As you plan your Thanksgiving meal, stay focused on the purpose of this holiday - giving thanks. Think about what you will most enjoy cooking. What we have tried to do with these recipes is show you how you can create a totally sugar-free Thanksgiving celebration that is BETTER than the old marshmallow and sweet potato casserole. Keep it simple and have fun!

Try things out and let us know how it goes. Send us your stories of a radiant Thanksgiving and we will post them.

These recipes are our favorite program friendly recipes. If you want wonderful help in planning and making dinner, go to Cook’s Illustrated. It is my favorite site on the web for cooking. They have a special Thanksgiving resource section that I love. It taught me how to improve my gravy!!

SOUPS
Carrot Ginger Soup
Autumn Harvest Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients: 1 TBS olive oil 1lb. (about 7 medium) carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks 1 1/2 cups onion, cut into 1/2" diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock 2 cups milk (cow, oat or soy) 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 1/2 TBS grated fresh gingerroot 1 tsp. ground ginger powder sour cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepot over medium high heat. Add carrots, onions and garlic and saute until vegetables are fragrant and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add stock, milk, salt, pepper and ground powdered ginger. Bring soup to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add grated gingerroot. Turn off heat and cover pot. Let steep for 5 minutes.

4. Puree soup in batches in a blender, carefully avoiding burning spills.

5. Serve hot or cold, garnished with sour cream if desired.

Serves 4

Autumn Harvest Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 lbs. mixed orange (sweet potato, yam, butternut squash, pumpkin) vegetables
• chicken broth
• ½ cup natural peanut butter
• white pepper
• sour cream or ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Peel and cut vegetables into 2" cubes.  Simmer veggies in a 4 quart pot with enough chicken broth to cover until tender.

2. Transfer veggies to a blender (or use a hand blender) with a bit of the broth and puree.

3. Return to broth.  Add peanut butter and stir until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle liberally with white pepper and serve with a dollop of sour cream or ricotta cheese.

Serves 4.

Turkey

Turkey Gravy

Try using brown rice flour in any recipe you like.

Stuffing

Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Stuffing

Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked wild rice 2 1/2 cups water 1/4 tsp. salt 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1" cubes. Do not peel 1 cup chopped apple 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup onions, diced 1/4 cup celery, diced 1/4 cup parsley, chopped 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/4 tsp. pepper 2 TBS olive oil 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine wild rice, salt and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until grains open. Drain and set aside.

2. In another saucepan, combine sweet potatoes with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain, set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat 2 TBS. olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion and celery and saute until vegetables are fragrant. This will be about 2 minutes.

4. Add apples, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Continue to saute another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Combine wild rice, sweet potatoes and apple mixture. Add chopped parsley and combine well. Add almonds and toss.

6. Use stuffing to fill poultry. Or you can put the stuffing into a lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for 25 minutes until golden and heated through.

Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients: 8 cups crumbled cornbread 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 stick butter 2 tsp Poultry Seasoning (or adjust to your taste) 1-2 eggs 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper chicken broth

If you like things like mushrooms or nuts in your stuffing you can add those too. I have used walnuts in this and it was good.

Directions:

1. Make cornbread the day before. If your cornbread recipe says it makes an 8" square pan then double it. Most recipes call for sugar, just don't add it and it will be fine.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute gently until tender but do not brown. Add seasonings to warm onion mixture and stir to bring out the flavor.

3. Put cornbread in a large bowl or pan. Pour onion mixture over cornbread and toss to mix. Beat eggs in a small bowl and stir into bread mixture. (If your bread is very moist you will probably need only 1 egg. Otherwise use 2).

4. Add broth a little (1/2 cup) at a time and stir to mix. If you are stuffing the turkey, the mixture doesn't have to be quite as moist because it will absorb the juices from the turkey. If you are cooking it as a side dish it should be really moist.

5. Stuff cavity of turkey and roast immediately.

6. For side dish, lightly oil a casserole with olive oil. Put mixture in and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until browned around the edges.

Serves 8 (enough for a 12 pound turkey).

Vegetables

Brussels Sprouts Medley

Ingredients: 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts 3 medium gold beets 6 Jerusalem Artichokes (also called sun chokes), sliced into 1/2" slices 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup diced onion 2 TBS olive oil 2 TBS golden balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash Brussels sprouts and remove any discolored leaves, with a paring knife, cut a small 'X' in the root end of each sprout. This will speed cooking.

2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add sprouts. Return to boil and continue to cook, uncovered, until sprouts are just tender and still bright green. Do not overcook. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

3. In a second, small saucepan place gold beets into enough water to cover and cook until tender. Do not cut or peel beets before cooking, as you will lose a lot of the beautiful golden color in the water. When beets are tender, drain, and then plunge into cold water. Peel, then slice into 1/2 inch rounds and set aside.

4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sun chokes and saute until crisp but tender about 5-6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook, two to three minutes more. Add golden balsamic vinegar. Stir and heat through.

5. Remove from heat, toss with reserved Brussels sprouts and beets. Let marinate together at least 1 hour before serving. Taste, add salt and pepper if desired. Can be served warm or chilled.

Yield: 6 servings

Cranberry Glazed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

• 3 medium acorn squash (about 1 LB. Each)
• 2 cups cranberry chutney (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit.

2. Cut off ends of squash. With a sharp knife, carefully cut each squash crosswise into 4 rings each. Discard seeds and strings.

3. Place squash rounds on a single layer on a large cookie sheet lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Remove squash from oven and brush with chutney onto surface of each ring. Return to oven and bake for 20 more minutes.

5. Remove from oven and brush remaining chutney onto slices. Bake another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4

Butternut Squash Stuffed with Brown Rice, Pecans, and Turkey Sausage

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 link turkey sausage (diced or sliced)
• 1 TBS butter (divided)
• 1 tsp maple flavoring (approximate)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (divided)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (divided)
• sprinkling of chopped pecans (could use English walnuts)

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients: 5 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks 1 TBS minced garlic, or to taste 3 cubes chicken bouillon 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened ½ cup butter salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

2. Add potatoes, garlic and bouillon; cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. 

3. Drain, reserving a little of the flavored water.  

4. Mash potatoes with sour cream and cream cheese, adding reserved flavored water, as needed to reach desired consistency. 

5, Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours. 

6. Just before serving, stir in butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients: 3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes 2 eggs 1 4-oz. jar babyfood applesauce 1 stick butter, divided 1 tsp vanilla (I used a vanilla, butter, nut flavoring.) 1/2 tsp maple flavoring 1/2 cup milk (I used oat milk.) 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used spelt flour.)

Directions:

1, Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, applesauce, 1/2 stick butter, vanilla, maple flavoring and milk. Set aside in 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

3. Mix 1/2 stick butter, pecans, and flour. Crumble over top of casserole.

4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Topping should be brown.

5. Casserole may be assembled a day ahead, refrigerated and then baked 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Serves 8 to 10.

Sweet Potato With Cranberries

Ingredients:

• 3 big sweet potatoes (cut into 1" cubes)
• 1 cup cranberries
• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup almond milk
• 1 to 2 tsp cinnamon mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc)
• 1 to 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Mix all ingredients together.  Bake until soft.

Twice- Baked Sweet Potato With Citrus and Mascarpone

If you were really attached to candied yams with marshmallows & orange slices, this recipe is vaguely reminiscent of that, but of course it's much nicer for us.  The subtle orange flavor and the richness of the mascarpone all make it really nice.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs. (6-8 medium-large) sweet potatoes (to yield 2 lbs. cooked sweet potato pulp)
• ½ cup fresh orange juice, with pulp
• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• salt
• white pepper
• 1 whole orange
• chopped fresh chervil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.

2. Bake sweet potatoes until a fork can be inserted easily, about 1 hour.

3. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scrape pulp out of skins, leaving about 1/2" of potato lining the skin. 

4. In a food processor, combine cooked pulp, orange juice, and 4 oz. mascarpone. Purée just until mixed.  

5. Refill sweet potato skins with purée. Heat through for 15 minutes.

6. Preheat Broiler.

7. Dollop remaining mascarpone on top of each potato.  Place underneath broiler just until mascarpone begins to brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

8. Using a fine zester, grate zest from one orange over potato halves and garnish with chopped chervil. Serve immediately.

Green Bean Casserole

This is not the one that we all used to love with the canned soup and the fried onion things on top, but it is a nice substitute.

Ingredients:

• 2 TBS light tasting olive oil
• 1 large spanish onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups Imagine Portobello Mushroom Soup
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, lightly steamed
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, optional

Directions:

1. Sauté onion in oil until it is golden brown in color.

2. Add the mushroom soup and cook until thickened.

3. Add the green beans and pour into a 2 quart oiled casserole dish.

4. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

5. If using almonds, add them to the top of the casserole during the last 10 minutes.

Note: If you cannot locate the mushroom soup, here is a substitution. You can make a roux with 2 TBS oil and 2 TBS whole wheat, whole spelt or brown rice flour and slowly add 1 1/4 cups soy milk. Cook it down until it is thick and creamy. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked mushrooms, 1 TBS minced garlic and 1 TBS minced onion. Use salt to taste.

Bread

Pumpkin Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup corn meal (yellow or white)
• 1/2 cup flour (I used spelt)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 milk (i used oat milk)
• 1/4 chopped apple or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 4 mini loaf pans

Sides

Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients: 4 Valencia oranges Rind of one orange 4 cups apple juice 2 LB. Fresh cranberries 1 1/2 cup walnuts 1 tsp. Cinnamon 1 pinch nutmeg

Directions:

1. Cut up the oranges, add the rind of one of them simmer in 4 cups apple juice for 15 minutes.

2. Add 2 lbs. fresh cranberries and 1 1/2 cup of walnuts.

3. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes until it thickens.

4. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.

Cranberry Salsa

As my recipe is, it was a bit tart, you could up the apple juice concentrate to make it a bit sweeter for your company's taste buds.  I happened to like it tart.

Ingredients:

• 2 large Macintosh Apples with peel, cored, and cut up into chunks
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 3 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate

Directions:

Whir it all up in the food processor until it resembles salsa in texture.

Desserts

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Ingredients: 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling 1 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup Kathleen's Baking Mix 1/3 cup apple juice concentrate 1/2 tsp. maple flavoring 1 TBS Butter, softened 1 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. vanilla 3 eggs lightly beaten 3/4 cup chopped pecans Topping: 2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat a 9" pie pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients except chopped pecans and topping and stir until well blended. Add chopped pecans and mix well. Pour into prepared pie pan.

3. Bake 35- 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with topping.

4. To prepare topping, beat heavy cream on high speed with an electric mixer until very thick and just beginning to peak. Add vanilla and pie spice and continue to beat until cream is stiff and holds a peak.

Kathleen's Baking Mix:

• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 3/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. non aluminum baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Combine all ingredients. Makes 1 1/2 cup mix.

Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup oat or brown rice flour, or a combination of both
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 TBS cold butter
• 3 TBS Crisco or other solid veg shortening
• 1/3 cup iced water
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Filling:

• 2 1/2 lb apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 2 cups unsweetened apple juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBS cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbl apple juice

Directions:

For crust:

1. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter and shortening until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

2. Stir in ice water just until dough comes together. Stir in cheese and combine well.

3. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

For Filling:

1. Combine apples, juice and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Bring to boil.

2. Once apple mixture boils, lower heat to simmer and cook down 10-15 min.

3. Return to boil and thicken by adding cornstarch mixture. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in Vanilla.

To Assemble:

1. Spoon apple mixture into 9" pie pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.

2. On lightly floured surface, quickly roll out the crust into a 13" round. Drape the crust over the apples and crimp edges to seal. With a sharp knife, cut 2 or 3 slits in dough for steam vents.

3. Place pie plate on a baking sheet and place in 450 degree oven. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more or until crust is golden and apples are tender. Let cool at least ½ hour before cutting.

Yield: One 9" pie - 6 to 8 servings.

Sweet Potato Custard Pie

Ingredients:

• 6 medium-sized (4 large works well) sweet potatoes
• Pastry for 1 basic rolled piecrust (see below)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 TBS whole wheat flour
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1, Place potatoes in a 6-quart saucepan, and add enough water to cover. 

2. Bring water to a boil, lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until fork-tender. 

3. Cool in a colander and then peel and mash with a fork. 

4. While potatoes are cooking, roll out pastry (below) and line a 9" pie plate.  

5. Set aside.

6. Preheat oven to 375°.

To Assemble:

1. Combine eggs and milk and add to sweet potatoes, mixing well. 

2. Mix cheese with flour and stir into sweet potato mixture.  Season with soy sauce, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper. 

3. Spread into piecrust and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until knife comes out clean when inserted in the center. 

Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Basic Rolled Piecrust

• 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 TBS butter
• 2 to 3 TBS. vegetable oil
• 5 to 6 TBS ice water

Measure flour into a medium-size bowl.  Cut butter into flour with a fork or pastry blender.  Add oil slowly and continue to cut or mix until dough looks crumbly.  Slowly add ice water (a TBS at a time), tossing gently with a fork while mixing, until you can gather dough into a ball. (you may not use all the water).  Flatten the dough ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.  After dough has chilled, place dough on a piece of floured wax paper on a flat surface.  Flatten dough with your hand, sprinkle a little flour over it, cover with another piece of wax paper, and roll out to form a circle about 12" in diameter, 1/8 to ¼"  inch thick.  Remove top piece of wax paper and invert a buttered 9" pie plate over dough.  Turn plate, dough, and remaining piece of wax paper right-side up.  Remove wax paper and line plate with dough.  Flute edges or simply trim away excess dough with a knife.

**If a recipe calls for a baked crust, prick dough with a fork and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 425°.  Cool on a wire rack.

****You can also make this dough in a food processor.  Put flour and butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.  With processor running, add water a Tbsp. at a time until the dough forms a ball.  Remove and proceed as directed.

Holiday Pumpkin Cheese Cake

This is something my sister and i have discoverd that is soooooo delicous that you can eat during the holidays and not go NUTS!

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz can of unsweetened pumpkin
• 1 12 oz can of fat free or light cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 banana
• nutmeg
• cinnamon
• ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.

2. Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into greased custard cups and bake for 25 minutes.