Easy Turkey Rub & Fail Proof Moist Turkey (gluten free)

For a 12 - 14 pound turkey...rub it down right before you roast it, almost as good as a 3 day brine and WAY easier!

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp rosemary
1 Tbsp thyme
1/2 Tbsp sage
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg

How I cook my turkeys...
Rub the dry rub under the skin all over the turkey (don't waste a lot on the back). Put any extra in the cavity.

Place breast side up in the roasting pan. It doesn't hurt to put a few carrots and some celery in the bottom of the pan for the gravy...

Cover the skin with 5-6 pieces of bacon.

Roast, uncovered at 425 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes, or until the bacon is pretty crispy.

Dump either a bottle of hard cider or 1/2 a bottle of sparkling wine (champagne) into the cavity of the bird - it will spill out, that's ok.

Cover with foil, or a lid, if your roasting pan has one.  You want a tight seal...

Return to the oven, lower the temperature to 325 and cook for approximately 2.5 - 3 hours, depending on the size of your bird.  Your turkey legs should be falling off the bone by the time that sucker is done. Plus, the booze makes for an excellent pan gravy, thickened with tapioca starch and reduced on the stove top for 15 minutes or so...DELICIOUS and so easy!

Pumpkin Biscotti Cookies - Low carb, gluten and grain free, sugar free

Pumpkin Biscotti Cookies - Low carb, gluten and grain free, sugar free

2 ¼ cups almond flour

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1 egg
1 Tbsp coconut flour

½ tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

60 drops of liquid stevia

Mix all of the dry ingredients in the food processor. Add the egg, stevia and pumpkin puree. Process until it all comes together.

Work the dough with your hands into 2 small loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until they are set and cool enough to handle.

Cut biscotti pieces with a sharp, serrated knife and spread the pieces out on the parchment.

Return to oven for 10-12 minutes, turn oven off and leave in for a couple of hours or until they are dried out to your liking.

If serving within 24 hours, simply package in an airtight container and leave on the counter. If serving later, freeze them – they’re good both frozen and defrosted.

Delicious, both with coffee and without.

Microwave Sugar Free Blueberry Cake (Coconut Flour - gluten and grain free)

2 Tbsp coconut Oil
1 egg
1/4 + 1/8 cup almond/coconut milk
30 drops of liquid stevia (20 flavored cinnamon, 10 regular)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c (scant) coconut flour
1/3 c blueberries
1 tsp cinnamon

Using a microwave safe bowl - I use a 4 c. Pyrex glass measuring cup, melt the coconut oil for 30 seconds or so. Whisk the milk into the hot oil. Add the egg and whisk until all combined. Add liquid stevia, vanilla and cinnamon, whisk well. Add baking powder and xathan gum, sprinkling them over the top so that they don't clump, whisk well. Add flour and stif to combine. Add blueberries (fresh or frozen) and stir.

Flatten out the top and microwave for 4-6 minutes. Until you know how long it will take in your microwave, start with 4 minutes and go in intervals of 30 seconds until you hit 5 minutes, then start checking every 15 seconds. It should be set on the top...

Let it COOL!!! When it's hot it is kinda eggy...when it's cool, its delcious!

Store in the fridge...great low carb, high fiber breakfast!

Hard Cranberry Sauce (with apple)

Hard Cranberry Sauce (with apple)

2.5 bags of fresh/frozen cranberries

2 large granny smith apples (can sub pears)
1 bottle (12 oz) hard cider – wood chuck, etc
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
100 drops cinnamon stevia / 1 c. granular splenda (or sugar or brown sugar if you aren’t worried about carbs)
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
Optional: Juice of one orange or lime

Wash cranberries.  Peel and dice apples ( I use a peeler/corer…) Put everything in a big pot (I use a 6.5 qt dutch oven). Heat over medium until it simmers, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Allow to simmer for approximately 1 hour, or until all the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens. 

Make approximately 8 cups of sauce. Freezes beautifully. Perfect as a sauce, a jam or jelly, or a pie filling! MMMMMMM….

Lemon Oregano Chicken Thighs & Sweet Potatoes w/ Chorizo

1 ½ Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Salt
½ Tbsp coarse black pepper
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
9-12 bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs (approximately 5 lbs)
1 roll of Spanish chorizo
1.5-2 lbs sweet potatoes

 

Combine spices, zest and juice in a bowl.  Trim any additional fat/hanging skin off all chicken thighs. Use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat on the chicken thighs. Rub spice mixture under skin, directly on the meat (about ½ tsp each thigh) and then rub remaining mixture on top of the skin.  (At this point – if you want – you can cover the meat and put it back in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.)

Fry the chorizo and break it apart as you fry it. Leave it slightly undercooked.

Cut up the sweet potato into 1.5-2 inch chunks. Layer sweet potato in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (I use stoneware, but glass or metal would work too.) Coat sweet potatoes with olive oil (approximately 2 Tbsp) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and onion powder.

 Distribute chorizo evenly over the sweet potatoes and pour any oil that remains in the pan over the potatoes as well.  Lay chicken thighs, skin side up, on the potatoes. Don’t overlap the thighs or they won’t get crispy and delicious.

Bake at 350 for 2 ½ hours. At the 2 hour mark, check the potatoes. If they are still pretty hard, remove the chicken to a separate pan, still in a single layer, skin side up, stir the potatoes and return both pans to the oven.

Delicious!  To reheat with a crispy skin – heat a non-stick frying pan over medium. Microwave the chicken for 1-2 minutes and then fry, skin side down for 2-3 minutes or until skin is crispy again.

Double Chocolate Mocha Biscotti (low carb, gluten free, dairy free)

2 ¼ cups almond flour

¼ c cocoa powder

2 Tbsps tapioca flour

1 egg

Pinch of salt

50 drops of liquid stevia

¼ cup strongly brewed coffee

½ tsp baking soda

Handful of chocolate chips

 

Mix all of the dry ingredients in the food processor. Add the egg, stevia and coffee. Process until it all comes together. Add the chocolate chips and pulse until they are combined.

Work the dough with your hands into 2 small loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, or until they are set and cool enough to handle.

 Cut biscotti pieces with a sharp, serrated knife and spread the pieces out on the parchment.

Return to oven for 10-12 minutes, turn oven off and leave in for a couple of hours or until they are dried out to your liking. 

If serving within 24 hours, simply package in an airtight container and leave on the counter. If serving later, freeze them – they’re good both frozen and defrosted.

Delicious, both with coffee and without.

Pumpkin Bread - low carb, sugar free, grain free & spicy

Pumpkin Bread

Low carb, gluten and grain free pumpkin bread (spicy!)

1 3/4 c almond flour
1/2 c - 1 tbsp coconut flour
1 can pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 c butter
1/2 c olive / grapeseed oil
1 cup Splenda
1 tsp stevia
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp xanthan gum






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