Thanksgiving is all about tradition, but when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle some of our go-to Thanksgiving recipes may no longer fit the bill.  Does this mean we will never have these foods again?  Absolutely not!  With a little creativity our favorite foods can still provide all the comfort of our traditional Thanksgiving meal while nourishing our bodies in a way that still contributes to our overall health.  In addition a shift to a healthier lifestyle gives us a nudge to try some thing new, different, and delicious!

Below you’ll find a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes.  Give them a try and bring something new to the table…you’ll be thankful you did!

P.S. – Don’t forget about breakfast!  Skipping the most important meal of the day will make it harder to make healthy food choices in the face of temptation and also set you up to overeat!

 PUMPKIN MUFFINS

Makes 6 muffins.

Approximate cooking time: 40 minutes

 Ingredients

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (or cook and puree pumpkin yourself)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp  ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup raw honey (optional)
• 2 tsp almond butter
• 1 Tbs sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. Coat 6 muffin tins with coconut oil (or use paper muffin cups and add 1/2 tsp melted coconut oil to batter).
3. Mix all ingredients and pour evenly into tins.
4. Bake for 25 minutes on the middle rack.
5. Sprinkle almonds on top immediately after taking them out of the oven.

*From www.paleoplan.com

SAUSAGE AND APPLE STUFFING

Makes ≈ 4 cups.

Approximate cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 oz uncured bacon (1/2 pkg)
• 2 pounds pork sausage meat
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 4 large ribs celery, chopped
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 medium apples, diced
• 1 c fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Place bacon on an aluminum lined baking sheet and bake for 20 min or until desired crispness is reached.
3. Crumble sausage meat into a pan and cook over medium heat until browned.
4. Crumble bacon and add to the pan.
5. Stir in sage, thyme, salt, pepper.
6. Add onions, mushrooms, apples and celery to the pan.
7. Cook until onions are translucent, celery and apples are soft, and mushrooms are wilted.
8. Remove from heat and add fresh parsley.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Makes ≈ 2 cups.

Approximate cooking time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh raw cranberries;
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions:

1. Place the cranberries and orange juice in a pot and slowly bring to a boil, making sure to stir from time to time.
2. As the cranberries cook, they will eventually pop. When all the cranberries have popped, the sauce is ready.
3. Serve warm or cool in the refrigerator.

* From www.paleodietlifestyle.com

Click here for my recipe for butternut squash.  Perfect with turkey and all the fix-in’s!

PUMPKIN PIE

Approximate cooking time: 60 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1½ cups almond flour
• 4 tbsp butter softened at room temp
• pinch of salt
• 2 c canned pumpkin
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 c coconut cream – the white solid part at the top of a can of coconut milk
• 1/3 c raw honey
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. In a bowl mix the almond meal, butter and salt.
3. Press into the bottom of a pie dish.
4. Bake for 10 min.
5. In a separate bowl combine all additional ingredients.
6. Using an electric mixer, blend well.
7. Pour pumpkin mixture over crust.
8. Bake for an additional 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

*Adapted from www.paleodietlifestyle.com

These 2 dessert recipes are complementary…the leftover egg whites from one are perfect to complete the other!

CUSTARD PIE

Approximate cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/4 c raw honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 can + 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°
2. Lightly grease an 8 inch round casserole with coconut oil.
3. In a sauce pan gently heat coconut milk, honey and vanilla extract stirring frequently until the mixture just begins to bubble.
4. Remove from heat.
5. In a bowl combine the whole eggs, egg yolks and salt.
6. Beat eggs and salt until well scrambled.
7. Slowly beat in the coconut mixture.  (Adding a little at a time will prevent the eggs from scrambling.)
8. Pour mixture into the greased casserole dish.
9. Bake for 30 min or until a knife inserted in the middle of the custard comes out clean.
10. Allow to rest at least 1 hour before serving.  Can be served warm or cold.

*From The Spunky Coconut by Kelly Brozyna

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP MACAROONS

Makes ≈ 3 dozen cookies

Approximate cooking time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c coconut flour
• 2 c shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
• 6 egg whites
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 raw honey, liquefied
• 2 tsp coconut oil, liquefied
• a pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Liquefy the coconut oil and raw honey by placing the containers in a bowl of hot water.
3. Pour off the necessary liquefied amounts.
4. In one bowl combine all dry ingredients until well mixed.
5. In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients until well mixed.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
7. Blend until well incorporated.
8. Place spoonfuls of the batter 1 in apart onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 15 min or until they begin to turn golden brown.

*Adapted from The Spunky Coconut by Kelly Brozyna