The GFCF Thanksgiving Experience

Well, I wish I could say I was on a two month vacation, but in reality I just had other issues to deal with and had to take a break from blogging for a while.  I am glad to be back, and just in time for Thanksgiving!

Do you have any special foods you make for Thanksgiving?  Of course, there are the traditional foods, like turkey and dressing and sweet potatoes/yams and pumpkin pie, but do you have any others?  In our house, things are pretty much traditional, though of course everything is made with a GFCF touch. 

Here is how our Thanksgiving looks:

The Turkey

Once again this year we are looking at getting a fresh, free, range turkey, courtesy of the Hutterite colonies in Montana.  As for what we do with it after we get it, here is our plan, bases on a recipe from America's Test Kitchen:

• Instead of brining (because we don't have a pot big enough to fit the large bird we need), we are just going to use salt.  After carefully loosening the sking around the breast, leg, and thigh, rub a tablespoon of salt under each breast, 1 1/2 tablespoons salt under each leg and thigh, and two tablespoons of salt inside the cavity.  Cover the bird tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours.

• Rinse the excess salt off the turkey (be sure to rinse under the skin) and pat dry.  Make a paste consisting of CF Butter (I use Earthbalance Buttery sticks), cracked pepper, rubbed sage, and fresh or dried thyme.  Rub this paste under the skin of the breasts, thighs, and legs of the turkey.

• Fill three quart zippered storage bags with ice and place the turkey, breast side down, on the ice in a bowl or roasting pan, making sure that the ice is only touching the turkey breasts.  Use one ice bag for each breast, and place the third inside the cavity of the turkey.  Leave the turkey and ice at room temperature for 1 hour.  Doing this cools the turkey breasts so that they will  cook longer and be done approximately the same time as the dark meat.

• Preheat the oven to 425° and place the oven rack on the lowest level.  Place the turkey, breast side down, on foiled covered rack (with drip holes cut into the foil for the juices) inside a roasting pan. Put 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup white wine in the bottom of the roasting pan.

• Roast the bird at 425° for 45 minutes - 1 hour.  Remove the bird, reduce the oven temperature to 325°, and carefully flip the bird over so it is breast-side up in the roasting pan.  Cover and cook at 325°, basting periodically with the pan juices, until the breast meat is at 160° and the dark meat is at 175°.  Let the turkey rest for 30 minuntes before serving.

One other thing:  if your turkey comes with a pop up thermometer, remove it and throw it away.  They are not too accurate...

Side Dishes

So what do you like with your turkey?  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Our must have side dish is this GFCF cornbread stuffing.  I will actually be making a double recipe this year because my family likes it so much!

• Another great dish is this GFCF wild rice casserole.   About the only change I would make to it is that I would pre-melt the GFCF cheese in the microwave (in 30-second intervals with stirring in between) before pouring on top of the casserole to bake. 

• I am about the only one in my house that likes cranberries, and I am definitely beyond that canned, jellied stuff of my youth.  My favorite cranberry dish is this Cranberry Cobbler created by my dear friend Carrie (aka the Ginger Lemon Girl).  Just make sure you use CF butter.  I also think I may try the agave nectar instead of sugar, as Carrie suggests.

Dessert

Thanksgiving is not complete without dessert.  And Thanksgiving dessert usually revolves around pumpkin.  Here are my three favorites.

• This is the recipe I use for pumpkin pie.  It is a happy marriage between several different recipes that makes about the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.  My daughter and I are the only ones that eat pumpkin pie in our house, but that's ok - that means more for us!

• Our other go-to dessert are Carrie's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  This is one of my favorite recipes that I have already made several times this fall.

• Finally, this is my other favorite pumpkin recipe, courtesy of my dear freind Katherine (aka GFCF Mommy).  Her marbled pumpkin cheesecake, made with CF cream cheese and coconut (or almond) milk, is absolutely fantastic.

Other Delicious Thanksgiving Links

Here are some other tasty links to great GF and GFCF Thanksgiving goodies!

• If you are doing a vegetarian Thanksgiving, then head over and see Sea at Book of Yum, who is currently doing a blog event featuring vegetarian Thanksgiving options from a variety of bloggers.  Here is a link to her post announcing the event. 

• Back to Carrie - here is a list of the Ginger Lemon Girl's favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

• Here are some great Thanksgiving ideas from Jenn at Jenn Cuisine.

• And finally, here are some great Thanksgiving recipes and tips from Karina Allrich, the Gluten Free Goddess.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful (and GFCF) Thanksgiving with family and friends.  If you are traveling next week, please be safe!