Thanksgiving Preparations

Thanksgiving is approaching us very quickly. Can you believe it's next week?

This year is our first thanksgiving together since we have been married. Last year Dusty was away on a work trip. We are also hosting this year. My mom is coming and Dusty's good friend is coming. Plus the LDS sister missionaries will be joining us for thanksgiving dinner. Plus a few more that May or may not be coming. So a full house!! We love having company! Oh did I mention this is my first year making thanksgiving dinner by myself!! I am pretty nervous. But I have been planning out the menu since October. So I sure hope that I'll be ready! :) Our thanksgiving dinner this year will be 100% gluten free and dairy free!

Since I'll be feeding 6+ people I am going for as easy and simple yet tasty as possible.

I thought I would share my thanksgiving menu items that would not typically be gluten free before the big day, in hopes that it may help someone who never gets rolls or stuffing or pie because we think it's not possible to have good gluten free thanksgiving dinner. But guess what... It is possible!!

Last night I made gluten free rolls for my first time ever. Everything has to pass my husband's expectations for being gluten free. After he tried them he said "This will be the closest bread that tastes like bread without gluten." Success!! Just like other bread it's always best fresh out of the oven. We ate some of them today but I don't think they will be any good after tomorrow.

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Dinner Roll

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (about 110 degrees)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons xanthan gum
• 1 1/4 cups white rice flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 3/4 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup tapioca starch

1. In the bowl of a mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining ingredients, adding the xanthan gum last. . Mix using the dough hook of an electric mixer.
3. Mix for about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. You do not knead this like a regular bread dough, but it does need mixed well and I have found about 5 minutes is a good time.
4. Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet. The dough is a wet dough, so I found that using a large ice cream scoop works best for this. This makes 12-15 rolls.
5. Cover rolls loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
6. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until done.
7. Enjoy!

As far as stuffing goes I don't think I have ever eaten it before. We never had it at thanksgiving dinner growing up even before being diagnosed. So for my very first time I am playing it safe with Rudi's gluten free stuffing. This is available at my Costco in Colorado. Sprout Farmer Markets, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Fairway, Lowes Foods, Vitamin Cottage, Woodman's, Winn Dixie, Bi-Lo, Russ's Markets, Untied Market, Strack and Van Til, Coburns, Price Chopper, Cub Foods, Roundy's Reasors, Kowalski's, and Albertsons are the stores that are listed by Rudi'sbakery.com that carries Rudi's gluten free stuffing. Although some nationwide retailers only carry their gluten free stuffing at the specified regional locations. Some locally owned natural food stores may carry it also.

Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole
5 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter, cold
1/3 cup orange juice Mini marshmallows

1. In a large pot, boil sweet potatoes until tender. (A knife should slide easily into the center of the potatoes but the potato should still feel a little firm. You don't want them to feel mushy. Test them after 20 minutes of boiling.)
2. Fill a large bowl with ice water. One-by-one slip the potatoes into the ice water and remove their skins. (The skins slide off easily under water. Simply make a small cut in the potato and the skin will peel off. It is like magic!)
3. Cut potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, spices and butter. Rub together until mixture is chunky and butter is evenly distributed throughout the sugar.
5. Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a medium casserole dish. (Use any dish that is large enough to hold 5 potatoes. This size and shape of the dish doesn't really matter for this recipe.) Sprinkle 1/2 the sugar mixture over the potatoes. Repeat and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top of the potatoes. Pour the orange juice evenly over the top layer of potatoes.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender and the juices are boiling.*
7. Remove casserole dish from the oven and turn on the broiler.
8. Cover the casserole with a layer of marshmallows.
9. Put dish under broiler until marshmallows are golden brown.

*You can make this dish up until step 5 a day or two before Thanksgiving. Then, on Thanksgiving, reheat and top with the marshmallows.
Serves 6

I bought these pie crusts at Sprouts. It was on sale for $5 and 2 come in the package. But when they rang it up at the register it ended up being $4! SCORE!! There is no such thing as too many pies right?

I have found several pie recipes that sound so good! So I'll share those recipes. I have sometime until I have to choose between them.

Gluten Free Easy Strawberry Pie

Crust

6

cups Rice Chex® cereal

1/3

cup sunflower or canola oil or melted ghee

3

tablespoons potato starch flour

1/4

cup sugar

1/4

teaspoon salt

1

egg

Filling

2

lb fresh strawberries, sliced (about 5 cups)

1

container (13.5 oz) gluten-free glaze for strawberries

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray (without flour).
• 2In food processor, place cereal. Cover; process until crushed. Add remaining crust ingredients. Cover; process until incorporated. Press mixture into pie plate, starting in center and pressing up side. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack.
• 3In large bowl, stir strawberries and glaze until covered. Spread filling into crust. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Pecan pie

Mix in a bowl, 1/4 C sugar, 2TBS flour, and 1tsp salt. Stir in 1c dark Karo Syrup. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time. Mix 1/2 c evaporated milk, 1c pecans and 1tsp vanilla.

Pour mixture into 9inch unbaked pie shell. Baked in 375 degrees for 50 minutes, or until firm. Cool before serving.

***substitute the flour for a gluten free flour.

***substitute evaporated milk for almond milk use a little more half of what the recipe calls for. If needs be dairy free.

 

 

Fresh Peach Pie

3 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 (3 ounces) packaged peach flavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cornstarch

4 cups sliced peaches

Whipped topping, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix gelatin and cornstarch together and gradually add to the boiling sugar water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until mixture is clear and thickened slightly; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature until cool and thickened like a heavy syrup. (Or refrigerate to cool, stirring often so it doesn't set up too much.) Pour over fresh peaches and fold together gently.

Mound mixture in baked pie shell. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. Makes 1 pie.

 

 

Harvest Apple Crisp

10 cups peeled and sliced apples

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

Place the sliced apples in a 9x13-inch pan. Mix granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all, set aside. In a large bowl, combine oats, remaining 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F. For about 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and apples are tender. Serves 12-15.

 

***use a gluten free crust.

***substitute flour for a gluten free flour

 

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

4 cups diced ripe strawberries

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 cups halved ripe strawberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries, divided

Whipped cream, for garnished

 

Place diced strawberries in a gallon-sized zipper-lock bag; seal well and knead bag to crush berries. Pour crushed berries into a large saucepan and combine with sugar and salt. Remove 1 cup of this mixture and blend with cornstarch in a small bowl; pour back into saucepan. Cook and stir strawberry mixture over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to stir and scrape the bottom of the pan until thick and clear. Stir in lemon zest. Place in a chilled, medium-sized bowl and cool in refridgerator, about 1 hour. Stir in lemon juice.

 

Place halved strawberries and 1/4 cup of the blueberries in bottom of baked pie shell. Spoon chilled glaze over berreis. Garnish with whipped cream and remaining blueberries. Makes 1 pies.

Pumpkin pie

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust recipe
• 1¾ cups pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup almond milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

1. Prepare the pie crust dough according to directions, but let it rest while you put together the rest of the ingredients.
2. Combine all the ingredients using a fork to mix them together.
3. Roll and press the pie dough into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.
4. Add the filling to the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees 45-55 minutes (longer for a 9 inch pie).
5. Cover the crust with foil or a pie shield after about 30 minutes. You can use foil by cutting a large round hole in the center of a piece of foil and placing it over the pie, loosely forming it to the sides of the pie dish.
6. Let cool before cutting.

 

Make sure that the turkey seasoning is gluten free!!

 

I'll write after thanksgiving hopefully with some tips to help us next year.

 

 

 

Happy eatings!!