Thanks to Karla for the great idea of sharing Thanksgiving recipes!
Here are our plans for Thanksgiving Dinner:
Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (by Mom)
Make Ahead Gravy *
Butternut Squash *
Green Beans
Coleslaw
Whole Wheat Bread
Apple Crisp
* = recipe follows
Because K & I eat carb-free & sugar-free, we have had to change our usual Thanksgiving menu. Last year was our first year and it was really hard. But we didn’t get sick and were not so tired in the afternoon from all those sugars.
Everything listed will be sugar-free and I do use Splenda on occasion. I know there are many that poo-poo that but if that is the only treat that doesn’t make me sick, I’ll take it. We don’t have treats often (when did you have one last? Are you eating one now?) so these bits of artificial sweeteners are fine w/ me!
I thickened the gravy with zanthum gum, a carb-free thickener. It looks good, thanks to help I received from the GuaiGroup from the Fibromyalgia Treatment Center.
Make Ahead Gravy (because I don’t like rushing at the last minute and my dh loves gravy!!)
Make Ahead Gravy
3 pounds Turkey Wings (about 4 wings)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth (I use homemade)
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1/2 teaspoon thyme
4 tsp (or so) zanthum gum blob (1 tsp zanthum gum dissolved in 1 cup water until gelled)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Heat oven to 400′ F.
Arrange wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan; scatter onions over top. Roast 1 1/4 hours until the wings are browned.
Put wings & onions in a 5 to 6 quart pot. Add water to roasting pan & stir to scrape up any brown bits on bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), carrot, & thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hrs.
Remove wings to cutting board. When cool, pull off skin & meat. Save meat for another use.
Strain broth into a 3-quart saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetable; skim fat off broth & discard. (If time permits, refrigerate broth overnight to make fat-skimming easier.)
Whisk ‘blob’ into remaining 2 cups broth until blended & smooth.
Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in blob-broth mixture & boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy.
Stir in butter & pepper. Serve or pour into containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
You may substitute 3/4 cup flour for zanthum gum if you are not on the HG diet.
Butternut Squash (Faux Sweet Potatoes)
1 butternut squash
Sugar-free maple syrup
Coarsely chopped walnuts (I use pecans)
Butter
Cleave a butternut squash in quarters or whatever smaller pieces you can manage with a big knife. Then, put in steamer or in a pot with about 2 inches of water. Cook with the skin side up. Let squash cool. (You can do this a day or two ahead, also, which will leave you with about 10 minutes prep time on the day)
You can also put the squash in the microwave whole (I do this all the time). Zap for 8 minutes and more if needed–you should be able to poke a fork easily through the skin.
Peel the butternut squash and cut into sweet potato sized pieces. Arrange the pieces in a glass baking dish in one layer, or as close to one layer as you can get.
Pour over sugar-free maple syrup, putting about a teaspoon full on each piece. Then sprinkle with walnuts and top with pats of butter. Put under the broiler or in a hot oven until everything is melted and gooey.
J: I drizzle the sugar-free maple syrup on and then drizzle with Parkay squeeze margarine b/c K struggles w/ butter still.
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I hope you enjoy a few new twists on our Thanksgiving dinner. I hope my parents survive it! Let me know if you try these recipes!
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You are too much dearie!!
and sew on... 