Recipe Weekend: Need a Gluten Free Holiday Meal?

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Courtesy of Pixabay

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, literally!!!, have you thought of your menu yet? 

Will you be serving deep fried turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, calorie-filled gravy and apple pie jam-packed with sugar? AKA, the traditional meal?

While most people choose to eat an unhealthy meal on Thanksgiving, you don’t have to. This year, choose healthier Thanksgiving meal options, and still be able to enjoy a delicious meal, but without packing on the extra pounds, because Christmas IS coming!

With the help of the experts at bistroMD, you can still celebrate Thanksgiving with the foods you love by using healthy recipes created in the bistroMD kitchen. From a holiday classic like roasted turkey breast with cranberry chutney, to tasty gluten-free pumpkin pie tartlets, bistroMD makes it possible to maintain your diet throughout Thanksgiving.

Check them out:

bistroMD’s Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Chutney Recipe

Nutrition Per Serving (serving includes: 5 oz Turkey Breast + ¼ cup Cranberry Chutney + ½ cup Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Blend + ¾ cup Broccoli): Calories: 300, Protein: 29 grams and Net Carbohydrate: 27 grams

Ingredients:

• Roasted Turkey Breast:
  • 5-6 lb Turkey Breast, bone-in, skinless
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Sage, fresh, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Rosemary, fresh, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

• Cranberry Chutney:
  • 1 lb Cranberries, fresh
  • 1/2 cup Raspberries, frozen
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Celery, finely chopped
  • Juice and Zest of 1 Orange
  • 1 tablespoon Honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

• Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Blend:
  • 1 cup Wild Rice Blend (we like Lundberg Wild Blend)
  • 1 Butternut Squash, cubed
  • 1 Fennel Bulb, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions:

• Roasted Turkey Breast:
  • Pre-heat oven to 325 °F
  • In a small bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, herbs, sea salt and black pepper to make a paste. Then rub the mixture into the turkey breast, coating all sides.
  • Transfer to a roasting pan and roast for about 1 ½ hours to 1 ¾ hours, until an instant read thermometer registered 165 °F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
  • Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Cranberry Chutney:

• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add water, orange juice, orange zest, honey and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add cranberries. Continue to cook until they become soft and burst, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add raspberries and celery, cook an additional 10 minutes, until raspberries begin to burst.
• Reduce heat to low and cover until ready to serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Blend:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 °F.
• Cook rice according to package directions.
• Spread butternut squash and fennel evenly, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil, sea salt and black pepper over the squash mixture and toss with your hands to coat.
• Roast for 20-30 minutes, until squash is turning golden around the edges. Stir squash mixture halfway through cooking.
• Once rice is complete, fluff with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Combine butternut squash and fennel with the rice, toss and serve

How about an amazing side dish?

bistroMD’s Quinoa and Pumpkin Seed Stuffed Acorn Squash

Nutritional Information: (for each serving, serves 8): 

Calories: 219, Protein: 5g and  Carbohydrates: 44g

Ingedients:

• 4 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise with the seeds removed
• 3 cups of water
• 2 cups quinoa
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon minced cardamom
• 1/8 tablespoon of turmeric
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup diced apples
• 1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust rack to the middle shelf.
• Simmer the quinoa in 3 cups of water to make fluffy, this should take 15 to 20 minutes.
• While the quinoa cooks, add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, cardamom and turmeric.
• Using fresh apples, cut into small dices and soak with lemon juice.
• Cover the pan and simmer the vegetables for 5 minutes until they are tender.
• In a big bowl, toss together the quinoa and vegetables. Stir in the dried fruit, diced apples, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the skin of the squash lightly with olive oil. Place the squash, cut side down, in a baking pan.
• Pour 1/2-inch of boiling water into the pan and bake for 20 minutes to soften the squash. Move the squash to a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Stuff the squash halves with the quinoa mix, return them, stuffing-up to the pan, and bake until the flesh can be easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife. This should take 30 minutes or less.

And now on to dessert!

bistroMD’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

Nutrition Per Tartlet (Serves: approximately 15 tartlets): 

Calories: 150, NET Carbohydrate: 12 grams and Protein: 4 grams

Ingredients:

• Pie Crust:
  • 1.5 cups Almond Flour
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, unsalted

• Pie Filling:
  • 1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 can Coconut Milk, unsweetened
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ginger, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cloves, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Pie Crust:
  • Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  • Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender until a smooth dough forms.
  • Spritz muffin pan with non-stick olive oil spray or use muffin liners.
  • Press approximately 1 tablespoon of dough into each cup and press to evenly fill the bottom.

• Pie Filling:
  • Add all ingredients to a medium sized bowl and mix using a hand mixer until smooth. Or add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Divide filling amongst muffin cups.
  • Bake approximately 10-15 minutes or until center is set.
  • Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

ENJOY!