COMPLETE LACTOSE FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER!

For those of you who are a bit nervous about Thanksgiving, there's no need to worry! If the thought of having gravy-laden, milk based mashed potatoes and cream filled pumpkin pie makes you cringe, then read this post for some great lactose free alteratives!


TURKEY

To make the turkey, just open and wash in cold water. Let sit in a bowl of salted cold water for 20 minutes. Drain. Remove giblets if they're in there. Put in shallow baking pan. Brush with olive oil, salt, pepper and sage or thyme (whichever you prefer). Bake in oven at 350F for several hours (until turkey is golden brown). I'm hesitant to put an exact baking time here, because it all depends on the turkey. If you have a 20 lb. turkey, obviously it will take much longer to cook than an 8 lb. turkey.


STUFFING

3/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 cup Flesichman's light margarine (if this is too much for you, you can also try some water and olive oil)
9 cups soft bread cubes
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sautee onion and celery in lactose free butter until onion is tender. Stir in 1/3 of the bread cubes in large bowl. Add remaing ingredients and toss. Bake in oven at 350 until golden brown. (This makes quite a bit with 9 cups of bread...so be prepared).



CRANBERRY PINEAPPLE SAUCE

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 packages raspberry jello
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 apple, chopped

Drain pineapple. Keep juice. Add enough water to juice to measure 2 1/2 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil. Pour over gelatin mixes in large bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in pineapple, cranberry sauce, walnuts and apples. Spoon in 24 paper lined 2 1/2" muffin cups. Refrigerate 2 1/2 hours or until firm.

**This recipe is great as a cranberry sauce for thanksgiving, but can also be used as a desert. Instead of using the muffin cups, you can mix the whole thing in a tiramisu dish and serving by scooping out each portion.


GRAVY

Reserve "drippings" from the turkey you've just cooked. Strain liquid and pour off any grease or herbs that may have fallen in the bottom of the pan. Heat purified liquid on stove. If necessary, add a
 "Telma" chicken boullion and some extra water. Heat until boiling. Meanwhile, in a carton with a tight-fitting lid, add some water and white flour and mix until it becomes a glue-like consistency. Next, when liquid is boiling, add your white flour/water mixture and stir with a whisk until mixture boils again. Take off stove and pour into a gravy boat until you're ready to serve the dinner.

**Telma boullion is a kosher lactose free boullion that you can find in some supermarkets. A large cube will take 2 cups of water. I wrote about this in a previous post about chicken soup. I also included a picture as well.


MASHED POTATOES

I'm including the recipe for my exclusive lactose free mashed potatoes in my new book. So, for now, you can have "smashed potatoes." They're really simple to make. You just boil potatoes in water, and when they're done, smash them with a fork. Then add some sea salt and pepper. If you'd like, you can also add some fresh chives. (There is rosemary pictured in the potatoes above. You can use that as well). Enjoy!

I hope you've liked the complete lactose free Thanksgiving dinner I've created above. Feel free to tweak these recipes as you see fit. I just hope that when you're out grocery shopping for Thanksgiving this year, you can have a little more peace of mind because you can buy lactose free ingredients!