Healthy Thanksgiving Alternatives

Every thanks giving we all basically throw out whatever good eating habits we have been trying to stick with because of all of the delicious food that happens around the holidays, especially thanksgiving. This year we would like to offer some healthy alternatives so you can still enjoy all those delicious dishes and not feel bad about it! Best of both worlds! We hope you enjoy!

Gluten Free Stuffing inspired from Yammie's Gluten Freedom

For the Bread:
1 cup warm water 
1 1/2 tablespoons instant dry yeast
3 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Tapioca Flour 
1/2 cup Potato Starch 
1 cup White Rice Flour 
2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Combine the water and yeast. Let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the eggs, brown sugar, tapioca flour, potato starch, 1/2 cup of the white rice flour, the xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Stir until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of rice flour and stir to combine (I just add it later so it's not as hard to stir).
Plop it on a greased baking sheet and allow to rise for about 30 minutes. Bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes. 

For the Stuffing:
6 cup dry bread cubes (cook at 200ºF until dry or chop into cubes and set out for a day or two until dry)
A few tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic 
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery 
 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or any combination of sage, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary)
3 cups chicken stock
1 egg, slightly beaten

Saute the garlic, onion, and celery. Add the bread and seasoning. Add the chicken stock and egg and mix just until combined (don't over mix). Dump into a greased baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350ºF or until the top is toasty.

Southwest Style Baked Sweet Potatoes (paleo friendly!) 
inspired from savory lotus

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large garnet or jewel sweet potatoes
• 1 TBS butter, ghee, or coconut oil
• 1/4  onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 LB ground beef, bison, or turkey (preferably grass fed/pastured)
• 1/2 tsp  celtic sea salt (like this)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chili powder (I use this one)
• 2 TBS filtered water
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• FOR SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE:
• 1 ripe avocado, mashed
• 1 TBS olive oikl
• juice from 1 lime or lemon
• a pinch of celtic sea salt
• a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce (my favorite)
• FOR GARNISH:
• green onions
• cilantro
• 1 tomato, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender and completely soft, about 45-60 minutes.
3. Prepare avocado sauce by combining all avocado sauce ingredients and mixing until creamy and smooth. Set aside.
4. About 30 minutes into baking the sweet potatoes, melt fat of choice in skillet and saute onion for 7-9 minutes until beginning to brown.  Add ground meat and continue to cook until meat is completely browned.
5. Add salt, cumin, chili powder and water to skillet.  Mix to combine and cook another 5 minutes on low-medium, until water is all cooked off, stirring occasionally.
6. Add chopped spinach and cook another couple of minutes until spinach is wilted. Cover and remove from heat.
7. When sweet potatoes are done, make a slit in the top of each sweet potato and squeeze the ends to create a little well inside. Gently loosen up some of the inside of each sweet potato with a fork.  Then top with big mound of spiced ground meat.  Drizzle with spicy avocado, and garnish with green onions, cilantro, and tomato.
8. Serve with fresh green salad or steamed greens.  Enjoy!

For more Healthy Thanksgiving ideas and recipes please check out our Pinterest board for this month!