As a momma, I am ALWAYS trying to keep our meals as clean as possible. Making sure to get in all of the food groups can prove to be tricky at times and keeping the sweets to a minimum (especially since we have Halloween candy galore right now) can be almost impossible. I have spent several hours and countless experiments in the kitchen to “clean” it all up (by clean I mean nothing processed). Since Delise is our beautiful little one who has proven to be a bit tricky, we have tried to take out as much processed anything as possible (another topic for another day).
I thought it fitting that I blog about creating a healthy, unprocessed Thanksgiving meal that everyone will LOVE. The flavors are rich and the meal is as healthy as it can get. You won’t feel guilty stuffing yourself and then laying on the couch to “sleep it off” with these recipes.
Please enjoy and leave a comment in the comments below if you have a healthy recipe you would like to share.
Let’s start with dessert first!
I have 2 to share with you:
- Baked Pecan and Sweet Potato Pie
Total Time: 52 min.
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 32 min.
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup ground raw almonds
1 Tbsp. + ¼ cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey), divided use
½ tsp. sea salt, divided use
3 Tbsp. + ¼ cup extra-virgin organic coconut oil
1 Tbsp. water
1½ cups raw pecan halves, divided use
6 large medjool dates, coarsely chopped
1 large egg white
1 large sweet potato, baked, skin removed, mashed
¼ tsp. ground ginger
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Combine oats, flour, almonds, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, and ¼ tsp. salt in a medium mixing bowl; mix well.
3. Add 3 Tbsp. oil to oat mixture; mix well. If needed, add water to hold mixture together.
4. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light brown.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350° F.
6. Place 1 cup pecans in a food processor; pulse until well ground.
7. Add dates, remaining ¼ cup maple syrup, remaining ¼ tsp. salt, remaining ¼ cup oil, egg white, sweet potato, and ginger; pulse until well blended.
8. Pour pecan mixture into cooled crust. Top with remaining ½ cup pecan halves.
9. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until firm. Serve warm, or cool pie on wire rack.
Tip:
• This pie is extremely rich, so a serving size is small than a regular slice of pie.
• For a vegan version eliminate egg white. This pie will be more dense, so it is best served warm, or cold (out of the refrigerator).
2. Pumpkin Coconut Custard
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 50 min.
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. fine sea salt
4 large eggs, beaten
½ cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey)
½ tsp. pure coconut extract
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup canned coconut milk
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 300° F.
2. Combine cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl; mix well. Set aside.
3. Combine eggs, maple syrup, and extract in a large bowl; whisk to blend.
4. Add spice mixture and pumpkin.
5. Gradually add coconut milk and almond milk; whisk to blend.
6. Pour mixture evenly into eight 6-oz. custard cups. Place cups in 13×9-inch baking pan; fill pan with 1-inch hot water.
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in custard halfway between center and edge of ramekin comes out almost clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
My FAVORITE Appetizer!
Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 pounds cooked shrimp (medium)
Preparation:
Place garlic and oil in a small skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss with shrimp in a large bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
My FAVORITE Side Dish!
Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Yield:
Ingredients:
8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk (see Tip)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish
Preparation:
- Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. (Alternatively, place florets and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water, cover and microwave on High for 3 to 5 minutes.)
- Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.
- Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
I would LOVE to share a turkey recipe but, quite frankly, my turkey always ends up dry. If you have a turkey recipe you would like to share, please post it in the comments below!
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