I don’t know about you, but for me Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the winter holidays. I know that this day for many of you has a special meaning, a special aura. This is the perfect time to be grateful for everything you have, for the fact that you live, for the fact that there is a loved one next to you, for the range of emotions that life offers you, for the challenges you have overcome…There are many reasons to be grateful for.
Let me tell you what I am grateful for. I am grateful for the opportunity to be useful to people, for doing what I love to do, for our communication even by email, for sharing with you little secrets that help make you a little healthier.
By the way, I've put together a few Thanksgiving recommendations to make sure the holiday meets your expectations. I know you already have a ready-made menu and a traditional turkey recipe, but still stay tuned for these tips in order to add a dose of health to your holiday table.
Marinate the turkey yourself.
Often, due to lack of time, people buy the turkey already in the marinade. It can actually save you time, but it is not very beneficial for your health. By making the marinade at home, you avoid unhealthy ingredients.
Try this marinade recipe for a softer, and more flavorful turkey. The amount of marinade corresponds to approximately 6 kg of poultry, for larger samples increase the volume of the mixture and add one hour of holding for each kg.
Ingredients: 6 liters of clean water, 100 grams of honey and sugar, salt – 120 grams; two oranges, one ginger root and a head of garlic; 60 grams of a mixture of aromatic peppers.
Preparation: Mix the sugar and salt with the pepper mixture. Finely chop the ginger and garlic. Separately warm two liters of water. Dissolve honey in water, stirring thoroughly with a spoon. Pour salt and spices with honey solution. Peel the oranges, cut the peel into small pieces. Grind the pulp with a meat grinder, after making sure that there are no bones in it. Mix all citrus ingredients with brine. Add water, wait until its temperature equals room temperature. Dip the washed and dried turkey into the marinade. For better and more reliable marinating, the turkey can be lightly chopped with a fork. The duration of marinating in such a marinade composition is from 10 hours to a day.
- Make the filling yourself.
As with the marinade, I recommend a recipe for a delicious filling that you can make yourself, and it will be much tastier and healthier.
Ingredients: 1 medium red onion, 2-3 large cloves of garlic, 500 g of Italian sausages, 3 sticks of celery, 1 large apple, ¼ – ½ cup dried cranberries or sour cherries, about ½ of “yesterday's” baguette without crust, 3-4 sprigs of thyme, a pinch of hot or cayenne pepper, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil.
Preparation: Prepare and cut the ingredients (onion, garlic, celery, apple, sausages, bread). Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and fry for 5-7 minutes, add garlic and fry for 30-45 seconds, and then add sausages. Add celery, thyme, salt, pepper, hot pepper and cook for about 7-10 minutes. Add apple and cranberries and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add bread cubes, stir. If the filling is dry, add a little olive oil or water and heat.
Make mashed sweet potatoes.
Instead of mashed potatoes with regular brown potatoes, try mashed sweet potatoes for a more nutritious side dish. Sweet potatoes are also very rich in vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health and supports your immune system. Use olive oil to prepare the mashed potatoes.
Add more herbs, not salt.
Salt undoubtedly adds flavor to any meal, but too much of it can cause dehydration and bloating. There are many other ways to decorate a main course or side dish, and this can be achieved simply by experimenting with herbs and spices. You can garnish almost any dish, be it turkey or roasted vegetables, with chopped herbs like cilantro and dill. I like to add whole parsley leaves to salads, and basil and thyme on top of fruit desserts.
Make homemade cranberry sauce.
Ingredients: 1 glass of cranberries, 100 grams of sugar, one orange.
Preparation: Remove the orange peel. Squeeze out orange juice. Rinse 1 glass of cranberries and transfer to a saucepan. Add 100 g of sugar, juice and orange zest. Put on medium heat and, stirring occasionally, bring the contents to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, until the berries are soft and the juice has partially boiled away. In fact, the cranberry sauce is ready. It can be served in three ways: as it is, grind with a blender, strain through a sieve.
Add some greenery to the table.
One of the easiest ways to make any meal more nutritious is to include leafy greens such as kale and spinach on the menu, along with other vegetables and perhaps even fruit.
Try the recommended recipes and bring healthy food to the festive table.
May you have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!