Green and Grateful.

We don't need a reason to be grateful this Thanksgiving season. To make sure everyone stays on track, here are some organic, nutritious GMO free recipes that you can prepare for your family and friends to celebrate good health and happiness!

Roast Turkey with Sage.

What is Thanksgiving without some turkey? Remember, look for organic and heritage turkeys, which are raised without hormones, antibiotics, or additives.

Ingredients: 
1 14-pound turkey, fresh or fully thawed
20 fresh, whole sage leaves
1 red apple, quartered (leave peel and core on)
1 onion, quartered (leave skin on)
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup turkey or chicken broth
Cheesecloth, large enough to cover turkey (single thickness)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Remove liver, giblets, heart, and neck from inside turkey; discard or save to make stock.
2. Pat dry turkey. From the front of the breast, slide hands under turkey skin and loosen all the way to the back of the turkey. Place 10 sage leaves (5 on each side) under breast skin in a decorative pattern.
3. Salt and pepper turkey cavities (body and neck). Stuff with remaining sage leaves, apples, and onions. Skewer cavities shut. Rub outside of turkey with soft butter. Fold and tuck wings under turkey.
4. In a small saucepan, mix olive oil and broth. Saturate cheesecloth with liquid, squeezing out extra. Blanket turkey with cheesecloth. Use remaining broth for basting.
5. Place turkey on a rack in a large, heavy roasting pan. Place pan on lowest oven rack and immediately reduce temperature to 325°F. Bake for about 3 hours (17 minutes per pound), basting with oil-stock mixture every 20–30 minutes. (During last hour of cooking, cover lightly with foil, if necessary, to prevent overbrowning.) Remove cheesecloth during last 30 minutes of cooking. Insert meat thermometer in breast and thigh meat to judge doneness. Final breast temperature should be 170º, thigh 180°F.
6. Remove turkey from oven and let juices run into roasting pan. Tightly cover whole turkey with foil until ready to carve. Reserve pan juices to drizzle over slices before serving.

Fresh Spinach and Artichoke Baked Dip.

Buy local and use organically grown spinach to make this dish extra healthy!


Ingredients:

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
9 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
 1. Place yogurt in a fine sieve over a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Let drain for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Fit a steamer basket in a large pot with 1–2 inches water and add spinach. Bring to a boil and steam spinach until lightly wilted. Transfer to a colander and let cool. Wring out excess water.
3. Place spinach in a food processor. Add drained yogurt, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, mayonnaise, garlic, pepper, salt, and hot sauce. Process until coarsely blended. Add artichoke hearts and pulse until a chunky mixture forms.
4. Place mixture in a 1-quart baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Mashed Caulifllower.

 Maybe not a fancy dish, but a welcome one. Creamy and buttery, but without all the carbs. Of course, Thanksgiving comes with indulgences, but if you want to save your indulgence for another dish, creamy mashed cauliflower makes the perfect stand-in for mashed potatoes.



Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (you can substitute with ghee for a dairy-free alternative)
2 tablespoons whole milk or almond milk

1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Place cauliflower in a large pot and cover with water. 
2. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. 
3. Pour cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper to the food processor and blend until smooth. 
4. Serve.

Cranberry-Pomegranate Relish.

Easy and tangy, this refreshing cranberry relish features organic orange peel for a bright finish.

 Ingredients:


3 cups fresh cranberries (about 12 ounces) (stems removed)
3/8 cup date sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 large orange peel (cut into thin slivers - no white pith)
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 large orange (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
2/3 cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:

1. Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and orange peel in a large saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until berries begin to burst. Turn heat to medium-low and cook another 10 minutes, stirring often. Mince rosemary leaves; then stir into sauce with orange segments and pomegranate seeds. Transfer to a small serving bowl. Cover and chill.

Fig Pie.

 This novel, savory-sweet dessert features juicy, fresh figs; it's wonderful paired with fresh goat cheese.


 Ingredients:

2 Light and Flaky Crusts
2 1/2 pounds fresh figs, stemmed and quartered
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one pastry disk to make a 12-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving overhang. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Place figs in a medium bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. In a small bowl, combine unrefined cane sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well, sprinkle over figs, and toss to mix. Transfer fig mixture to pie crust and dot top with butter.
4. Halve second pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the halves into an 11-inch round. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Repeat with second half.
5. Carefully weave dough strips in a lattice pattern over pie. Trim edges of lattice pastry flush with rim of pie plate. Roll dough overhanging from bottom pastry up over lattice edges and crimp decoratively. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden. Cool on rack and serve warm or at room temperature.