The World through the Eyes of a Nutritionist

A Very Gluten-Free Thanksgiving!

It was an adventure, somewhat of a challenge, and a little daunting, but when it was all said and done, it was a delicious, mouth-watering feast! It was my first Thanksgiving made from start to finish, and in a way, I feel as if I made it through some right of passage. The turkey, the mashed potatoes, the perfect French silk pie…and best of all, it was all gluten free. So here is what my menu consisted of, as well as my personal review of each item. I learned a lot, and am excited about many more gluten free Thanksgivings to come!

The Turkey:
Well, turkey is turkey. It was nothing fancy, just did a salt and water brine, cut up some carrots and onions to throw on top, put about a ¼ cup of butter on top and further moistened it with some rice wine vinegar. It turned out great – very moist and turkey-like.

GF Cornbread Stuffing with Poblano Peppers:
For this I used a cornbread mix made by Bob’s Red Mill. I made the cornbread according to the directions on the package. In the meantime, I sautéed 3 poblano peppers, red and green bell peppers, and onions. I also used a food processor to blend corn and 3 eggs and salt and pepper. Once the cornbread was fully baked, I mixed the corn mixture with the pepper mixture and folded that into the cornbread. Once mixed, it had to baked for an hour. It turned out pretty well, although the poblano peppers were a bit bitter. When I make it again, I will do without those, and just use more bell pepper. I will probably throw in some garlic as well!

Baked Carrots:
Pretty simple recipe really. I sliced carrots, chopped up some green onions, put them in a small baking dish, covered them with a GF organic vegetable broth that I found. It is made by Pacific Natural Foods. I baked the carrots at 325 for an hour. You can’t really go wrong with baked carrots.

Mashed Potatoes:
I used yellow Yukon potatoes, because they are so creamy by nature. I mashed them with garlic, some green onions, and salt and pepper. With the help of my handy Kitchen-Aide mixer, they turned out deliciously smooth and yummy!

GF French Silk Pie:
I made this wonderfully treat with rice flour and butter for the crust. I then followed this recipe:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
• Whipped cream and chocolate curls, optional
Directions
• Cut pastry sheet in half. Repackage and refrigerate one half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edges.
• Line shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 2 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.
• Pour into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6 servings
Recipe is from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/French-Silk-Pie.

There is nothing wrong with this pie!

Lastly, my husband and I planned on taking a dessert to his parent’s house. Last year, pre-Celiac, I made a pumpkin cheesecake that made the world spin! I had to try to make it again with ingredients that I could digest! It turned out so well that my Father- in-law gave me a hug and a kiss just because he enjoyed it so much! I already have plans to make this again for Christmas, which is only a few short weeks away!

Here is the Recipe! ENJOY! Borrowed from “GlutenFreeda”
Rating

Servings
Makes 1 9-1/2 inch cheesecake.
Difficulty
Medium Ingredients
2 cups gf cookie crumbs (try Pamela’s Pecan Shortbread Cookies)
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
Three 8 ounce packages gf cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup gf brown sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
One 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon gf vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups gf sour cream, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Butter a spring form pan and coat lightly with gf flour.

In a medium bowl, toss gf cookie crumbs with melted butter until evenly moistened. Press crumbs into bottom of prepared pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 3/4 cup of sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time until mixture is thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture. Beat until combined.

Pour cheesecake batter into prepared pan. Place in center of oven and bake for about 70 minutes, or until edges are firm and center of cheesecake is set.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream with remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread sour cream mixture over top of cheesecake and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Transfer cheesecake to a rack and let cool for an hour.

Refrigerate cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

http://www.glutenfreeda.com/recipe-print.asp?rcat=7&rid=846

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, and that your Christmas preparations are nothing short of Merry!