An AIP Thanksgiving

    

Can we make it AIP?

I've been researching & testing a few recipes for weeks now in preparation for Thanksgiving.  Making it through this holiday with the feeling that I have fully enjoyed & participated in one of my favorite times of the year matters alot to me. 

When we lived in West Africa, I planned for Thanksgiving in July.  I'd buy cream of mushroom soup & corn bread mixes in the States on home leave & pack them into my "precious cargo" suitcases to use in November.  All that adaptation practice then has come in handy over & over as I relearn how to eat for autoimmune management.  

My family will be celebrating with my husband's sister & brother-in-law & their family & my parents-in-law.  My father-in-law recently had a quadruple by-pass & his cardiologist put him on the Paleo diet (smart doc), so my mother-in-law & I will be cooking up these adapted Thanksgiving dishes.  We'll be serving it all up along side a traditional Thanksgiving menu for the non-Paleo/AIPaleo among us.  So, here it goes . . . my AIPaleo Thanksgiving menu.  (I am a happy recipe tester, but not much of a recipe creator, so a big thanks to all the wonderful Paleo Pioneers behind these dishes!)

Appetizer:
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

-20 button mushrooms

-2 cups crab meat

-3 tbsp chives

-3 cloves garlic

-1/4 tsp. dried oregano

-1/4 tsp. dried thyme

-1/4 tsp. mustard (look for a brand w/ out paprika)

Recipe

Dinner:
Roast Beef (since there will already be a traditional turkey, we decided to do a roast as the other meat)

-1 4 lb. beef chuck roast

-1/2 tsp. salt

-freshly ground pepper to taste

-2 large onions

-4 cloves garlic

-1 tsp. dried thyme

-3/4 C. strong brewed coffee

-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Recipe (I just omitted the whole gravy part of this recipe.)

Paleo Stuffing

-1 lb. ground pork (plain ground pork, no spices for AIP)

-5 pieces of bacon

-5 stalks celery

-1 yellow sweet potato

-1 yellow onion

-1 container mushrooms

-2 apples

-2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

-1 C. dried cranberries

-1 C. pecans (omit for AIP)

-2 eggs (omit for AIP)

-1/3 C. chicken broth

Recipe (The eggs in this recipe are just a binder, you can skip them.)

Garlic & Herb Mashed Cauliflower

-1 head cauliflower

-1 tbsp. fresh rosemary

-1 tbsp. fresh thyme

-1 Vidalia onion

-2 tbsp. butter

-3 cloves garlic

-1 tsp. black pepper

-1 tsp. salt

Recipe (I have successfully reintroduced small amounts of butter on AIP, but if you aren't there yet consider another oil.)

Paleo Cranberry Sauce
-12 oz. cranberries

-1 C. orange juice

-1/4 C. honey

-1 tsp. fresh ginger

-1/4 C. agave (will substitute w/ stevia to taste)

-1/2 tsp. orange zest

-pinch of cinnamon

Recipe (Too much sweetener of any kind isn't recommended, but agave is not one of the best choices if sweetener is needed.  Substitute a bit of stevia to taste.)

Garlic Green Beans

-24 oz. frozen French green beans

-3 cloves garlic

-2 tbsp. olive oil

Recipe:  (Simply bring your beans to a quick boil, drain & mix minced garlic & olive oil into them.  The smell is delicious.)

Cinammon & Coconut Oil Roasted Butternut Squash

-1 butternut squash

-2 tbsp. coconut oil

-3-4 tsp. cinnamon

Recipe:  (Peel & dice the butternut squash, stir the coconut oil into it & sprinkle w/ cinnamon.  Roast on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 45 mins.)

 
Lemony Roasted Brussels Sprouts

-1 lb. Brussels sprouts

-3 cloves garlic

-1 tsp. lemon zest

-3 tbsp. lemon juice

-3 tbsp. olive oil

-salt & pepper to taste

Recipe:  (Cut sprouts in half, mince garlic, mix all ingredients together.  Roast on cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 mins.)

Dessert:
Coconut Pumpkin Pie Mousse

-1 14 oz. can pumpkin puree

-1/3 C. coconut milk (full fat)

-2 tsp. vanilla extract

-1 ¾ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

-1 tsp. liquid stevia

-1/4 C. coconut oil

Recipe (This recipe is divine with a little soy/dairy-free chocolate, but eat the chocolate VERY sparingly if you follow AIP.)

Mexican Chocolate Macaroons

-2 C. unsweetened fine-shredded coconut (Let’s Do Organic is a good brand)

-1/4 C. cocoa

-1 tbsp. cinnamon

-Pinch of chili pepper (omit for AIP)

-Pinch of salt

-1/3 C. coconut oil

-1/4 C. honey

-1 tbsp. vanilla extract

-2 tbsp. coconut milk (full fat)

Recipe 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  If any readers try one of these recipes, let me know what you thought of it & watch for my post later this week on what I am thankful for . . . it might surprise you.