One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving because of all the food!! These recipes I have been making for years to creating a healthier meal while not sacrificing any of the taste! Check out some of the recipes below that are from my two nutrition programs, 2B Mindset and Portion Fix.

Cranberry Sauce

2-inch slice orange peel
2 whole cloves
3 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
½ cup raw honey
¾ cup water
½-inch slice fresh ginger, peeled

1. Stud orange peel with cloves.
2. Heat orange peel with cloves, cranberries, honey, water, and ginger in
   medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce
   heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or
   until cranberries are soft and sauce has slightly thickened.
3. Remove from heat. Remove orange peel with cloves and ginger from sauce;
   discard. Cool (if desired) and serve!

High Protein Turtle Cheesecake

FOR DATE CARAMEL:

½ cup / 120 ml     boiling water

6                      pitted dates

¼ cup / 60 ml      unsweetened almond milk

½ tsp.                pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp.                sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

FOR CHEESECAKE:

Nonstick cooking spray Aluminum foil

½ cup / 125 g       part-skim ricotta cheese

Cheesecloth

1½ cups / 370 g    reduced-fat (0 or 2%) plain Greek yogurt

½ cup / 120 g       reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

4                      large egg whites (approx. ½ cup / 120 ml)

2                      large eggs

2 Tbsp.              pure coconut sugar

1 tsp.                 pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp.                sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

1 Tbsp.               dark chocolate chips

1 Tbsp.               unsweetened almond milk

1 Tbsp.              finely chopped unsalted pecans Plastic wrap

1.  Preheat oven to 250° F (120 °C).

2. To make date caramel, add water and dates to a small bowl; set aside to soften for 15 minutes. Drain; set aside.

3. While dates soften, make cheesecake by lightly coating an 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan with spray; wrap 2 layers of aluminum foil around bottom and slightly up sides of pan. Set aside.

4. Add ricotta to cheesecloth; squeeze out excess liquid. Add yogurt, cream cheese, and ricotta to a food processor; cover. Process on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until ricotta is broken down and mixture is super-smooth. Add egg whites, eggs, sugar, extract, and salt; cover. Pulse until just combined. Pour filling into prepared pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes; reduce temperature to 220° F (105 °C). Bake for an additional 45 minutes.

6. While cheesecake bakes, finish date caramel by adding almond milk, dates, extract, and salt to a food processor; cover. Process until super-smooth; set aside.

7. Add chocolate chips and almond milk to a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave for 30 seconds, or until soft. Stir until smooth.

8. When cheesecake finishes baking, drizzle chocolate and half of date caramel over top; sprinkle with pecans. Reserve remaining half of date caramel for another use. Let cheesecake cool in pan slightly; wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until chilled. Slide a butter knife around outside of cheesecake, on the inside of the pan, to loosen. Release the outer ring. Cut into 6 slices. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Gravy

1 bulb garlic
3 tsp. olive oil, divided use
3 cups low-sodium organic chicken
(or vegetable) broth
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
(preferably from grass-fed cows)
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
(approx. 1 medium shallot)
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
(or dried sage)
1 Tbsp. dry sherry
3 Tbsp. cornstarch (preferably GMO-free) +
3 Tbsp. water (combine to make a
slurry)

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Cut top ¼-inch off garlic bulb. Drizzle with 1 tsp. oil. Wrap tightly in
   aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour, or until cloves are golden brown and soft to
   their core. Cool until garlic can be handled.
3. Once garlic is cool enough to handle, hold it cut-side down over the base
   of your blender and squeeze to release bulbs from their skin. Add broth,
   gelatin, salt, and pepper; cover. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
4. Heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.
5. Add shallot and sage; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until
   shallot is translucent.
6. Add sherry; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, or until sherry has
   almost completely evaporated.
7. Add garlic mixture to same saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium
   heat, stirring frequently.
8. Add cornstarch slurry; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or
   until gravy has thickened.
   COOK’S NOTE:
   Add cornstarch slurry slowly as the total quantity may not be necessary to
   achieve desired thickness. Use more or less as needed, but keep in mind
   that gravy tends to thicken as it cools. Since it won’t be served at a full
   simmer, it’s best to leave it a little under-thickened in the pan.
   
   TIPS:
   • After 40 minutes of roasting, check garlic every 10 minutes (or so) to be
   sure it doesn’t burn.
   • Blackened garlic is extremely bitter and will ruin your gravy. If garlic
   turns black, it’s best to discard it and start fresh. Trust me, I’ve been
   there; a kitchen timer is your friend!

One Pot Stuffing

(MAKES 4 SERVINGS, APPROX. 1½ CUPS EACH)
TOTAL TIME: 20 MIN. + 15 MIN. RESTING TIME
PREP TIME: 12 MIN.
COOKING TIME: 8 MIN.
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
(organic grass-fed, if possible)
½ medium onion, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
6 slices stale whole-grain bread,
finely chopped
1 cup / 240 ml low-sodium organic vegetable broth
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried sage (or 2 tsp. fresh)
½ tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tsp. fresh)
½ tsp. dried rosemary (or 2 tsp. fresh)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes,
   or until translucent.
3. Add bread, broth, garlic powder, sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper,
   and salt; stir to combine. Remove from heat; cover. Let rest for
   15 minutes.
4. Add parsley; stir to combine. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight
   container for up to 4 days.

TIPS:

I like to add in cranberries and sausage and continue to cook it in the turkey.