Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Starch-free Gravy (AIP) & Thanksgiving Recap


Well, we not only survived our first AIP/Paleo Thanksgiving, but completely thrived on it too. I know it is sort of weird to write about Thanksgiving recipes after the fact, but I’m going to do it anyway in the hopes that maybe it can be inspiration for upcoming Christmas & holiday meals (or for next year’s Thanksgiving).

So much of AIP involves making other healing lifestyle choices, other than just changing the food a person eats. Reducing stress, getting adequate rest/sleep, and gentle exercise are all also key components in promoting healing. The holiday season can be stressful & I didn’t want that potential stress (and lack of sleep/exercise) to derail all the hard work I’ve already done. We decided to celebrate at our own home knowing that cooking for ourselves would give us the greatest control over our food ingredients (and reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Since this Thanksgiving was my first on AIP, or paleo, I wanted to make it seem as “normal” as possible, including items similar to our traditional Thanksgiving favorites. But I also knew the importance of keeping things as simple as possible & not overdoing it.  We planned to eat a hearty, late-morning Thanksgiving brunch & then an early dinner. Having the main meal later in the day didn’t require us to get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking & gave us more time to prepare things. Here’s what our menu looked like. Note: I have reintroduced green beans, eggs in small quantities, as well as a few nut varieties, like pecans. Other than those reintroductions, everything else is AIP.


Brunch Menu
  • Squash Pancakes (Paleo, included whole eggs)
  • Bacon (AIP, check ingredients) 
  • Grapefruit (AIP) 

Thanksgiving Dinner
  • Dry Brined, Butterflied Turkey with herbs (AIP)
  • Starch-free Gravy (AIP) 
  • Mashed White Sweet potatoes (could be topped either with gravy, or with a few chopped honey-candied pecans to mimic Paleo sweet potato casserole)
  • Roasted Green Beans with fried shallots (AIP Reintroduction)
  • Braised Collards (AIP)
  • Cranberry Sauce (AIP) 
  • Carrots & Pickles (AIP, check ingredients in pickles) 
  • Pumpkin Pot de Creme with coconut whipped cream (Paleo, contained egg yolks)
  • Pumpkin Pie (for Husband, not paleo or AIP, served on paper plates to reduce risk of gluten cross contamination) 
On Tuesday, I made the cranberry sauce, roasted the green beans, and roasted & mashed the sweet potatoes. All those items went into the fridge & could be reheated, where necessary, right before eating. Husband also butterflied the turkey on Tuesday, saving the turkey backbone, neck & giblets for homemade stock making. I then rubbed the butterflied with kosher salt and a mixture of thyme, rosemary & sage. We let the bird dry brine in the fridge until Thanksgiving. On Wednesday night, I started cooking the turkey stock & made husband’s pumpkin pie.


On Thursday, after brunch, we candied pecans for the mock sweet potato casserole, assembled & baked the pumpkin pot de cremes, fried the shallots for the green beans, roasted the turkey (which took only two hours for our 20lb + bird, because it was butterflied) with a basting liquid of bacon drippings/homemade turkey stock/white wine(the alcohol completely cooks off in the oven), braised the collards, reheated the beans & mashed sweet potatoes, whipped coconut cream, and made gravy. Yes, we still worked a good amount on actual Thanksgiving, but it wasn’t frantic work & we weren’t exhausted by the time we actually ate.

Having so much leftover food has been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving! We’ve eaten either reheated actual leftovers or repurposed leftovers for many meals since Thursday! And I still have a few ideas for the leftover Turkey that has been frozen too. I’m starting to think of preparing Thanksgiving as the ultimate batch cooking session :) Knowing that we would be eating Thanksgiving leftovers for future meals helped us to restrain our portions on actual Thanksgiving & keep us from doing the traditional overeating. Though, everything was SO tasty that it was hard to keep from getting extra portions :)


The one dish I was very concerned about missing from our AIP/Paleo feast was mashed potatoes, which are usually my favorite side dish of any holiday meal. Once we topped our mashed sweet potatoes with the starch-free turkey gravy, they tasted SO good that I didn’t even miss the regular mashed potatoes. I do highly recommend mashing white sweet potatoes instead of the orange or purple ones because the white ones tend to be a little less sweet & a little more like regular potatoes. The gravy topping was also key. I’ve thickened gravy & fruit sauces with arrow root starch, but I had also never made gravy without any starch. Cooking onions & shallots with turkey drippings, homemade stock, a little white wine (don’t worry, the alcohol boils away), and herbs, then pureeing the whole mixture made for the most fantastic gravy.

I often find myself wishing that Thanksgiving didn’t come only once a year, not just for the food, though it is some of my very favorites, but also for the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness that permeates the season. I am thankful for the Autoimmune Protocol & Paleo. I am so very thankful for better health this year, especially when I compare it to how awful I felt at this time last year. I am thankful for a husband & family & friends who support me on this healing journey. And yes, I do want to repeat this exact menu for Christmas Eve dinner too :)


Starch Free Turkey Gravy

4 Tbl (80 g) Turkey Drippings (we basted our dry brined turkey with 2 oz bacon grease, plus 1 cup Sauvignon Blanc & 1 c homemade Turkey Stock)
1 large shallot, minced (approximately 1/2 c or 55 g)
1 small onion, minced (approximately 1 1/2 c or 195 g)
1/2 c Sauvignon Blanc
1 c Homemade Turkey Stock, unsalted
1 tsp fresh Thyme leaves
1/2 tsp Sage, minced
Sea salt, as needed

  1. Saute the shallot & onion in the turkey drippings over medium heat until translucent.
  2. Add the wine & turkey stock. Bring to a boil & cook until the liquid reduces by half.
  3. Puree the liquid with an immersion blender (or in a high speed blender). Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding additional sea salt if necessary.
  4. Serve immediately or store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator.

Note: if you did not baste your turkey with bacon/wine/stock as I did, and your drippings are not as flavorful, you may wish to add some bacon grease and/or a little additional wine/herbs to the liquid before reducing the liquid.

24 comments:

  1. All of this sounds fabulous! Thank you for something our whole family will love....and the quick way to cook a turkey.

    ReplyDelete
  2. All of this sounds fabulous! Thank you for something our whole family will love....and the quick way to cook a turkey.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I absolutely love this gravy recipe and I have included it in a list of my favorite Paleo Thanksgiving recipes.

    http://www.forestandfauna.com/paleo-thanksgiving-recipes/

    If you'd rather not have your photo and link included just let me know and I will remedy that asap. I couldn't find an email address for you so just leaving this comment here. ❤️

    Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  4. it’s far a totally exciting weblog publish. I often visit your posts for my challenge’s assist approximately diwali bumper lottery and your notable writing abilties simply go away me stunned. Thank you loads for this submit. This is an wonderful element for sharing this beneficial message. I’m dazzled by using the records you’ve got on this weblog. It causes me from multiple points of view. A debt of gratitude is so as for posting this yet again. Awesome weblog right here! Additionally your internet web page a lot up very speedy! What host are you the usage of? Can i am getting your partner hyperlink for your host? I desire my website online loaded up as speedy as yours
    온라인카지노


    >cc

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for providing this information. My friend was also looking for such type of information because he is also facing the same problem. So, I am going to share this post with him, I hope he has become free from a platform from where he was going to Buy Research Paper Writers Uk because our friend suggested him this friend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I’m impressed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and interesting, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head 야한동영상

    Please visit once. I leave my blog address below
    야설
    야한동영상

    ReplyDelete
  7. Excellent Customer Service, very thorough and Tracie was amazing, Website very good, Excellent service, tui discount code. You have thanks to all of them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This step of yours will give a lift to the diminished pace of dealer, vat calculator coordination of online installments that will assist.

    ReplyDelete
  9. case study with solution is the best place to get case study help online . We provide case study help for students who want to get good marks in their exams.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Finance assignment help is an online service provider that offers academic writing services. We have highly qualified writers who specialize in various fields of study. Our team of experts has been helping students since 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is a great sweet treat for anyone who loves food. It is a great way to show your love for someone by cooking for them and then giving them this sweet treat.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your blog is a great resource for people interested in the topic!. Apply for IELTS Coaching in Vadodara and Boost Your English Language Skills.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm glad you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Starch-free dressing (AIP) sounds like a delicious and healthy option. It's great to see how creative recipes cater to different dietary needs and make parties appealing and enjoyable for everyone. Happy holiday season, now I am busy with an academic task to clarify the explain expectations of own work role as expressed in relevant standards, which is much more difficult for me if someone knows my subject better, so please guide me professionally.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Do you want Case Study Help Australia from Australian Experts? Don’t worries hire Case Study Help experts at pocket friendly price. Visit us now!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Its a good post, keep posting and update the information.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I really happy found this website eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  19. When it comes to international shipping, choosing the right logistics partner is crucial. The Best Ocean Freight Forwarders prioritize reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Their seamless services streamline the supply chain, ensuring timely deliveries and customer satisfaction. Make informed choices to enhance your global shipping experience with these industry leaders.

    ReplyDelete
  20. This explanation was exactly what I needed. The writer did an incredible job making everything clear and straightforward. I’ve struggled with understanding this topic in the past, but this time it clicked. I’m so impressed with how accessible they made this content. Brilliant work! Visit our link for ISO Certification in Saudi Arabia

    ReplyDelete
  21. This starch-free gravy recipe looks perfect for a delicious and healthier holiday meal! I love how it's AIP-friendly and still full of flavor. Visit our link for ISO Certification In Philippines

    ReplyDelete