Thanksgiving Paleo Recipe Ideas

Random Paleo Thoughts

Instead of French Fried Onions for Green bean Casserole: I mixed one diced onion with 1/8 c. each of milled flax seed and almond flour. I fried the onions in about 2 tbsp. of canola oil in a saute pan. The onions get tender first, but if you keep frying and stirring them, they will turn crispy. They taste really good on top of green beans, worchestershire sauce, a little almond milk and steak seasoning (salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder.) Totally Paleo.

Steak Seasoning:  I use this a lot. It is a powder in a shaker, in many varieties. I have found it at Dollar Tree, and at Tom Thumb and Kroger for $5, and there is very little difference between them all. Salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, maybe red pepper flakes, sometimes parsley and other herbs, and other spices.  Although I keep steak sauces, salad dressings and mixes, soy sauce, etc. available, steak seasoning is Paleo-approved and makes a good dry rub all by itself. It even browns nicely and adds flavor to meats, fish, fowl, pork, and vegetables.

Seasoned Pecan and Walnuts: nuts tossed with a little melted olive-oil based margarine, with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sugar,and toasted for 20 min. Sometimes I use Pam instead of margarine. I tried Stevia instead of sugar, but it changed the taste. I make several varieties, but I avoid Parmesan for my own snacking.

White Turkey Meat Roast with Gravy: (bought frozen)  I thawed the roast, removed it from the pan, seasoned the outside with steak seasonings, and baked it win a little chicken stock. The gravy is much too fatty, salty, and has too many other ingredients to be Paleo, so I won't eat it myself. I made a gravy with coconut milk, almond flour, cream of tartar, salt, pepper, chopped baked chicken, and boiled egg white. (Go for the whole cranberry relish instead of the gravy, or for both.)

Whole Cranberry Relish: cook 1-2 c. of rinsed whole cranberries in a c. of water, until the berries are tender and start splitting open (mash a little if you want softer berries.) If you have a fresh orange and a lemon, put their juice in the berry pan, and grate some of the peel into the mixture. If you don't--add almost any fruit juice you have, along with a little honey, syrup, or sugar. I like a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg or spple pie spice. (Jellied cranberry sauce has much more sweetener than homemade whole berry relish, but about the same as canned whole cranberry sauce.)

Turkey Pineapple Ham: Regular ham is allowed on the Paleo Diet, but I like turkey ham and it is available in a convenient 2-lb. roast size. Take the ham out of the plastic and wipe off the outside. (Cover the surface with slices of pineapple held in place with sharp toothpicks if you want it to look "traditional.") It is precooked, but bake until the turkey ham is hot inside, then slice. Serve with a sauce of chopped/diced/chunk pineapple, brown sugar or honey, margarine, and worchestershire
sauce.

Deviled Eggs:  Eggs are certainly on the Paleo Diet, and deviled eggs are possible with a few tweaks. Use mustard instead of mayo, or add in a little olive-oil based mayo. Pickle relish can have a lot of sugar, nitrates, and other additives, but I use it anyway. Pickle you make yourself, then chop, and add to pimento would work, but first you have to make the pickles. I sprinkle the tops of the boiled, stuffed eggs with one of the following: paprika, chili powder, Italian seasoning, chopped dried parsley or other herbs. I love to make many kinds of deviled eggs, but I can't figure out a good substitute for cream cheese or sour cream yet, so Paleo puts these on hold.

Sweet Potato Casserole: Whip cooked sweet potatoes with coconut milk, butter flavoring (like vanilla flavoring), and a little honey. Put in a casserole dish, then top with chopped pecans, milled flax seed, and some brown sugar. Marshmallows-no way.

No substitution will make these Paleo: Corn casserole with cream cheese and green chili peppers; macaroni and cheese; broccoli cheese casserole; marshmallow jello salad; English pea and diced cheese salad; pecan pie; pumpkin pie; buttermilk pie; coconut cake; etc. You can eat tiny portions, or go off-diet.

Salads, cole slaw, lots of green, yellow, red, orange vegetables--almost no limit.

A Paleo Thanksgiving may take a little more creativity, but no more work than the traditional preparation. Have fun, eat a good meal, and be very strict the next few meals (allowing for leftovers!)