Grainless Turkey Stuffing

Finding an organic turkey in your regular grocery store is getting easier all the time.  Stuffing the turkey seems to be the problem for most Advanced Plan eaters. I hope this recipe helps you, whether you've prepared multiple turkeys over the years, or if you've never been the chef for a festive holiday dinner before.

I know this looks like a lot of ingredients and a ton of preparation,  but it really is a matter of chop,  sauté,  season,  and stuff!  When you've done it once,  you'll be amazed at how easy it is.  Read the recipe through,  chop everything,  and have it all at your fingertips before you begin,  and you'll find it a breeze.
Enjoy.


INGREDIENTS

1 to 2 cups each (depending on the size of your turkey) :
Chopped organic celery
Chopped (preferably organic) cooking onions
2 cloves minced garlic (optional)

3 to 5 cups (again depending on the size of your turkey) bite sized cubed pieces of Grainless Rolls.  (I usually cut up 5 or 6 rolls.)

2 - 3 tablespoons grass fed butter
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 organic free run large or extra large eggs
1/2 cup grass fed butter

Seasonings to taste
Salt
Pepper
Sage
Parsley

(If you love thyme, add thyme.
If you love rosemary, add rosemary.)

PREPARATION

First, gently melt and then cool the 1/2 cup of butter and set it aside.

Gently melt the  2 - 3 tablespoons of butter and olive oil in your largest sauté pan.  Add the celery, onion and garlic, and lightly sauté over medium heat until they just begin to sweat.  (The celery will become a brighter green.)  Understand that the stuffing ingredients will fully cook when you roast your turkey,  so don't worry. . . Enjoy!

Add the cubed grainless rolls to the vegetable mixture and stir in to combine.

In a small bowl,  slightly whisk the eggs.  Add the eggs to the melted and cooled butter and whisk until combined. 

Pour the butter and egg mixture over the cubed bread and vegetable mixture.  Toss over low heat until everything is combined and the egg mixture is heated through.

Add your spices.  I use salt and pepper to taste, a healthy tablespoon full of dried sage,  and about the same amount of fresh,  finely chopped parsley.  (You could use dried. . . If you do,  use less.)  Again,  the amount you use is largely dependant on the size of your turkey and the amount of your stuffing. Stir to distribute the spices and TASTE.  Adjust seasoning to suit your taste.

At this point your stuffing is ready to go into the turkey.  If you are not roasting the turkey immediately,  DO NOT put it into the bird.  You can,  however,  make this stuffing the day or night before and refrigerate it until you stuff and roast the turkey on the big day.  Stuff both the neck cavity and the large inner cavity of a rinsed,  patted dry  organic turkey.

Happy Holidays!

RAW VEGAN RANCH DRESSING

This is the simplest, tastiest, healthiest Ranch Dressing recipe you will ever find.  You do need a high speed blender, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec, but after that, you need 5 minutes, some cashews and an appetite.  Enjoy.

Ingerdients:

• 1 1/4 cups raw cashews
• 3/4 cup water or coconut water (or a little more) 
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Put everything into a high speed blender.  Blend 'til creamy.  That's it.

RAW VEGAN CARROT CAKE TRUFFLES

It seems all of the recipes I found online for these tasty dessert bites use medjool dates to sweeten and hold the ingredients together.  Do not misunderstand.  Medjool dates make many recipes sweet and creamy and delicious, but I don't want to use them because they are so high on the glycemic index (which means the sugar content is sky high). So I got out my food processor this morning and started experimenting. The finished product had to be completely legal on "The Advanced Plan," and delicious enough for everyone.  Here is the recipe.

Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup any nut you have on hand (walnuts, almonds, pecans)

4 small carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-3 inch pieces

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup gently melted coconut oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 droppers full of liquid stevia (I used vanilla stevia, so I omitted the vanilla extract.)

Note:  If you really don't like stevia, use an amount of xylitol to achieve the same sweetness.  I would love to give you a measure, but I really don't like xylitol, so my experience with it is limited.  I can tell you that two droppers full of vanilla stevia is very sweet. Make this recipe your own by tasting and adjusting the sweetness as needed.

METHOD

Place all ingredients in a high powered food processor and process until fully combined.

Form mixture into 1 inch balls (bites) and roll in a little cinnamon or a bit more unsweetened shredded coconut.

Chill for a few hours or overnight.  You can freeze the chilled bites in an airtight container in the freezer for a few months, but I guarantee they won't last that long.

Recipe yields approximately 24 "bites."

FALL-OFF-THE-BONE DRY RUB CHICKEN WINGS

The incredible Kimberly Roberto has done it again. These wings are ridiculously easy to prepare and they turn out perfectly every time. What a great dish to take to an outdoor bar-b-que.  By the way, they are also delicious cold, (for breakfast. . . .yes, I did).
Enjoy.

4 pounds organic chicken wings

Dry Rub:

1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons organic butter
2 tablespoons reserved dry rub
1 (12-ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce (check ingredients) (I like "Franks")
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Combine all dry rub spices in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture. Add the wings to bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay all wings flat on the baking sheet and bake for an hour turning halfway through.

When the wings are almost done, melt the butter and then add other sauce ingredients.

When ready to serve, add the wings to a large serving bowl, pour sauce over the wings and toss.

Recipe modified from Guy Fieri