I've been playing with Thanksgiving recipes since just after Halloween. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, and while I know that my family would be okay with pretty much anything I love making all the recipes I remember growing up and serving up a feast.
For the last few years I've pretty much had my recipes for the big day hammered out. Now that we've removed pretty much all the grains from our diet (along with dairy and a lot of other things) I've had to get creative. Mae's reaction to that tiny bit of wheat she had on Patrick's birthday drove home that there would be no bending on the diet restrictions.
I knew that I could make the cranberries and the turkey would be easy, but the stuffing had me brainstorming.
Here's the recipe that I came up with. If you decide to try it you may want to experiment with the spices a bit, since I tend to be heavy handed when it comes to adding spices.
One of the best things about this recipe is that it seems to me that it is actually much tastier the second day after making it. So I'm planning on making it (and the pumpkin pies) the day before Thanksgiving, the cranberry sauce will be finished a couple of days before to big day, the key lime pie is already in the freezer, and as a result this Thanksgiving will likely be my most relaxing since I've been married and cooking, baring any disasters (although I'm a little mixed about how I feel about that because I kind of love rushing around the kitchen on Thanksgiving day too!).
I'm still brainstorming a green bean recipe. I'm a big fan of a traditional green bean casserole. Since so many of the ingredients are off limits I have a feeling it will be something involving green beans, bacon and honey (or maybe it will be something totally different once I start cooking!).
Anyways, enough rambling about my other Thanksgiving ideas, here is my Thanksgiving stuffing. I haven't yet tried it cooked in the bird, and am planning on making it in a separate dish this year.
I find that whenever I use sage and thyme together I feel like it's thanksgiving in my kitchen and so those were two of the ingredients I knew I was going to use when I began building this recipe:
4 stalks celery, diced
For the last few years I've pretty much had my recipes for the big day hammered out. Now that we've removed pretty much all the grains from our diet (along with dairy and a lot of other things) I've had to get creative. Mae's reaction to that tiny bit of wheat she had on Patrick's birthday drove home that there would be no bending on the diet restrictions.
I knew that I could make the cranberries and the turkey would be easy, but the stuffing had me brainstorming.
Here's the recipe that I came up with. If you decide to try it you may want to experiment with the spices a bit, since I tend to be heavy handed when it comes to adding spices.
A look at my plans for Thanksgivings past... |
I'm still brainstorming a green bean recipe. I'm a big fan of a traditional green bean casserole. Since so many of the ingredients are off limits I have a feeling it will be something involving green beans, bacon and honey (or maybe it will be something totally different once I start cooking!).
Anyways, enough rambling about my other Thanksgiving ideas, here is my Thanksgiving stuffing. I haven't yet tried it cooked in the bird, and am planning on making it in a separate dish this year.
I find that whenever I use sage and thyme together I feel like it's thanksgiving in my kitchen and so those were two of the ingredients I knew I was going to use when I began building this recipe:
4 stalks celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 purple onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
10 white mushrooms, diced
1 green apple, diced
1 red apple, diced
1 cup pecans
½ lb ground pork
¾ quart chicken stock
1 tbs Thyme + about 1 tsp
1 tbs Sage + about 1 tsp
1 tbs Rosemary + about 1 tsp
1 tbs Tarragon
1 tsp Celery Seed
1 tsp Parsley
1 tsp Salt + about 1 tsp
1 tbs Onion Powder + about 1 tsp
1 tbs Garlic Powder + about 1 tsp
½ cup honey
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or whatever your baking your turkey at if you do end up making this on Thanksgiving!).
Mix the celery, onions, garlic, mushroom and apples and put them in a baking dish. Top with the pecans and then drizzle the honey over the pecans. Allow to sit while you cook the pork.
Cook the pork on the stove top, draining off the fat and seasoning it with thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, onion powder and garlic powder (I alloted the "+ about 1 tsp" for this part with the first measurement on the list going into the main recipe, but would suggest doing this part to taste). When the pork is done combine it with the rest of the ingredients, mixing in the honey covered pecans and adding the rest of the spices and salt (you can vary this! I tend to add a lot of spices to everything that I make!). Pour in the chicken stock until the dish is not quite covered (I then patted it with a spoon to pack everything down into the stock).
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Reheat the next day in the oven before it's time to eat and enjoy!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or whatever your baking your turkey at if you do end up making this on Thanksgiving!).
Mix the celery, onions, garlic, mushroom and apples and put them in a baking dish. Top with the pecans and then drizzle the honey over the pecans. Allow to sit while you cook the pork.
Cook the pork on the stove top, draining off the fat and seasoning it with thyme, sage, rosemary, salt, onion powder and garlic powder (I alloted the "+ about 1 tsp" for this part with the first measurement on the list going into the main recipe, but would suggest doing this part to taste). When the pork is done combine it with the rest of the ingredients, mixing in the honey covered pecans and adding the rest of the spices and salt (you can vary this! I tend to add a lot of spices to everything that I make!). Pour in the chicken stock until the dish is not quite covered (I then patted it with a spoon to pack everything down into the stock).
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Reheat the next day in the oven before it's time to eat and enjoy!
That looks interesting...I may have to try it. So it doesn't have any bread or grain products at all. I've tried making stuffing iwth GF bread and it didn't come out well My family doesn't like mushrooms, so I wonder what I could sub for that?
ReplyDeleteYeah, Mae is off of pretty much all grains. We can use coconut and almond flour, but all the rice and tapioca and potato products are out.
DeleteI was thinking maybe you could substitute the mushrooms with squash? It would change the flavor a bit, but I'd definitely thought about adding squash to it but sort of ran out of room! It might be an interesting twist if you like squash!
Squash is a good idea...since it's has sweet flavors in it (the apples and honey) squash would probably be good.
DeleteMy MIL dices up an onion, then three strips of raw bacon, and 2 cans green beans. Puts in in a pan on the stove and cook about half hour on low. It wont be creamy but should fit in your diet. Tastes great.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally trying out that stuffing. Our Thanksgiving is past but there's always Christmas! I was going for a Paleo type but this looks good too! Mushrooms seem to figure prominently when omitting bread!
ReplyDeleteMine has been in the oven for 45 min but it is very soups....lots of chicken stock left should I cook it more or is that how it shoild be? It smells so yummy!
ReplyDeleteIt's usually will still have some stock left in the bottom, but as long as everything (especially the apples) feel cooked it should be done. I'm planning on leaving mine in the stock until tomorrow and then when it's heated again and time to serve I'll scoop it out with a slotted spoon! I hope you like it!
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