Crock Pot Corned Turkey and Cabbage - Soy, Wheat, Dairy Free

  Corned beef and cabbage is traditional St. Patrick's Day food, and some people (my family included) eat it on New Year's Day to represent wealth and health in the coming year.

  The term 'corned' really means cured or pickled with salt rocks (or corns). You can buy beef brisket already seasoned and ready to be cooked, but to my knowledge there is no such turkey product. Thankfully pickling a turkey roast at home was very easy, only requiring time to cure, and because I cooked this in a crock pot it basically made itself!
This had a very similar flavor to corned beef, and it was moist and juicy thanks to the brining.This was a fabulous substitute for corned beef!

Remember when making this that it takes 3-5 days to cure the meat. This is NOT something you can rush, it just won't be the same.

Corned Turkey 

brine:
4 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 Tbl brown sugar, firmly packed
1 Tbl pickling spice
2 cloves minced garlic

1 3lb boneless turkey roast, thawed and gravy packet removed (We use Butterball roasts with white and dark meat)
1 small bag baby carrots, or 3-5 medium carrots peeled and chopped
1 large yellow onion, cut into 8ths
1 medium head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
6 oz beer (Gluten free, if necessary. Dark stout is the best, in my opinion)
 2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup water
1 Tbl pickling spice

In a medium sauce pan, heat brine ingredients until sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Allow mixture to completely cool. Place turkey roast (netting still on but all other packaging removed) in a large Ziploc bag (we doubled up our Ziplocs just in case there was a leak!) and pour cooled brine mixture over turkey. Try to remove as much air as possible from the bag before zipping, then place in your refrigerator for 3-5 days, turning turkey twice a day to ensure an even brine.

Once ready to cook, place carrots, onions, and potatoes in crock pot. Pour one cup water over veggies. If desired, lightly sprinkle with salt. Discard brining fluid and place the turkey roast on top of the veggies. Pour beer over roast, then sprinkle the top of roast with pickling spice. Cook, covered, on high for 3 hours, then add cabbage to crock pot, recover, and continue to cook another hour.

Remove roast from crock pot and allow to rest on a plate for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with veggies and sour kraut, mustard, or whatever your family likes with it!

Vegan Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Fried Onions - Soy and Wheat Free

  Our first Thanksgiving eating allergy-friendly, the green bean casserole recipe came from Living Without magazine... and it totally sucked. It wasn't their fault of course. Something I've figured out while eating allergen free is that recipes are just starting points, you have to tweak things to your own tastes in almost every case. But at the time, I did not know that.

  With that said, you may want to add or remove some items from this recipe, but this was really very good. And easy enough to make for Sunday dinner, nothing that has to be saved just for Thanksgiving or Christmas for sure.
 

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Fried Onions

For Onions:
1 onion sliced into thin rings
1 cup GF all purpose flour (or original or GF Bisquick!)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk or other non dairy milk
peanut or other oil for frying

For Green Beans and Sauce:
2 cans french cut green beans, drained
10 oz button mushrooms
1/2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbl coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
2 Tbl GF all purpose flour (or whole wheat, if not gluten intolerant)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk or non dairy milk of choice




In a shallow bowl, pour 1 cup non dairy milk and add onion rings, allow to soak 5 or more minutes.
In another shallow bowl or pie pan, stir together flour and salt and pepper. Heat peanut oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Dredge onion rings through flour mixture, making sure to evenly coat all of the onion surface. Pan fry them, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove to a brown paper bag, patting with a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.
Pop stems out of mushrooms and discard. Dice mushroom caps into small pieces. 
Heat olive oil in small pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until mushrooms become dark and release their juices. In a small bowl, whisk the flour into the vegetable broth and then add it to the mushroom pot along with the coconut aminos. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add in almond milk and simmer another 5-10 minutes until thick again. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in green beans.

Pour green bean mixture into small greased casserole dish and top with green beans.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Taco Pie - Dairy, Egg, Soy Free with gluten free option

  Now that we've got our new computer up and running, I will be updating more often again! I had some yummy recipes from Thanksgiving that I want to share, but first I had to share this taco pie because it is soooo good. It is similar to the cheeseburger pie recipe I posted in October, but easier and more flavorful. This is our new family favorite!

Turkey Taco Pie with Cashew Sour Cream

1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbl chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup gluten free or original Bisquick
1 cup vegetable broth
EnerG egg replacer for 1 egg
1/2 cup Diaya cheddar and/or pepper jack shreds
Earth Balance Soy Free buttery spread to grease pie plate
 Sour cream: 
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425.
Take a small pat of Earth Balance and spread it using your fingers over entire inner surface of a 9 inch pie plate.
In a medium skillet, heat olive oil until hot. Saute onions until transparent. Add turkey and brown over medium high, breaking up into small pieces. Once turkey is just browned, add in seasonings and 1/4 cup vegetable broth. Stir and simmer until liquid is completely evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix Bisquick, 1 cup vegetable broth, and EnerG egg replacer until smooth. Set aside.
Scoop turkey into pie plate, trying to get mixture mostly level but not hard packed. Pour Bisquick mixture over turkey, shaking the pie plate slightly to evenly distribute among turkey. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese shreds. Return to oven and cook for 5-10 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place 1 cup raw cashews in high powered blender. Add approximately 1/4 cup water, just enough to cover the cashews. Add salt and lemon juice and blend 3-5 minutes, until smooth.

Store left over sour cream in refrigerator in an air tight container for up to a week. It will thicken when refrigerated until almost the texture of cream cheese. It makes a fabulous base for dips!

We love our taco pie served with salsa and cashew sour cream. You can also add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, olives, whatever your family enjoys on tacos. Enjoy!