Cherie’s Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

Blue Cornmeal Muffins

Apple-Spice Sweet Potato Bake

Rainbow Slaw with Creamy Basil Dressing

Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream

Blue Cornmeal Muffins

1 cup yellow or blue cornmeal

1 cup rice or barley flour

4 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup milk of choice (almond milk used for the show)

1cage-free egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 0 F.

In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and sea salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, maple syrup, and oil.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon the batter into oiled and floured muffin tins, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top, as desired.

Bake the muffins about 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 10 minutes.

Apple-Spice Sweet Potato Bake

5 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 0 F.

In the bottom of an oiled 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Arrange about one-quarter of the sweet potato slices in a layer. Pour 1/4 cup of the apple juice over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice over the juice. Repeat the layers three more times.

Bake the sweet potatoes until they are tender, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the pecans over top of the potatoes, then return the potatoes to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Rainbow Slaw with Creamy Basil Dressing

2 cups shredded green cabbage

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 cup finely chopped carrots

1 cup finely chopped yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or birch sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a large bowl, mix the cabbages, carrots, bell pepper, and onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, maple syrup, basil, and salt until well blended. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Pie

One Whole Wheat Pie Crust (recipe below) or pre-made whole wheat pie crust

2 eggs

1/2 cup birch sugar or pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground clovers

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 15-ounce can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

12 ounces milk of choice (I use almond milk.)

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup oil

3 tablespoons hot water

Spicy Whipped Cream

Whipping cream (heavy) 8 ounces

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Preheat oven to 425 0 F.

Make one whole wheat pastry or purchase pre-made whole wheat pie crust

In a medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in the remaining ingredients.

Place pie plate on oven rack to prevent spilling the filling. Pour the filling into pie plate. Bake 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 0 F. Bake 45 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Put the whole wheat pastry flour in a medium bowl. Put the oil and water in a small bowl but do not mix them. Slowly pour the oil and water over the flour in the medium bowl, mixing them with a fork while you pour. Mix the ingredients just enough to form dough that will hold together; do not over mix.

Place the dough between two sheets of wax paper and roll out. (To keep the wax paper from lipping on the counter, lightly sprinkle it with water before laying the paper on it.) Peel off the top piece of wax paper, then carefully pick up the bottom piece with the dough. Turn the paper dough-side down into pie pan and peel off remaining paper. Flute the edges of the pie crust and pour in the filling.

Spicy Whipped Cream

In a chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice with electric mix on high speed until stiff.