Clean Thanksgiving Dinner

 This year I made a Clean Thanksgiving Dinner. All of the recipes were new to me so, I knew it would be a risk. I was so happy that they were all a total success! It was a delicious Thanksgiving Meal. My Brother in Law even said that if he hadn't been told that the recipes were altered to make them healthy he wouldn't have known! I was asked to share the recipes, so here they all are.

The Turkey! Mmm doesn't it look yummy. I was told it was the most moist turkey they have ever had!

Pomegranate-Glazed Stuffed Roast Turkey

I got my recipe from Clean Eating Magazine's web site.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• Zest 1 lemon
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 14- to 16-lb turkey, defrosted and brought to room temperature
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 recipe Mushroom & Leek Stuffing, at room temperature

POMEGRANATE GLAZE

• 1 1/2 cups 100% pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup no-sugar-added strawberry jam
• 2 tbsp honey 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. In a small bowl, stir together rosemary, lemon zest, pepper and salt. Set aside.
2. Prep turkey, following the Step-By-Step Turkey Prep Guide.
3. Transfer turkey to oven and roast for a total time of 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours. While turkey roasts, make Pomegranate Glaze. After 2 hours of cooking, loosely cover turkey with foil to prevent over-browning. When turkey is 20 to 30 minutes from being done (meat temperature registers about 160 F), uncover and baste with half of Pomegranate Glaze. The turkey is done when juices run clear and a meat thermometer registers 180 F when inserted into the deepest part of the thigh and 165 F when inserted into the center of stuffing in the body cavity.
4. Remove turkey from oven and let rest for 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth to remaining Pomegranate Glaze and reheat on low until hot but not bubbling. Spoon stuffing out of neck and body cavity and transfer to a serving bowl. Remove turkey skin and carve. Drizzle each serving with 2 tsp Pomegranate Glaze and serve.

POMEGRANATE GLAZE

1. In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup broth, jam and honey. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until mixture reduces by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow glaze to thicken.

Mushroom & Leek Stuffing 

The recipe is also from Clean Eating Magazine's web site.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 680-g loaf whole-wheat sourdough bread or regular whole-wheat bread
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1 large leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice bread (if not already sliced) and discard crusts. Cut bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Spread bread cubes out in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted, tossing halfway through. Transfer to a very large bowl.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add mushrooms to bowl with bread. Wipe out skillet with paper towel and heat remaining oil on medium-high. Add carrots, celery and leek. Cook until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add to bread bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients to bread bowl and stir gently to combine. Bread should be moist, not dry or soggy. Cool completely before stuffing turkey, about 1½ hours.

OPTION: If you’d rather not stuff the turkey, you can bake the stuffing separately: Bring stuffing to room temperature and, when the turkey finishes cooking, raise oven temperature to 400°F. Coat a large (about 9 x 13-inch) baking dish with olive oil cooking spray and add stuffing. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned.

 We don't like mushrooms, so I completed eliminated them and just added a few extra slices of Wheat bread. I put half in the turkey and the other half I baked in the oven. The oven one was more crispy and the stuffed one was much more moist. I really liked them both.

Gravy

 I was worried that the pomegranate glaze (see turkey recipe above) would make the gravy really fruity tasting, but it was actually delicious. Some of the best I've ever had. All we did was add a little watered down cornstarch and salt & pepper to the drippings. (For a less fatty sauce you could just eat the pomegranate glaze that is described above - I like a more traditional gravy so I splurged a little!)

 

Rosemary Herb Green Beans

I've altered this recipe from a combination of several recipes I've seen online. Sorry no links since I've been cooking this one for a while.

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Fresh Green Beans

1/2 C Chopped Onion

1/4 C Chopped Celery

1 Clove Garlic

Fresh Rosemary to taste (I used about half of the small package.)

1/4 tsp Basil

Spray with Olive Oil (I have a Misto I use or you can also buy spray Olive Oil in a can by the Pam spray)

Salt & Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all of the ingredients and wrap them tightly in several sheets of Aluminum Foil. Put them on a BBQ grill for 20 - 30 minutes. You can also bake these in the oven. It takes at least an hour, if not longer. I cover them tightly with Aluminum foil and cook them at 350 and just test them with a fork after about an hour.

Honey Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

This is my made up recipe (well I started out with a bread recipe that I like, but I altered it quite a bit). They were seriously so delicious - if I may toot my own horn!

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/4 C Warm Water

1/2 C Honey

1 1/2 Tbsp Yeast

1 Tbsp Sea Salt

3/4 Cup Oil

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

7 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (I have a Nutrimill and I grind my wheat on the fine setting. If you do not have a wheat grinder that will grind really fine, I might use Wheat pastry flour.)

Olive Oil Spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Let yeast dissolve in water and honey.
2. Add other ingredients and mix with a Kitchen Aid. The dough will be very wet and sticky - that's what makes the rolls so light.
3. Raise dough until doubled in size. Punch down and raise again until doubled. Punch down and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours or over night.
4. When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Cover the counter with quite a bit of Wheat flour. Put first portion of dough on floured covered counter. Put more flour on top of the dough before you begin to roll it out - otherwise it will really stick to your rolling pin. Roll it out into a circle about 1/3 inch thick. Spray it with Olive oil. Slice it as you would a pie into 8 equal parts. Roll each triangle from the wide section down to the point into a crescent roll shape. Put on a baking pan to rise a bit while you prepare the rest of the dough. Once the first baking pan is full cover it with a cloth.
5. Bake until it is a golden brown and when you lightly push it, it springs back. (I honestly can't remember how long I baked them for. I think I put a timer on for 10 minutes and then just watched them from there.) 6. After you take them out of the oven lightly mist them with the olive oil spray again. Enjoy!
They tasted delicious topped with Pure Honey.

Pumpkin Pie on a Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Clean Eating Pie Crust 

(makes 2 pie crusts)

I found this recipe on the Gracious Pantry website.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour + extra
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil (see above notes in post)
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk + an extra 1/4 cup additional


Instructions

Prepare your pie tins

Step 1 – Spray your tin with a coat of spray-on olive oil.
Step 2 – Add about 1/8 cup whole wheat pastry flour to your tin.
Step 3 – Shake your tin around until the flour completely coats the surface. Set aside.
Prepare your dough.

Step 1 – Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix.

Step 2 – Measure your soy milk and oil into the same cup.

Step 3 – Mix well by hand until you have a firm dough. Depending on your climate, you may need that extra 1/4 cup of soy milk. I always do. If you add the extra soy milk at the end, it will seem like it was a really bad idea at first. But keep mixing and you’ll end up with a really nice, firm dough. It takes some doing, so don’t give up.

Step 4 – Place your dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Flatten slightly with your hands or rolling pin, and then place another large sheet of parchment paper over the top so the dough is sandwiched in between. Roll with your rolling pin until your dough is about 1/8 in to 1/4 inch thick. You may need to lift the parchment occasionally or flip the whole thing over to get rid of wrinkles in the parchment.

Step 5 – remove the top sheet of parchment, and roll out any wrinkles left in the dough by the parchment. You should have a nice, even and smooth piece of dough. Divide your dough in half.

Step 6 – Place your tin upside down on your dough. Flip the whole thing over, and mold the dough into your tin, being careful not to rip the dough.

Step 7 – Cut the excess dough around the edge of the pan. Keep your knife upright so you get a nice even cut. Crimp with a fork or your finger.

Clean Eating Pumpkin Pie

(Makes 2 traditional sized pies)

Ingredients
2 cups prepared pumpkin
1/2 cup agave or honey
4 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 cups  fat-free milk (you can substitute unsweetened soy, almond or rice milk)

Instructions
Step 1 – Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and mix thoroughly.
Step 2 – Pour mixture into pie crusts.
Step 3 – Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
Step 4 – Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake for 45 additional minutes.
Side Notes: This pie is not very sweet. If you prefer a sweeter pie, add an additional 1/4 cup of agave or honey.

I added the extra agave because I knew I would want it sweet!

I also wanted to share the recipes that we had for breakfast.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are seriously delicious. My husband couldn't believe that they were Clean. He said that they were his favorite of my clean recipes. I'm actually making more tomorrow because the disappeared far too quickly!

I got the recipe from Clean Eating Online.

Serving Size  : 12  

Ingredients

3/4  cup           demerara or turbinado sugar
1/4  cup           unsweetened applesauce
2                      eggs
3/4  cup          canned pumpkin
1/4  cup          water
1 1/2  cup       whole-wheat flour
3/4  tsp           baking powder
1/2  tsp           baking soda
1/4  tsp           ground cloves
1/2  tsp           ground cinnamon
1/4  tsp           salt
1/4  tsp           ground nutmeg
1/2  cup          bittersweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place paper liners in muffin pan.

2. Mix sugar, unsweetened applesauce and eggs together in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin and water.
In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder,
spices and salt. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix just until
combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20
minutes.

Clean Hot Chocolate

I got the recipe from The Gracious Pantry

Makes approximately 4 cups

Ingredients

 4 cups unsweetened soy milk (or almond milk or regular milk)
3/4 cup agave or honey (you can always add more)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional)
3 Tbsp. unsweetened powdered cocoa

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a pot and warm over medium to medium high heat. Stir constantly with a whisk. Pour into cups and enjoy.


This is a good recipe, but it is pretty sweet. I think I am going to hunt for another recipe to try out as well. 

So, if you are looking to feed your family healthier without sacrificing taste these are all must try recipes!! Or if you are just curious about Clean Eating, I challenge you to try out a recipe or two. You will be very surprised at how yummy everything tastes and that you really aren't missing out on anything by eliminating the processed foods and sugars and high fats.