T H A N K S G I V I N G The SURVIVAL Guide YOUR CLEAN EATING HOLIDAY SURVIVAL GUIDE z The Challenge z Roast Turkey? Don t feel locked in to roasting a Turkey at Thanksgiving. If your gathering is small, a chicken will do just as well and take much less time and money, giving you something extra to be Thankful for Other alternatives are quail and pheasant, which make beautiful individual presentations nnn Thanksgiving is typically a HUGE (no pun intended) stumbling block to staying on track with your health and fitness goals. My goal with this guide is to give you a delicious meal with your favorite dishes, but fewer calories and just as much flavor WHY THIS GUIDE I wrote this guide to give you a selection of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. I am not going to overwhelm you with too many choices, because if you re like me too many decisions means I wind up feeling frustrated and abandon the whole thing So I m just going to give you the cleaned up versions that I use myself to bring back the happy memories of my childhood feasts. I hope you will enjoy them and let me know how they went over for you and your family this year. Happy Thanksgiving Recipes in this Guide If you have a favorite dish you d like cleaned up, please send me an email fitbalanz@gmail.com subject line EMERGENCY CLEAN UP :) Roast Turkey Gravy Stuffing Cranberry Sauce Mashed Potatoes Carrots Green Beans Pumpkin Pie
Your Turkey Bird 1 (18 pound) whole turkey 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (I only use Kerrygold as it s organic and grass fed) Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste* 1 1/2 quarts organic turkey stock (or chicken if you can t find turkey) 8 cups prepared stuffing 2 roughly chopped onions and apples and several celery stalks* 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place rack in the lowest position of the oven. 2. Remove the turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels. Fill turkey with onions, apples, celery and a good shake of your seasonings. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season moderately. Position an aluminum foil tent over the turkey breasts. 3. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Cook for 30 minutes then reduce oven temp to 325 degrees F. Baste and then continue to baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hours. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 170 degrees F, about 4 hours. 4. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter, and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving. *You may choose to stuff your bird with your stuffing instead. I like to cook mine separately in the oven to get it nice and crispy on top. ;) *You may also choose to season your bird with an almost unending list of herbs and spices. My favorites are garlic, onion powder, marjoram, sage, rosemary, paprika and parsley.
Gravy Reserved juices and drippings from roasting pan Additional chicken or turkey stock/broth to equal 4 cups 1/4 teaspoons sage, marjoram, thyme, pepper 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoons cornstarch or tapioca starch 4 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour makes it smooth. If you are gluten Directions: free just use more cornstarch instead. See note below) 1. In a large pot, gradually combine the flour and cornstarch to the stock/broth/drippings using a whisk. (if your broth is hot already, mix the flour/cornstarch separately with just a little water, milk or white wine. 2. Add spices and whisk well to combine. 3. Turn on the heat and bring the gravy to a boil, whisking often. 4. Once the gravy boils, reduce the heat just enough to keep it at a low boil. Not a simmer. 5. Boil the liquid down until it s about half gone. (This can take about 20-30 minutes or more). Whisk frequently. 6. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. *If you are using cornstarch for thickening, add more by first whisking two tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. This is called making a "slurry" and will prevent the cornstarch from clumping when added to hot gravy. Gradually whisk in to gravy to desired thickness.
Stuffing This is a two step process. Fortunately, stuffing is a great one to make ahead as it just gets better with time You can do the bread far in advance and just put the rest together the day before the big day. 6 cups cubed whole wheat sourdough bread (fairly small cubes) 1 tablespoon parsley flakes 1/2 cup dried minced onion 2 Tbsp dried minced celery 1 tsp onion powder 1 teaspoon thyme 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon sage 3/4 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake 12 to 15 minutes until dried out and crispy like croutons. 2. In a large bowl combine the baked bread cubes with the seasonings and toss well to coat. Store 2 cups each in quart-size freezer bags. If kept airtight, this can be stored about 3 months in the pantry or 12 months in the freezer. Preparation of Stuffing: 1/2 cup celery, diced 1 onion, diced 1 cup mushrooms, sliced or diced 1 apple, peeled and diced 2 Tbl olive oil or organic unsalted butter 1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth 1. Using medium heat, lightly sautee the vegetables (just a few minutes). 2. Add the broth and bring to a boil. 3. Stir in the bread cubes and apples, cover and remove from heat. 4. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes if serving immediately or cool and store for later use. 5. On serving day I like to put the stuffing in an oven safe dish and bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes to give it a nice crispy layer. *Some people like their stuffing dry and some like it really moist. Feel free to add more or less bread to suit your taste
Cranberry Sauce It just wouldn t be Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce in my book Although I grew up on the canned, jellied version (usually served in the shape of the can, lol), I ve gotten rid of the corn syrup and excess sugars and learned to make a delicious cleaned up version that is so easy and so much better for you and your family This is another one to make in advance and to have the kids help with too. I hope you like it 12 ounce bag of fresh organic cranberries (approx. 3 1/4 cups) 1/2 cup raw organic honey or pure maple syrup* 1 medium cinnamon stick Zest of one large orange 2-3 Tbl juice from orange 1 cup water 1. Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan and bring to a boil. 2. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook at a low boil for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. When most of the liquid is cooked out, turn the heat down to a simmer. The longer you simmer the thicker the sauce will get. Stir frequently at this stage and be sure it doesn t burn *If you prefer a sweeter sauce, use a little more or try adding a few Tbl of coconut sugar to the finished product. *If you like more of a jelly like sauce, allow the sauce to cool then blend and chill overnight.
Mashed Potatoes Mashed potatoes without milk or cream or cream cheese and gobs of butter?? YES. Incredibly delicious?? Also YES You ll get plenty of creaminess from the Yukon gold potatoes and richness from the broth. Yum 1 1/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or turkey broth 1 tablespoon olive oil or organic unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1. Using a steamer basket, cover and steam the potatoes and garlic until fork tender (about 15 minutes) 2. Remove the steamer basket (leave the potatoes in it) and drain the water from the pot. Warm the broth and add the potatoes, garlic, butter, sea salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
Carrots 1 lb baby carrots 1/4 cup orange juice 3 Tbl coconut sugar 2 Tbl organic unsalted butter 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon (feel free to add in other pumpkin spices like cloves, allspice and mace) 1/8 tsp sea salt 1. Boil the carrots until firm tender. 2. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a saucepan and simmer to reduce by about half. 3. Drain carrots and toss with glaze. *A bit of green makes a pretty presentation
Green Bean Casserole This is a multi-step recipe since it s near impossible to find truly clean prepared Cream of Mushroom soup (although the trader joe s version is pretty close. If you prefer to just make plain green beans, they are SO easy and good (steam green beans, then sautee with a little olive oil or butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper). But many people just wouldn t think it was Thanksgiving without the good ol green bean casserole, so here it is 2-1/2 cups organic chicken broth 1-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or reg milk if you tolerate it) 3/4 cups flour (gluten-free, if needed) 4 cups sliced mushrooms 2 Tbl organic butter 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper, parsley, garlic powder and oregano 1/4 teaspoon basil 1. In a med/lg pot, sauté the onions and mushrooms. 2. Add the chicken broth, 1/2 cup of almond milk and seasonings and bring to a low boil. 3. Whisk the flour and seasonings into the remaining cup milk until smooth. The mixture will be thick. 4. Gradually pour the milk/flour/seasoning mixture into the broth mixture in the saucepan and reduce heat to low. Stir/whisk continuously as it simmers to avoid lumps. 5. Continue whisking 5-10 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thick. (Cont...)
Green Bean Casserole (part 2) 1 1/2 cups clean Cream of Mushroom Soup (again, if you can t make it from scratch, the Trader Joe s version is a whole lot better than Campbell s.)* 1 lb. frozen green beans 2 slices whole grain toasted bread 1/4 cup roasted almonds 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Blend toasted bread with almonds 3. Combine frozen green beans with cream of mushroom soup and top with bread topping. 4. Bake for 40-50 minutes (or until bread looks nice and crunchy). *If the soup seems to thin, add a little more cornstarch or flour or arrowroot powder until you reach the desired consistency.
Pumpkin Pie If you have the time to make your own clean eating pie crust, you can find lots of great recipes on the web or here: http:// www.thegraciouspantry.com/how-to-makeclean-eating-pie-crust/. I m including a gluten free pie crust that I used on a test pie and really loved, so if you re needing along those lines I can verify that this was really tasty Almond Meal Pie Crust (makes 1 crust) 2 cups finely ground almond meal 1/4 tsp sea salt 2 Tbl coconut oil 1 egg (I used egg whites which was also just fine) 1. Using a mixer or food processor, combine flour and salt and mix briefly. 2. Add coconut oil and egg and continue to mix/pulse until mixture forms a ball.* 3. Press (not roll) dough into a 9 inch pie crust. 4. For a pie you ll be baking, wrap edges in tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes to allow bottom to brown lightly. For a pie you will not be baking, bake without foil for 8-12 minutes. Pie Filling: 1 15 oz can organic pumpkin 2 eggs (or egg white equivalent) 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk 1 cup coconut sugar (or 2 tsp stevia if you need sugar free. I used a Tbl last time and it was just a bit too sweet for me, so adjust to your own taste) 1 tsp dark molasses 1 tsp cinnamon 1 Tbl pumpkin pie spice 1/4 tsp sea salt 1. Preheat oven to 425 F 2. Mix all ingredients with mixer or blender and pour into pie crust. 3. Put the pie in the oven and immediately reduce heat to 375 F. 4. In 15 minutes, reduce further to 300 F. 5. Bake until almost set in the middle, about 30-40 minutes more (mine needed to cook longer, just keep an eye on it. When the center is almost set and it begins to crack around the edges it s done.) 6. Cool and serve with real whipped cream. *For the crust, I used a mixer and it did not form a ball. It s totally fine as you are not rolling it out.
A Little About Me Hi My name is Anna Gray and I am the founder and CEO of Fitbalanz.com. Fitbalanz s mission is to help busy, frustrated individuals and families achieve their goals and live healthy, more fulfilling lives by utilizing the tools available to me as an Independent Team Beachbody Coach. WHAT I DO As a Beachbody Coach I work with people who struggle with time, focus or motivation to quickly achieve their health and fitness goals and regain their energy and vitality. I create easy meal plans and run engaging challenge groups to provide support to ensure their success. I also lead educational classes and mentor certain clients who would like to gain financial freedom and a sense of purpose by building a profitable and effective business as a Team Beachbody Coach themselves. WHERE YOU CAN FIND ME On Facebook: www.fb.com/fitbalanz On the Web: Fitbalanz.com Instagram: Fitbalanz Email: fitbalanz@gmail.com