Keto-Friendly, No Sugar and Gluten-Free Recipes You Can Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s hard not to get excited about what is undoubtedly one of the biggest and most festive food days of the year. But just because you’re cutting out carbs or sugar this year doesn’t mean you have to cut out the flavor – or fun – of a bountiful harvest dinner.
The good news for those following a keto diet and watching their carbs, sugar – and generally trying to eat healthily? The centerpiece to most Thanksgiving dinners — a perfectly prepared, right-from-the-oven turkey – has zero carbs and is keto-approved. However, although the “main event” may be something you can dig into without guilt, what about all of those delicious side dishes that have undoubtedly been a part of many happy harvests in the past? And, equally as important for many of us who live for leftovers, is there a way to make leftovers from your holiday meal into even healthier harvest celebrations in the days following Thanksgiving – going beyond the typical turkey sandwich to create dishes that truly delight your health-conscious family long after that last piece of fat-free/sugar-free pie?
There are a number of tips for a healthy harvest … and a number of things you can do to make your Thanksgiving dinner keto-friendly, gluten-free, and sugar-free this year. Many involve some simple substitutions – and easy ways to turn your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes into a healthier harvest meal for everyone at your table. Skip the mashed potatoes – and instead substitute them for some well-seasoned, flavorful mashed cauliflower. That green bean casserole that has been a part of your family tradition for years? Load up on the green beans – but skip adding any flour to thicken the recipe (you’ll never even know it’s missing.) And fill those serving bowls on the table with all types of low-carb veggies — like spaghetti squash, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts – which not only will fill their plate with perfect side dishes but bring a bounty of health benefits, as well.
The following recipes are some of my favorites for a healthier harvest – both at Thanksgiving and all year long. From my Fall Harvest Salad (filled with tons of healthy ingredients and topped with, of course, a pumpkin-based dressing to celebrate the season) to a healthy take on leftovers (and a perfect addition to your Friendsgiving celebration this year) with a Leftover Flatbread Pizza, these dishes will all leave you and your guests happy and healthy this Thanksgiving. And, of course, thankful.
Friendsgiving Leftover Gluten-Free Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 Gluten-Free Pizza Crust
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil to coat crust
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 3/4 cup Cranberry Sauce
- 2 cups Leftover Turkey coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup Mixed Color Peppers thinly sliced
- 1 handful Butternut Squash Spirals
- 1/4 cup Red Onion thinly sliced
- 1 stalk Celery sliced
- 1 handful Pumpkin Seeds toasted
- 1 wheel Brie Cheese optional for non-vegan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Place gluten-free pizza crust onto a baking sheet
- Sauté celery, peppers, red onion (may be leftover from stuffing)
- Lightly cover pizza crust with thin layer of olive oil and minced garlic
- Place pizza crust on baking sheet, bake 3 minutes until slightly brown
- Take out of oven; spread cranberry sauce over the entire pizza
- Top with turkey, onion, celery, squash, and pumpkin seeds.
- Add Brie cheese if desired
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Do not over-bake crust.
Video
Roasted Cornish Game Hens
Equipment
- Roasting Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Cornish Game Hens
- 1 cup Fresh Cranberries washed and whole
- 1 Orange cut with rind into small wedges
- 1 Apple(s) core, skin on, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 cup Water
- 4 Garlic Cloves peeled
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 sprigs Fresh Sage
- 1/2 cup Butter softened
Seasonings- salt, pepper, garlic powder, curry powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Place paper towel dried hens (innards removed) onto roasting pan
- Rub each Hen with ¼ cup of the softened butter. Generally season to your liking with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of curry powder. Season the cavity as well.
- Put apple slices in the lime water bath to prevent browning
- Generously season the cavity
- Stuff cavity of hen with garlic, cranberries, oranges, apples, and sprigs of thyme, rosemary, sage
- Place pan in the oven and roast for 50 minutes or until hen is golden brown and internal temperature is 165 at thickest part of the thigh and juices run clear
Fall Harvest Salad with Pumpkin Goddess Dressing
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Fall Harvest Salad
- 6 cups Kale chopped
- 1 pkg Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 med Cucumbers diced
- 2 cups Snap Peas ends sliced off
- 1 bunch Radishes sliced
- 1/2 Butternut Squash spirals or chunks
- 1/4 Cauliflower cut into florets
- 1/2 Fennel sliced thin
- 1 small Red Onion sliced thin
- 8 Brussels Sprouts cut in half
- 1 handful Toasted Walnuts
Pumpkin Goddess Dressing
- 1 cup Pumpkin Puree canned or fresh
- 1-1/2 cups Veganaise, Mayo, or Plain Greek Yogurt
- 3 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Monkfruit Sweetener
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
Salad
- Place vegetables into a large bowl and toss lightly.
Dressing
- Place items into blender or food processor, blend on high 45 seconds
Assembly
- Place salad on plate, drizzle with Pumpkin Goddess Dressing and top with Toasted Walnuts
Cranberry Apple Crisp
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fresh Cranberries sliced, washed and whole
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Splenda
- 1 large Apple(s) peeled, cored, chopped
- 2 tbsp Gluten-Free Flour
Topping
- 1/4 cup Splenda
- 1/2 cup Gluten-Free Flour
- 1/2 cup Gluten-Free Oats
- 1/3 cup Butter or Vegan Butter softened
- 3/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening
- Mix cranberries, apples, lime juice, Splenda, and flour in pan
- In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over apples
- Bake 30 minutes or until topping is brown and cranberries and apples are tender when pierced with a fork
- Serve warm with Vegan or Regular Ice Cream
