Dr. Keesha’s Paleo Thanksgiving Menu

Roasted Turkey with Herbed Ghee

Ingredients

12 – 14 lb turkey

1/2 cup ghee

2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced

2 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

2 TBSP fresh rosemary, minced

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, quartered

2 small apples, quartered

2 Tbsp collagen

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (F) and adjust your racks to fit the turkey into it.

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and rinse the bird inside and out. Pat dry.

Combine the ghee, sage, rosemary, garlic, salt and butter in a small bowl, mixing well to combine. Starting from the back of the bird, slide your fingers between the skin and breast meat, opening a cavity that extends all the way to the front and along the sides of the breast. Push the herbed ghee under the skin, covering all of the meat. Do the same with the tops of the drumsticks, being careful not to pierce the skin. This is no time to be squeamish – roll up your sleeves and get in there with your fist full of ghee! Then rub the remaining ghee over the rest of the skin of the turkey, top and bottom.

Stuff the quartered lemons and apples into the cavity of the bird. If they don’t all fit, throw the rest into your roasting pan.

Place the bird UPSIDE DOWN into the roasting pan – this protects the breast and keeps it from drying out. Roast at 400 degrees for one hour. Remove from the oven and turn over carefully. Roast right side up for another hour. Test with a meat thermometer for 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. If not quite there, give it another 15 minutes and test it again. Remove from the oven and let it rest – preferably for an hour if you can.

While the turkey is resting, pour the pan juices into a measuring cup. Skim off 90% of the fat and then add about 1/2 cup of water and 2 TBSP of collagen to thicken it. Puree in a blender or magic bullet and re-heat just before serving.

 

Paleo Thanksgiving Rolls

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup coconut flour

¼ tsp salt

2 ½ tsp baking powder

4 beaten eggs

3/4 cup water

4 TBSP melted coconut oil

2 TBSP melted ghee

¼ tsp each of garlic, rosemary, thyme (adjust to your taste buds…I love savory so I go with more)

Instructions

Mix the almond meal, coconut flour, salt, spices and baking powder. Beat in eggs, water, and coconut oil. Pour into greased or lined muffin pans. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Brush with melted ghee mixed with a little salt and garlic. Delicious!

 

Paleo Gravy

Ingredients

The turkey bits (neck, heart, liver, giblets)

1 TBSP ghee (for browning)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp sage (or more if desired)

1 tsp rosemary

3 cloves of garlic crushed

2-5 cups bone broth

turkey pan drippings

1/2 cup coconut milk

salt and pepper to taste

3 TBSP arrowroot starch

To gauge how much bone broth to use, count your guests. Plan on 1/2 cup per guest and that’s how much broth you will need as the base of your gravy.

Instructions

Melt the ghee in a pan on medium heat. Add the turkey bits and brown them for a few minutes. Next, add the chopped onion and crushed garlic and simmer until the onions soften, about five more minutes. Add the broth and bay leaf, and bring it to a gentle boil; reduce the heat to low and let it simmer while the turkey cooks (at least two hours).

After the turkey is done and resting, add your pan drippings to the broth and simmer until the turkey is carved and ready to be served. Add the coconut milk 10 minutes before sitting down to dinner. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the arrowroot starch in a little water and add to the gravy with more spices to taste. Serve immediately.

 

Paleo Cranberries

Ingredients

12 ounces of fresh cranberries

1 orange, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 apple, diced

¼ cup water

¼ cup pure maple syrup or coconut nectar

⅛ tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ground anise

Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Mix water, cranberries, orange, and apple pieces in a pan and simmer over medium heat, stirring often until the cranberries start to split open.

Stir in maple syrup, salt and spices.

Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.

If you prefer a smoother cranberry sauce, blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Chill and Enjoy!

 

Paleo Mashed Cauliflower (potatoes)

Ingredients

3 medium-sized heads of cauliflower, chopped into florets (about 4 ½ lbs.)

1 quart bone broth or chicken broth

9 roasted garlic cloves

1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves

1 TBSP fresh chives, chopped

3 TBSP ghee

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover, allowing the cauliflower to cook until fork tender.

Transfer the cooked cauliflower with broth to a Vitamix or your blender. Add the roasted garlic cloves, ghee, and seasonings and whip until smooth. So delicious!

 

Paleo Stuffing

Ingredients

1lb ground pork sausage

5 pieces of bacon, diced

5 stalks of celery, diced

1 sweet potato

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, diced

2 apples, diced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 cup dried, unsweetened cranberries

1 cup pecans, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

⅓ cup bone or chicken broth

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place diced sweet potato sprinkled with olive oil and sea salt and pepper on it and bake 20 minutes or until tender.

In the meantime, begin to heat bacon in skillet. Add the apples, onions, garlic and celery when there is fat in the skillet to cook them in.

Add the sausage and vinegar when the onions are translucent and cook it through until no pink remains. Add salt and pepper.

When the sausage mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs, broth, cooked sweet potatoe, cranberries and pecans and stir together into a 13×9 inch baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until brown. Enjoy!

 

Paleo Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) canned pumpkin puree (or 1½ cups roasted pumpkin)

3 large pastured eggs

½ cup full fat organic coconut milk

½ cup coconut nectar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Blend the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, coconut nectar, spices, and eggs together in a Vita Mix or other blender.

Pour into a paleo pie crust (see recipe below). Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. I add a pie crust protector during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.

Allow to cool and then refrigerate for 2 hours (great for making the night before).

 

Paleo Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 cups finely ground and sifted almond flour (I like Honeyville)

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large pastured egg

Instructions

Mix flour and salt. Add coconut oil and egg and blend until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Press into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Use a fork to make indentations along the rim as desired. Bake at 350° for 8-12 minutes for any fillings that do not require cooking.

 

Coconut Whipped Cream
(substitute for ice cream or whipped cream on your pie)

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) can coconut cream or chilled organic full fat coconut milk (canned)

1 tablespoon coconut, xylitol, or coconut nectar (optional)

Instructions

Spoon the hardened coconut cream (don’t use any of the liquid) into a chilled mixing bowl (stick in the freezer for 10 minutes with the mixer attachment). Whip the cream on medium high until soft peaks form and the cream is light and fluffy looking. Add your sweetener if desired and beat another 2 minutes. Serve on your pumpkin pie and store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for a week. Enjoy!