Celebrate Thanksgiving the Natural Way

 When you think of Thanksgiving, you generally think of comfort foods.  All of those savory dishes made with flaky crusts, creamy potatoes, and topped with that old fashioned gravy, sinful deserts, loaded with sugar and butter.  I have provided you with some of my family favorites for the holidays.  There are always natural alternative ingredients out there that you can use instead of the heavier, fattening, and sugary ingredients without compromising taste.

In my pot pie, cashew mushroom gravy, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and apple crisp, you will notice some common ingredients…   One such ingredient is the oil. I recommend using coconut, grape seed or macadamia nut oil in all of my baked dishes.  Why is that?  Those are some of the only oils that can withstand heat above 300 degrees.  The oils don’t lose all of their nutrients and they don’t become carcinogenic.  Most oils, even olive oil, should only be used in their raw state. 

Instead of using milk, butter and cream, I like to use less fattening, easily digested ingredients such as almond milk, plain yogurt, and coconut oil.  I always use whole grain flour instead of processed white flour.  Did you know that it takes up to 4 days for white flour to go through your system?  The flour will actually turn into glue, sticking to your intestines and fermenting, eventually being converted into fat cells…yum!

Mashed potatoes are usually present at every holiday table.  I have given you a delicious alternative to starchy potatoes.  Bring these cauliflower mashed potatoes to your family’s gathering and they are sure to be a hit.  The great thing is that this dish is so light and very low in starch and fat, that they won’t fill you up as quickly.  Plus, you won’t feel like you are missing out on a traditional holiday dish. 

VEGETABLE POT PIE and CASHEW MUSHROOM GRAVY INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1½ cups spelt flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup Grape Seed, Macadamia Nut, or Coconut oil
½ tsp CelticSea Salt
2-3 Tbsp cold water

Filling:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes or try cauliflower for less starch
2 cups carrots cut into ½ inch slices
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1½ cups green beans
1 Tbsp Grape Seed, Macadamia Nut, or Coconut Oil
½ -1  tsp Celtic Sea Salt 

Cashew Mushroom Gravy:
3 cups filtered boiling water
1 cup rice or almond milk
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried thyme
8 Tbsp whole grain flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot
3/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
2-3 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/3 cup dry vegetarian chicken or vegetable broth
Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Crust:
Combine the dry ingredients and oil in a food processor adding 1 Tbsp of cold water at a time until the dough clumps together. Press the dough into a 9×13 glass baking dish, covering the bottom, sides and corners and with a fork, randomly poke holes in the crust.

Filling:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare the vegetables, sauté the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp of water, the oil and half of the salt in a large skillet for 1-2  minutes. 
Add 1/4 cup of boiling water and the remaining vegetables. 
Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender. 
Stir frequently. 
Drain any excess water and add remaining salt.

Gravy:
In a blender combine all of the gravy ingredients with the remaining 3 cups of boiling water and blend until smooth.
In a sauce pan cook the gravy over medium heat, stirring constantly. 
Slowly bring to a boil.

Pot Pie:
With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the skillet and spread over the crust.
Slowly pour the gravy over the vegetables until just covered, reserving about 1½ - 2 cups of gravy to be served over the pot pie.
Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

*Serves 6-7 

CAULIFLOWER MASHED “POTATOES” 

INGREDIENTS

1 large head of cauliflower
½ of a large butternut squash (about 3 cups cooked)
1-2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
1/4 tsp truffle oil, optional
2 Tbsp Goat Chevre Cheese
3-4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt to taste
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Dash of cayenne
Black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay facing down on a cookie sheet lightly greased with grapeseed or coconut oil.  Bake in the oven for about 35-45 minutes, until completely cooked (should be very soft and almost mushy). Set aside to cool.
While the squash is cooking, steam the cauliflower over high heat for about 10 minutes.  The cauliflower needs to be completely cooked and soft so that it blends like mashed potatoes.
Break up the cauliflower and place in a food process or large bowl, and puree or whip until fluffy like potatoes (for about 1 minute).  During this process, drizzle half of the oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt into the cauliflower (if needed pour into a large bowl) and set aside.
Scoop out ½ of the cooked squash and whip or process until smooth, for about 1 minute.  During this process, drizzle the remaining oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt over the squash. 
Whip together the cauliflower mixture and squash with a hand mixer adding the Goat cheese, truffle oil and the remaining salt.
Stir in the remaining seasonings, taste to adjust the seasonings if needed.Serves 4-5

*Enjoy as a delicious and light alternative to the traditional mashed potatoes.  Potatoes without the simple sugars!  Try it at holidays and see if anyone notices the difference. 

APPLE CRISP 

INGREDIENTS

Apple Mixture:7
 medium Granny Smith or Pippin apples
1/4 cup Xylitol (natural sugar Substitute)
1/4 cup Agave nectar
½ cup spelt flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Topping:
½ cup Agave or ¾ cup Xylitol
1 cup rolled oats, organic
1 cup spelt flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
7 Tbsp grapeseed, coconut or macadamia nut oil (or try mixing the different oils together to equal 7 Tbsp)
½ tsp Celtic Salt

Apple Mixture:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a 9×12 glass baking dish with coconut, grapeseed or macadamia nut oil.
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. 
In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the apples with the flour and sweeteners.
Arrange the apple slices in the greased baking dish. 
Sprinkle a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt over the apples and set aside.

Topping:
Mix the sweeteners, oats, flour and spices in the same bowl.
Add the butter or oil and mix thoroughly until mixture is crumbly.
Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple slices.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.
Serve warm.
*6-8 servings