WAY EASY Green Beans - healthier than the casserole

I must confess, I have never liked the holiday tradition of green bean casserole.... Ok please don't fault me - just a taste thing. Also, with all the cream based soups in it & the fried onions - not sure how good for you it is... So I came up with this version and it tastes great and presents very pretty. You can use fresh green beans if you already have a steamer at home & have the hang of it. Me? I am not a steaming expert yet so....

Ingredients:
2 steam in the bag green beans (the fancy long kind)
1/2 stick of real butter
4 cloves garlic minced through a press (if you are a garlic person, like me, use more)
1T EVOO
S&P to taste

Steam the green beans as directed.
Meanwhile, back at the stove....In a large sauté pan or a fry pan melt your butter on medium/low. Once melted, add EVOO, and minced garlic, S&P. Sauté together until garlic is fragrant - don't burn. If you burn the butter - start over.

When beans are done, (this is why you need the large sauté pan) dump the beans into the sauté pan and toss to coat with the garlic butter mix. Once well coated put in your serving dish and serve.

Tips - this should take all of 10mins. So this will be the last thing you do before dinner.

Paleo Pumpkin Muffins! EASY!

I have a Thanksgiving Day tradition since childhood. We have a big fancy continental breakfast while watching the Thanksgiving Day Macy's Parade. However, trying to go wheat free can be a downer on this breakfast tradition when you want to be eating muffins and pastries along with the family. So I went in search of the great pumpkin muffin. I came across several recipes but on their own they weren't very flavorful but when I started mixing things together and matching spices - I came up with this one that tastes, to me and friends who I have used as market researchers, like the inside of a pumpkin pie. I LOVE them, put I am a pumpkin lover, any time of the year. I use them in place of toast with my eggs on the weekends or snacks at work. You can put them out to non-paleo eaters and I am thinking they will love them too. Great as a breakfast item, snack or roll them out with the turkey on Thanksgiving instead of dinner rolls. And they are easy to make too.. These days I have found coconut flour at Publix and Kroger - but it is still cheaper on Amazon. Here you go...

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz)can organic pumpkin
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup of coconut oil (melted)
6 eggs
1T of vanilla extract
1/4C honey
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8 t ginger
1/8t clove
1/2t Pumpkin pie spice
dash of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 – line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners (12)
In one medium mixing bowl, whisk together coconut flour and spices together, add baking powder. Set aside.
In another large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, & honey together, combine well.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour the pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Using a stand or hand mixer on low mix together well, scraping down the sides so everything is mixed in well.
Divide batter into the muffin cups.
Bake for 20minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:
Coconut oil - to melt put in the microwave in your glass measuring cup in 30sec intervals. You will know if you need more as it melts. Also, do this and let it stand a little in the microwave after done so it can cool down a little. That way when you mix it in with the eggs - it's not too hot and wont accidentally cook the eggs.

Making them look muffin like: Since we are not using rising flour these won't rise and look muffin like unless you make them look that way before cooking. To get the look - use an ice cream scoop instead of a spoon when putting the batter into the muffin cups. They will go into the oven with super cute muffin like rounded tops.

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey!

Hi All - in the honor of Thanksgiving, I am reposting my No Fail Thanksgiving Turkey recipe.  This is the recipe I used to make my VERY first turkey and it came out PERFECTO!  Where did I learn this recipe you may ask?  My mother?  My grandmother? Nope.  The sales lady in the appliance department at Sears.  Yes seriously.

Picture it, Nashville, 2009, November.  We had just moved into our new home only 4months earlier and money was pretty tight.  We kept all the ugly yellow appliances and the thought was we would replace them when either they die or we re-save up the money.

We invited both sides of the family to our new home, as we were very proud of it, for Thanksgiving for me to cook the turkey for the very first time.  Then the fright of frights, only a mere 4 days prior to Thanksgiving - MY RANGE DIED!  ACK!  I was in tears, Darren was consoling me and off we went to Sears to pick out a new oven.

At Sears, this angel - I don't even know her name - helped us find the perfect range.  While she and I were working up the rush order, I asked her about stuffing the turkey because I had heard all these different ideas and thought I would get hers.  

She said, "GIIIIIURRRRL!  NO NO NO!  You do not stuff a turkey!  You yankees do turkey all wrong."  I was so taken aback.  I looked at her and asked her to impart her Southern wisdom on me...  she shared the following recipe with me.  I followed it to the letter and my very first turkey was absolutely the most moist, flavorful turkey even my mother said she had ever had.

And now I share this with you:

• 1 whole fresh frozen Turkey (calculate your pounds by thinking how many guests you are having and then divide by 2.  Like, you're having 16 people for Thanksgiving – you will need an 8-10lb turkey.  And remember to get a little extra in case extra people show up and for sandwiches and turkey pot pie in the days after Thanksgiving).
• 4-5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced into chunks
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 sticks of butter – room temp so it's soft (YES REAL BUTTER – you can use light butter but the package should say BUTTER)
• 2T lemon juice
• 2t thyme

Ok – thaw out your turkey in the fridge.  The bigger the turkey the more time you will need to thaw – I have a 15lb one this year and I am taking it out of the freezer on the Sunday before.  Do not believe the package that 48hrs if enough time.  They lie.

Preheat your oven according to the package.

Once thawed remove all packaging, and put Tom Turkey in the sink start rinsing and get all the insides out – this is gross so you may want to get your mom or your man to do this if you are weak of heart.  Some people cook these up for the dog – I throw them away b/c they are gross.  Rinse everything and put Tom in the pan you're going to cook him in, breast side up.

In a large mixing bowl put the carrots, apples and cut up 1 & ½ sticks of butter up in chunks.  Add the lemon juice & 1t of thyme – mix it all together so it is tossed nicely.  Then take a large spoon and spoon the mixture into both ends of Tom's center cavity.  To have him full of apples, carrots and butter.  Once full – close him up but tucking his legs around the opening or using some cooking spears – metal is best.

Then salt & pepper him on the outside and sprinkle the other teaspoon of thyme all over him.  Then grab the other stick and a half of butter and massage it into him all over until he is well covered.  Then cover him and put him in the oven.  

Now read the package and do the math to figure out how long to cook him b/c it's based on his weight.  You will bast  him every 30mins.  Cook him covered for half the time and uncovered for the other half  that way he stays moist.

Also, you may want to try my Blue Diamond Mashed Potatoes with this.  Even my dad - a die hard mashed tater expert LOVES these - even though they are healthy!  

After Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

After Thanksgiving Turkey Pot Pie

I love the after Thanksgiving fare – and this is one of my faves.  It's more French than the southern version but we like it better.  You will need your left over turkey and gravy.

• 2C cooked turkey – cut or shredded into bite sized pieces
• 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (mine had corn, carrots, peas & green beans)
• 4T turkey gravy
• 1 frozen pie shell
• 1 refrigerated  pie crust (not in the pie dish)
• 1 egg, beaten

These aren't all the ingredients but to show what I mean about the 2 pie crusts.

Defrost your frozen pie shell for about 15mins on the counter.  Preheat oven to 350.  Put the pie shell on a cookie sheet (or baking stone), prick the bottom about 5x with a fork and then cook it for 15-20 mins – to where it's a little cooked but underdone.  Take your rolled up refridgerated pie crust out and let it warmup a little on the counter while you do the next thing.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss together the turkey, veggies and gravy (if you like a touch of sweetness toss in a ½C of dried cranberries).  Pour the mixture into the pie shell so it's in there evenly.

roll out the pie crust on a plate so it's flat.  Then carefully pick it up and place it over the top of the pie so it's the crust.  pinch together the edges so it is sealed.  Take a fork and prick a cross shape in the middle to let out steam.  Then beat the egg in a small bowl and brush it on the top of the pie with a pastry brush.

Bake in the oven for 20mins.  At this point the edges will start to brown.  Take some tin foil (about 3-4inch strips) and cover just the edges around the pie to prevent burning.  Put it back in the oven and cook for another 20mins.  Let it sit and set for about 5 – 10mins before cutting.

This was so pretty when it came out - I almost didn't want to eat it!  Of course we did and it was SUPER FAB!

Serve with the remaining gravy and a nice white wine.  

No Fail Thanksgiving Turkey!

Best Thanksgiving Turkey EVER!!!

I have heard some horror stories from my girlfriends, aunt's grandma's and my own ma on the cooking debacle known as “the 1st thanksgiving turkey I ever made” story.  However, mine came out PERFECT – and I have a dead oven to thank for it!  

We had just moved into the house we live in now and I was bound and determined to host Thanksgiving that year – my first.  For my family and Darren's all together.  And about five days before Thanksgiving – our oven that came with the house DIED!  I about had a coronary.

So off to Sears we go.  I love Sears because they have supplied my family with great appliances for three generations, their stuff lasts AND they are girl friendly.   Our normal sales guy was off this day and this older lady who was probably about my grandma's age was working.  She helped me find the oven we needed AND supplied me with a no fail Thanksgiving Turkey recipe!  

She and I talked for a while and I explained I was going to host my first Thanksgiving and she asked me how I was going to cook my turkey.  I said well, with the stuffing inside of course!  She paused, looked at me and asked (as many southerners do from time to time), “Sweetheart, where are you from?”  NEW YORK!  I said.  She says to me, “You yankees always complain your turkeys are dry yet you continue to stick the DRESSING inside the turkey.”  Then she took me to school in the southern way of cooking a Turkey.  

Apparently, you don't stuff the turkey...  WHAT?!  Yes – for nearly 30years my family had been doing it WRONG!  I of course passed this info to my mother who argued with me.  Then we both decided – it's my first turkey – so no one expects it to be good.  So if we screw it up – as long as no one ends up at the ER we are good.

It was THE BEST turkey we all had ever tasted – except of course a fried turkey but that's a whole other bird!

Here is my recipe for you!

• 1 whole fresh frozen Turkey (calculate your pounds by thinking how many guests you are having and then divide by 2.  Like, you're having 16 people for Thanksgiving – you will need an 8-10lb turkey.  And remember to get a little extra in case extra people show up and for sandwiches and turkey pot pie in the days after Thanksgiving).
• 4-5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced into chunks
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 sticks of butter – room temp so it's soft (YES REAL BUTTER – you can use light butter but the package should say BUTTER)
• 2T lemon juice
• 2t thyme

Ok – thaw out your turkey in the fridge.  The bigger the turkey the more time you will need to thaw – I have a 15lb one this year and I am taking it out of the freezer on the Sunday before.  Do not believe the package that 48hrs if enough time.  They lie.

Preheat your oven according to the package.

Once thawed remove all packaging, and put Tom in the sink start rinsing and get all the sides out – this is gross so you may want to get your mom or your man to do this if you are weak of heart.  Some people cook these up for the dog – I throw them away b/c they are gross.  Rinse everything and put Tom in the pan you're going to cook him in, breast side up.

In a large mixing bowl put the carrots, apples and cut up 1 & ½ sticks of butter up in chunks.  At the lemon juice & 1t of thyme – mix it all together so it is tossed nicely.  Then take a large spoon and spoon the mixture into both ends of Tom.  To have him full of apples, carrots and butter.  Once full – close him up but tucking his legs around the opening or using some cooking spears – metal is best.

Then salt & pepper him on the outside and sprinkle the other teaspoon of thyme all over him.  Then grab the other stick and a half of butter and massage it into him all over until he is well covered.  Then cover him and put him in the oven.  

Now read the package and do the math to figure out how long to cook him b/c it's based on his weight.  You will based him every 30mins.  Cook him covered for half the time and uncovered for the other half  that way he stays moist.

And you will have a GORGEOUS looking, finger likin', buttery turkey!

Dressing is now made by Darren's mom – in another house so I am not tempted to stick it inside of the turkey and she makes it the best.  So win win.  :)

Thanksgiving recipes!

I will be sharing some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes , and post Thanksgiving recipes, over the next week.  That way - in case you need a new recipe or this is your first Thanksgiving you are hosting, you will know you are not alone.

I will share a GREAT mashed potato recipe, my perfecto Thanksgiving turkey recipe, and a healthier version of green beans that folks will love just as much as the high fat version of the casserole.

Also, if you have any cooking questions - please let me know and I will try my best to help you out.

Happy Thanksgiving to Y'all!