Turkey Day Without Toxins 5

So now you want something different that will look and taste great, but not break the bank or take all day to make. Here are a couple of good ones. I am also adding the desserts since many of you will be shopping over the weekend.

Sweet Potato and Red Onion Tart

Crust

• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 7-10 tablespoons ice-cold water

Filling

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme and/or rosemary

 

Preheat oven to 425°F.

1. To prepare crust: Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Combine in a large bowl with whole-wheat flour, 2 tablespoons thyme and/or rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and add 1/4 cup oil and water. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough (it will seem wetter than other types of pastry dough). Knead in the bowl just until the dough comes together. Pat it into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days.
2. To prepare filling: Combine sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread on three-fourths of a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss onion in the bowl with 1 teaspoon oil. Spread evenly on the remaining one-fourth of the baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce temperature to 375°.
3. Line a work surface with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat, lightly dust with flour and dust the top of the dough with flour. Roll the dough into a rustic 15-inch circle, adding more flour, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Transfer the crust to a baking sheet with the parchment or baking mat in place.
4. Leaving a 2-inch border,   Make an overlapping ring of the larger sweet potato slices, leaving the 2-inch border. Spread the onion slices in another ring closer to the center. Using the rest of the sweet potato slices, make an overlapping circle in the center of the crust (the pattern will look like a bull’s-eye). Pick up the edges of the crust using a spatula and fold over the filling, making pleats in the dough as necessary (it’s okay if the dough cracks a little as you fold it); the filling will not be completely covered.  Drizzle the vegetables with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme and/or rosemary.
5. Bake the tart until lightly browned on the edges, about 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

2 acorn squashes or other winter squash (1 1/2 pounds each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 box (6 ounces) wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash cut side down; cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add shallot, garlic, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, without stirring, about 25 minutes.
3. Remove rice from heat, and stir in cherries and pecans; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Season the inside of each squash half with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, mound stuffing into halves, and serve.

 

Dessert time.

 

Here is a simple crust that can be made in advance.

 

Hazelnut Crust

 

Preheat oven to 400

 

1 1/4 cup Whole Wheat flour

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts Ground fine)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp salt

4 Tbsp Coconut oil

2 Tbsp Organic Canola oil

1 Tbsp Ice water

 

Grease a 9" tart pan with coconut oil.

 

Mix flour, ground hazelnuts, honey and salt in food processor. add coconut oil(it should be solid when added) and pulse until it is incorporated . add canola oil and water and pulse to mix. Press into greased tart tin (or pie pan) and bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before filling.

 

One filling idea.

 

Raw Chocolate Mousse

 

2 Avocados

3 Bananas

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 pinch salt

1 pinch cinnamon

 

Add avocados and bananas to food processor and process until smooth. Add the cocoa and process to incorporate then add the rest and process until incorporated. Add to crust and serve. You could decorate with whipped cream if you must. You could also decorate with chocolate shavings as well.

 

Fruit Pie Filling

 

3 Organic Bananas sliced lengthwise

4 Oz sliced Organic Strawberries

4 Oz Organic Strawberries pureed

4 oz Organic Raspberries

1 Organic orange sectioned or 2-3 Organic Mandarin oranges sectioned

 

Lay Bananas on pie crust including the sides. Add strawberry slices to the bananas. Pour the strawberry puree over the fruit and press into any gaps. decorate with raspberries and oranges and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

 

You can fill this crust with whatever you want of course. Your health and appetites are yours to manage.

 

Have a great Thanksgiving and be nice to one another. If you make a turkey you MUST make soup or stock from the carcass. I will do a post on that before Turkey day.

 

Be very well and more soon....