Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

I overheard a conversation in the gym this morning about a woman not wanting to start a gluten-free cleanse so close to Thanksgiving. In her mind, holidays and festivities can only be enjoyed through unhealthy foods.  The truth is that you can enjoy  a delicious holiday meal by just switching some of the ingredients instead of avoiding a dish altogether.  I put together this Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup to help you keep all your recipes for the evening together on one page.

Thanksgiving Turkey

 

This turned out extra moist  and juicy thanks to the brine I marinated it with overnight. I baked it while covered with a moist light cloth to lock in all the moisture. Read full printable recipe here

Sweet Potato Stuffing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Made with sweet potato, apples, celery, cranberry, walnuts, and spices. Read full recipe here

Cranberry Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

My recipe for cranberry sauce is sweetened with honey and has a citrus hint to it. It is spiced with ginger and cinnamon and made in under 20 minutes. See full recipe here.

Grain-Free Rolls

 

 

 

 

One of the yummiest breads I’ve ever tried, even among the wheat breads I used to eat. The best part about this bread recipe is that I can make several batches of it at the time and freeze them for later, when I am ready to eat them. I just pop them in the toaster oven for a few minutes and they are as tasty as when they were first baked. See full recipe here

Asparagus Casserole

 

 

 

 

 

Asparagus can also be substituted for green bean for a more traditional can-free, unprocessed side dish. This recipe call for onions mushrooms, broth, arrowroot powder and spices. See recipe here

Garlic Basil Asparagus

 

 

 

 

 

Another side dish that can be made using green beans as well, much simpler than the asparagus casserole. It only calls for 5 ingredients, asparagus, basil, garlic, oil of preference and salt. See recipe here

Celery  Root Puree 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally I find this much tastier than mashed potatoes, and a lot less starchy. It calls for celery root, cauliflower garlic and either butter, ghee or olive oil. See recipe here.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (Paleo or Primal Version)

 

 

 

 

 

I made two different versions for this paleo pumpkin cheesecake recipe, one with regular cream cheese and a dairy free version made with cashews. I personally liked the cheese recipe better, but the second one was still delicious. See recipe here

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

 

 

 

 

 

This Grain-Free Pumpkin Cranberry Bread mixes two of my favorite fall fruits: cranberries and pumpkin. It is also nut free and it is sweetened with dates. See full Recipe here

Pumpkin Custard (dairy-free)

 

 

 

 

 

Flavors of fall, a modified traditional European dessert and a hint of coconut merge together in this rich, creamy and spiced dairy-free pumpkin custard. See full recipe here.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

 

 

 

 

 

These are a hybrid between pumpkin pie filling and a muffin, so they are extra moist. I also provide two different frosting recipes, the first one is a fast and easy cream cheese frosting and the second one is made with coconut milk and coconut oil.  It is delicious as well but a little bit more time-consuming, as it requires you to start the frosting the day before. See full recipe here.

Chocolate Pumpkin Coffee Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edible Harmony’s newest recipe, part brownie, part pumpkin bar and part coffee cake, this will please everyone at the table. See full recipe here.

Thanksgiving is around the corner–are you sticking to your grain-free diet during the holidays?

Paleo Salted “Caramel” Dip

// <![CDATA[
//
//
// ]]>

Somebody please ban me from making this highly addictive, Paleo Salted “Caramel” Dip again. We started by dipping the only two apples we had left, moved on to our last pear and then just used our finger to scoop out the rest.

This dip is dairy-free, refined sugar-free and it took me less than 5 minutes to make. I have a Vitamix blender so it makes blending dates a little bit easier. However, if you are using a regular blender you may have to soak the dates in the coconut milk for an hour or so to soften them. A few variations can be easily made to this recipe: you can add a little bit of cinnamon, or omit the salt and add unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. Also, since dates are already sweet, you can omit the maple syrup and decrease the amount of salt. Another option is you can also replace it for raw honey as well, but ultimately, the maple syrup is what gives it the caramel taste.

I know that lately it seems like all I eat are desserts. Honestly, I only have a treat once or twice per week, but lately my meals haven’t really been very elaborate, I usually just throw whatever vegetables and meat I have into a pot or slow cooker with some spices and make stews or soup. Nothing blog worthy! Although last night I made the best red wine braised oxtail with a garlic-celery root puree, but by judging everyone’s reaction over the liver recipe I posted a few months back, I am assuming that not a lot of people are interested in these cuts of meat. Right?

For other sweet dips try my rawtella, lemon curd or pumpkin butter

Ingredients
1/2 cup dates, packed (about 12 deglet dates)
1/2 cup of full fat coconut milk, BPA free canned or homemade
2 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1/3 to 1/2 tsp of sea salt

Preparation:

• Soak the dates in the coconut milk for about an hour, if you have a high power blender you can skip this step.
• Put the dates, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup and half of the coconut milk in a blender, and turn it on medium speed, start pouring the coconut milk until you get desired consistency. You may not need to add all the coconut milk.
• For a thinner dip add more coconut milk.

Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush is a traditional Middle Eastern appetizer.  It is a dip similar to hummus, but it is made with roasted eggplant (aubergine), instead of chickpeas or garbanzo beans. It is also lighter and creamier. It is usually served with pita bread, but I use it to dip my veggies in. It tastes great with carrot sticks, celery stalks, cucumber slices, or raw cauliflower florets. I also use it as a salad dressing, diluted with some more oil and vinegar, or as a sandwich spread, in wraps or over grilled veggies.

To make this, I first bake the entire eggplant on high heat, until it’s very soft and the skin is charred. I don’t worry about cutting it, peeling it, or trimming the ends of it before I place it in the oven, because I am only going to use the inside part of it. The charring of the skin gives it a little smoky flavor and leaving the eggplant uncut prevents it from drying out. Then I puree it with a food processor, if you don’t have a food processor you can use a mortar and pestle to mash it, but the baba ganoush will be a little “seedy”.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant (about 2 lbs)

1/3 cup of lemon juice

1/3 cup of tahini

1/4 tbsp of ground cumin

3 garlic cloves

Salt to taste

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

Chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh mint and Kalamata olives for garnishing (optional)

Preparation:

• Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bake the whole eggplant until very soft (it takes about 45 minutes), don’t worry about burning the skin.
• Wait for it to cool down and remove the peel.
• Using a food processor or an immersion blender blend the eggplant flesh, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin and salt until a puree is formed.
• Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley and olives and serve as a dip.

Baba Ganoush

Recipe Type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Paleo

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (about 2 lbs)
• 1/3 cup of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup of tahini
• 1/4 tbsp of ground cumin
• 3 garlic cloves
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh mint and Kalamata olives for garnishing (optional)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Bake the whole eggplant until very soft (it takes about 45 minutes), don’t worry about burning the skin.
3. Wait for it to cool down and remove the peel.
4. Using a food processor or an immersion blender blend the eggplant flesh, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, cumin and salt until a puree is formed.
5. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley and olives and serve as a dip.

3.2.1226

Homemade Roasted Tomatoes

I recently found a great deal on organic tomatoes, which is actually rare at this time of the year. I went ahead and bought several pounds of them and after a few salads, some Bolognese sauce, pisto and just about every single tomato recipe I could handle in a week, I decided it was time to preserve them, so I made a large batch of homemade roasted tomatoes and froze it in small containers. I am sure this recipe can be canned as well, but I haven’t done much experimenting with that food preserving method yet.

Did you know that cooking tomatoes actually increases their disease fighting properties? Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes changes its structure when is heated making it easier for our bodies to absorb. Lycopene has been shown to have properties that may help prevent tumor growth, improve cardiovascular health, prevent macular degeneration and helps prevent oxidative damage by free radicals.

For this homemade roasted tomato recipe I used Roma tomatoes, fresh oregano and fresh thyme, but it can be made with any kind of tomatoes and different spices. This makes about a quart, so make a double or triple batch as desired

Ingredients:

4 lbs of very ripe tomatoes
3 sprigs of fresh oregano
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sliced garlic cloves
2-3 tbsp of olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl.
• Remove the oregano and thyme leaves from the stem and add to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and combine.
• Place the tomatoes face down on a baking dish or cookie tray.
• Bake tomatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until the skin on the tomatoes looks wrinkled.
• Pinch off the skin of the tomatoes (optional) and can or freeze for later use.

Homemade Roasted Tomatoes

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 1 quart

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• 4 lbs of very ripe tomatoes
• 3 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 sliced garlic cloves
• 2-3 tbsp of olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl.
3. Remove the oregano and thyme leaves from the stem and add to the bowl along with the rest of the ingredients, and combine.
4. Place the tomatoes face down on a baking dish or cookie tray.
5. Bake tomatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until the skin on the tomatoes looks wrinkled.
6. Pinch off the skin of the tomatoes (optional) and can or freeze for later use.

3.1.09

Paleo Cranberry Sauce

//
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js

I must confess, this was my first time making a cranberry sauce. Having been born and raised in Costa Rica, Thanksgiving is not a tradition I grew up with, so the thought of putting a fruit sauce over some savory turkey next to “wet bread” didn’t initially appeal to me. When we first came to United States we adopted the thanksgiving tradition. Who wouldn’t want an excuse to get together with your loved ones, have a feast and give thanks for all that we’ve got?

I also had never had turkey before I came here, except for turkey sandwich meat and at first it seemed just too dry for my taste, until I once tried a deep-fried turkey… Oh boy! Was it moist and tender! I think it was fried in peanut oil which I am not a fan of and since I didn’t want to spend a fortune buying 5 gallons of coconut oil, I had to perfect the baked turkey recipe.

Back to the cranberry sauce, I now enjoy the sweet and savory contrast. Earlier this fall I created a rosemary fig sauce over pork chops and it has become one of my favorite dishes. As far as the “wet bread” (stuffing), I still can’t get into it. That’s why I created the sweet potato, apple, and cranberry stuffing.

Ingredients:

1 lb of fresh cranberries
½ cup of orange juice, use apple juice for a more traditional flavor
¾ – 1 cup of raw honey
1 tsp of dry ground ginger (optional)
1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp of cinnamon powder (optional)

Preparation:

• Rinse and dry the cranberries and discard the ones that are soft or wrinkled
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the orange juice, honey and spices to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add the cranberries and continue to cook for about 12-15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thicken. Do not cook for longer than that or the sauce will not set.
• Remove the cinnamon stick
• Serve warm or cold

Paleo Cranberry Sauce

Author: Edible Harmony

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 lb of fresh cranberries
• ½ cup of orange juice
• ¾ – 1 cup of raw honey
• 1 tsp of dry ground ginger (optional)
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp of cinnamon powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the cranberries and discard the ones that are soft or wrinkled
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the orange juice, honey and spices to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add the cranberries and continue to cook for about 12-15 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thicken. Do not cook for longer than that or the sauce will not set.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick
6. Serve warm or cold

3.1.09

 

Cumin Aioli

//
http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js
I got the cumin aioli  idea from a friend’s cafe, Harry’s Deli in Tustin, California. Back in my bread-loving days, it was my absolute favorite sandwich place, as he makes all of his own breads, soups and mayos. Now I just order their rib eye sandwich, wrapped in lettuce with oodles of his special cumin garlic mayo.

I made this to use as a dipping sauce for some rutabaga fries, and I finished all the fries and continued to dip celery in it. then i moved to slice cucumbers, in the end up eating with a spoon…it’s that good

It is a little bit on the spicy side, if you want a milder version use less garlic and less mustard powder.

Ingredients for the Cumin Aioli:

2 garlic cloves
1 egg(room temperature)
2 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tsp of cumin
1/4 tsp of mustard seed powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup of olive oil

Preparation:

In your blender on a medium-high power, whip the first 5 ingredients for a few seconds
While the blender is still in motion start pouring in the oil.
Stop when it thickens into a soft mayo consistency, do not continue to blend pass this point or it will liquefy again

Creamy Tahini Vinaigrette

Trying to find a healthy salad dressing has been impossible, they all have wheat, soy, canola oil, sugar, high fructose corn syrup or ingredients that I can’t even pronounce. (Being a foreigner that is probably not a valid reason).

I am happy just putting olive oil and vinegar or lemon, salt and pepper, but once in a while I like to spice up my salads. This one is one of my favorite dressings

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 cup of tahini

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of lemon juice

1/4 c of coconut aminos (soy sauce replacement)

1/2 tbsp of black pepper

1/2 tsp of mustard powder

1 tbsp of fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tbsp of water salt to taste

 

Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients together.
• Let stand for 20 minutes (optional).
• Serve over your favorite salad.

Easy Mayo (regular or lacto-fermented option)

I’ve spent hours at the stores reading labels, looking for a healthy mayonnaise, but even the ones that read “made with olive oil” and “organic” are filled with soy, canola oil, and additives.

I remember that back home whenever we needed mayo, we just made it. The problem is that it didn’t last long and it is not always convenient to whip a batch every time you need a tablespoon or two, but with the lacto-fermented method, this mayo would last up to 2 months.

If you are using the mayo right away, omit the whey, but if you are saving it for later use follow the lacto-fermented instructions.

Ingredients:

1 cup of avocado oil or macadamia oil, OR 1/2 cup of avocado oil plus 1/2 cup of olive oil ( you can also use 1 cup of olive oil but it may taste bitter)

1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1/2 tsp of salt

1/8 tsp of ground mustard

1 egg or 2 egg yolks (room temperature)

1 tbsp of whey (optional)*

 

Preparation:

• Blend the egg, vinegar, lemon, mustard, and salt on low to medium speed, if using cold eggs blend until they slightly warm up.
• While the blender is running slowly pour the oil making a very thin, slow stream until mixture thickens, you can increase the speed of the blender to medium to thicken the mayo a little faster.
• Stop the blender as soon as it thickens, if the mixture starts to heat up it will liquefy again, store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
• If you are making the lacto-fermented mayo, add the whey to the mixture once the mayo has thickened, blend evenly, store in an airtight container, set on the counter for 7 hours at room temperature, refrigerate and store for up to 2 months.

  *Whey is the clear liquid that forms over yogurt, to obtain whey simply strain some plain yogurt with several layers of cheese cloth.
  ** When consuming raw eggs, make sure to use fresh, clean, and organic ones**

Easy Mayo (regular or lacto-fermented option)

Author: Edible Harmony

Ingredients

• 1 cup of avocado oil or macadamia oil, OR 1/2 cup of avocado oil plus 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/8 tsp of ground mustard
• 1 egg or 2 egg yolks (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp of whey (optional)

Instructions

1. Blend the egg, vinegar, lemon, mustard, and salt on low to medium speed, if using cold eggs blend until they slightly warm up.
2. While the blender is running slowly pour the oil making a very thin, slow stream until mixture thickens, you can increase the speed of the blender to medium to thicken the mayo a little faster.
3. Stop the blender as soon as it thickens, if the mixture starts to heat up it will liquefy again, store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
4. If you are making the lacto-fermented mayo, add the whey to the mixture once the mayo has thickened, blend evenly, store in an airtight container, set on the counter for 7 hours at room temperature, refrigerate and store for up to 2 months.

3.2.1753

 

Chimichurri

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js
Chimichurri is a traditional Argentinian steak sauce, it goes great over any grilled meat or poultry or as a dipping sauce. I even pour it over my veggies and salads.

Ingredients:

4 garlic cloves
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 chopped white onion
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or coconut vinegar
1-2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(optional)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp of cumin salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Using a food processor pulse in the garlic and onions until finely chopped
• Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients
• Let sit for at least 20 mins and serve over a steak or as a dipping sauce

All-Natural Barbecue Sauce

Have you ever read the ingredients on your barbecue sauce bottle? It’s filled with sugar, corn syrup, liquid smoke, artificial flavors, preservatives and even soy. which is oftentimes genetically modified

Here is my all natural, milder in taste, version of BBQ sauce

Ingredients:

2 strips of sugar-free, nitrate-free bacon
1/2 medium onion
5 tbsp of homemade tomato paste
1 garlic clove
Dates to taste ( I used 14)
1 tsp of tamarind paste
1/2 tsp of ground mustard
1-2 tsp of garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tbsp of coconut aminos
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
A pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of salt
Ground black pepper to taste
Ground red chili or chipotle chili to taste (optional)
1/2 cup of water

Preparation:

• Using a Vitamix, Blendtec or food processor combine all the ingredients until smooth.
• Transfer to a space sauce pot bring to a boil .
• Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 20 mins.
• If needed add more water to make it more runny
• Store in refrigerator .

 

If using recipe for a crock pot dish, use less water, there is no need to cook it before adding to recipe

Bacon is a key ingredient to give it the smoky flavor