biggest Loser Cookbooks.   

Egg Foo Yung 
Makes 2 servings

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 cup finely shredded cabbage or fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 2 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions
• 2 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
• 6 large egg whites and 1 egg (or 1-1/4 cups egg substitute)
• 2/3 cup chopped lean turkey, chicken, pork, or cooked shrimp (about 4 oz.)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro 

1. Coat large non-stick saute pan lightly with cooking spray.  Saute cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, scallions, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger over medium-high heat about 3 minutes, or until almost tender but still bright.  Transfer vegetables to bowl to cool.  Clean pan. 
2. Beat egg whites and egg in a large bowl.  Add turkey, vegetables, and black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Coat pan lightly with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.  Add egg mixture.  Cook 1 minute, or until set around edges. 
3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until eggs are set in middle.  Remove from heat, covered, and let stand 2 minutes. 
4. Fold eggs in half and then cut in half before transferring to 2 plates.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot with reduced-sodium soy sauce if desired.

Per Serving.

Weight Watchers P+ = 5.

Calories 216; Protein 29g; Carbohydrate 5g; Fat 8g; Fibre 1g.

Note:

The N.I. is as I made it, according to the recipe quoted, and as calculated by FitDay.

Saute the veggies till soft.

Roughly chop the turkey pieces.

Add the turkey and the veggies to the beaten egg and whites.

Mix well.

Pour into pan that has been wiped and recoated with cooking spray.

Cook till set and let rest a couple of minutes before cutting in half, folding, and plating.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with low sodium soy sauce.

Printable Recipe

Homemade Turkey Broth Makes this Wonderful Soup!

I love to make roast turkey dinners... selecting and preparing the bird itself, deciding what kind of dressing to make to go with it... cooking the cranberries... and of course eating the meal!



But I also know that after we have had a few leftover-turkey sandwiches, and eaten our fill of it... a couple of weeks down the road, there will another opportunity to enjoy that bird!

Because, within a couple of hours after we have feasted on our big turkey dinner, The Captain spends some time stripping the carcass of meat.  Then he cuts it in half and freezes each of the 2 pieces, with a leg and a wing, so that we can make broth and soup in January.

When decide we are ready to make broth, we take one of the packages out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Then, in the morning, we set up the crock pot and put the turkey pieces into it, and cover them with water.  I like to make plain broth that can be used in a variety of other dishes, so I don't add any seasonings.  Just plain water.

We let it bubble and cook all day long... for at least 6 to 8 hours... and it smells wonderful.   By the time it is done, there is a lovely golden broth and most of the meat has fallen off the bones.

I engage The Captain's help again, and he pours the broth into juice jugs that go into the refrigerator to chill.  And he puts all of the meat into plastic containers, which also go into the fridge.

The broth is very tasty and rich.    If I was not going to use it within the next several days, I would freeze it.  I use the turkey broth to make soups.  The meat is still flavorful as well and extremely tender,  I use it variety of ways... soups, omelets, chilis, or even salads and sandwiches. 
And now to the promised soup... This is one of the first things that I make up with my homemade turkey broth.  We love this soup and eat it enthusiastically for dinner and for lunches until it is gone!

It you don't have homemade turkey broth and leftover tureky, don't let that deter you from trying this wonderful soup!  You can certainly make it with chicken broth or bullion cubes, and chicken breasts... which can be cut up and cooked right in the soup pot. 

Mulligatawny is a soup that originated in Southern India.  There it is made with curried chicken, apples, and rice.

This recipe is based on one I found in a cookbook, called Crazy Plates, written by a pair of Canadian sisters.  I have prepared it many times over the past several years and have made some distinct changes to their version... too many to list... but the outcome is similar in taste and texture so I really do need to give them credit.

Here is how I like to make it in my kitchen.

Mulligatawnski My Way
Makes 9 hearty servings of about 1-1/2 cups each

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup white onions, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 8 ounces leftover turkey pieces, dark and light, about 2 cups roughly chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• dash of cloves
• 6 cups turkey broth
• 2 cups diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 tsp salt
• dash of black pepper
• 2 cups apples, cored and chopped
• fat free sour cream or yogurt for topping
• lemon juice

1. Place canola oil in large soup pot over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add celery, onions, carrots, and garlic.  Cook and stir 5 or 6 minutes, until vegetables start to soften.
3. Add the cooked turkey pieces along with the curry, chili, cumin and cloves.  Stir and cook about 2 minutes.
4. Add the broth, tomatoes, rice, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add the apples and simmer for 10 more minutes. 
6. Remove from heat.
7. Serve hot and garnish with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt and a splash of lemon juice.

Per serving, not including garnish.
Weight Watchers P+ = 4.
Calories 156; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 21g; Fat 3g; Fibre 3g.

Chop all the veggies before starting... the celery...

and the onions...

and the carrots.

If you don't have leftover turkey, cut up a couple of chicken breasts.

Saute the veggies and garlic in the oil, until tender.

Add the turkey and the spices.

Add the turkey broth, tomatoes, rice and salt and pepper.

Chop the apples, leaving the skin.  Add to the soup pot and cook for another 10 minutes.

Ladle it up into bowls, and add garnishes...

And even if you don't want the sour cream or yogurt on top, the lemon juice is a MUST!

Printable Recipe