Colorful Thanksgiving Recipes
New Thanksgiving Recipes for 2011
- Chakra Quinoa Slaw by Tara Armstrong New!
- Cinnamon-Butternut Buckwheat Biscuits by Jennifer Enchin New!
- Coconut Flour Onion Gravy New!
- Garlic Green Spread by Elizabeth L. Giordano New!
- I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Good-For-Me-Stuffing by Elizabeth Good New!
- Kabocha Squash Stuffing New!
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower New!
- Sautéed Cabbage with Daikon and Carrots Recipe
- Sides/Condiments by Jennifer Kelleher New!
The sun strikes the earth at a shallower angle in late November, causing the light to change, the air to cool, and the greens of Mother Nature’s dress to shift to gold, orange, then brown.
But must our food also?!?
I don’t know about you, but my diet tends to “beige-ify” from Thanksgiving until the end of the year. Turkey – beige. Potatoes – beige. Pumpkin Pie – orange and beige. Gravy – brown. As a result, I feel sluggish, cranky, and end up wearing those beige/orange/brown foods like cushions around my cheeks – and on my other cheeks – until I wake up Jan 1st vowing to go on yet another New Year’s Crash (and Burn) Diet.
Aside from the extra calories, why do I feel so bad?!
Well, as our diets take on the colors of autumn, our bodies become more and more acidic, making us vulnerable to a host of problems, such as inflammation, aging, hormone imbalance, osteoporosis, decreased HCL for digestion, protein deficiency, and disease.
Have you noticed how people get sick more often between the end of October and the beginning of January? Sure, it gets colder, but why the surge in sniffles?
The sugary treats associated with the end of the year – Halloween candy corns, Thanksgiving pecan pie, and Winter holiday chocolates – feed opportunistic bacteria, viruses, and yeast in a our digestive tract. So while we crave warmth and comfort, we uncontrollably crave more and more sugar-laden carbs, increasing the infection load in the body and lowering the immune system.
Psychologically, the Standard American Diet has conditioned us to associate meats and carbs with this season. In other words, we fill our tummies with acidic foods and create an acidic environment within our body. Besides the deleterious effects of acidity on the body mentioned above, the lower the pH balance, the better the conditions for the delicate inner-ecology to be destroyed and inhabited by candida and the other hidden invaders. Again, our immune system suffers.
So when our relatives sneeze and cough as they take off their winter mittens and reach out to give us “We haven’t seen you since last Thanksgiving!” hugs, our already compromised immune systems are easy prey for colds and flus.
That’s where the Body Ecology Diet Principles of Acid/Alkaline, Food Combining, and 80/20 come in to save the holiday season. Eating more alkaline vegetables and less acidic meat and carbohydrates will keep even the most unwanted critters from your most unwanted houseguests at bay.
Okay, okay, I’ve stocked up on my digestive enzymes and my probiotic beverages to help me digest everything, but how can I add some “alkalizing green” to my Thanksgiving meal beyond that lone green bean dish and my morning smoothie of Vitality Greens and Super Spirulina Plus? Are there any “green” recipes that will thrill my family this Thanksgiving as much as my Beige Banana and Brown Sugar Baked Brie Casserole did before I started them all on the Body Ecology Diet?? YES!
Here are a few tips and recipes to add some green and alkalize your holiday meal:
Now this is a Thanksgiving dish that the Pilgrims would have been proud of! A healthy corn, basil, and green bean salad this holiday season will save you from the risk of inflammation caused by eating dairy.
- Swap Traditional Mashed Potatoes for Curry Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” –(They are kind of beige-ish but the good kind J)Why? The milky, sweet, nutty flavor of Cauliflower is a nice change from stronger flavored vegetables. Even though it lacks chlorophyll, cauliflower has plenty of other nutrients, including vitamin C (91.5% of the DV), folate, and dietary fiber. Cauliflower is even a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Add some Creamy Kale Soup and Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts to your table.Why? Leafy green Kale is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese. It also has plenty of dietary fiber, copper, calcium, vitamin B6, and potassium.Brussels Sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K; they also have folate, vitamin A, manganese, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, thiamin (vitamin B1), omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosphorous, protein, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin E, copper, and calcium. Brussels sprouts additionally have amazing disease-fighting phytochemicals.
- Elevate your run of the mill processed cheesy green beans for Green Bean Salad with Corn and Basil.Why? Because this recipe tastes MUCH better and knocks out the dairy, which can cause mucous and inflammation.
- Substitute lightly steamed Broccoli and Guacamole for chips and salsa.Why? Broccoli contains glucosinolates (special phytochemicals) and the carotenoid, lutein. Broccoli is an excellent source of the vitamins K, C, and A, as well as folic acid and fiber. Broccoli is a top source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and E.Delicious Avocadoes are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and E, as well as potassium, fiber, and iron.
Curry Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. organic, unrefined coconut oil, ghee, or butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. ginger root, grated
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne
- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
- ¼ cup water
- Celtic sea salt, Herbamare, or Trocomare to taste
- Lemon juice to taste
- Sauté onion, garlic, ginger root, curry powder, and cayenne in oil or ghee.
- Add cauliflower and water.
- Simmer or pressure cook until tender.
- Add sea salt and lemon juice.
Creamy Kale Soup by Gina LaVerde
Ingredients
- 2 bunches chopped kale leaves
- 1 bunch chopped collard greens
- 1 large chopped butternut squash
- 2 cloves chopped garlic
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp Celtic sea salt
- Coconut oil to taste
- Water for boiling
- Add kale, collards, garlic and squash to a 4 qt pot. Cover with water and boil.
- Reduce heat and add herbs, nutmeg and sea salt.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes then turn off heat.
- Add a few tablespoons of coconut oil.
- Use an immersion blender to puree your soup or add soup to your high-speed blender to make creamy.
Enjoy this with a side of cultured vegetables for optimum health and mineral absorption. This is a delicious, mineral rich soup that is also low in oxalates.
Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. creamy white mustard (check out The Natural Taste brand)
- 2 Tbsp. Lakanto natural sweetener
- 1 tsp. tamari (San-J is wheat-free and low sodium)
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 Lbs. Brussels sprouts, cored and quartered
- Whisk first five ingredients together in medium size bowl.
- Toss in Brussels sprouts and evenly coat them well.
- Spread sprouts evenly over a baking sheet and roast until core is tender (approximately 25 minutes).
- Rotate pan midway through and stir Brussels sprouts gently.
Green Bean Salad with Corn and Basil
Ingredients
- 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
- 3 ears corn, kernels removed when raw
- ½ small red pepper
- 1 small red onion
- 1/3 cup chopped basil
- 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup grape seed oil
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- Separately blanch corn and beans.
- Combine in large bowl, and add pepper, onions, basil, oils, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic.
- Season with hot sauce, sea salt, and pepper.
Add these delicious and colorful Thanksgiving recipes to your bag of tricks this holiday season to keep your energy levels high and your stomach happy!
WHAT TO REMEMBER MOST
You may have noticed by now that many Thanksgiving foods are bland and lacking color. A colorful diet is full of healthy antioxidants and nutrients, so it’s no wonder that eating beige potatoes, orange pumpkin pie, and brown gravy this holiday season leaves you feeling less than your best. Instead of eating the meats and carbohydrates often associated with the holidays, why not try a few mouthwatering and colorful Body Ecology alternatives? We have delicious and nutritious recipes like Curry Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Creamy Kale Soup, and a Corn and Basil Green Bean Salad that will definitely add some flavor to this year’s Thanksgiving feast!
