EASY, HEALTHY, GLUTEN-FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER (IN MARCH)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It brings family, friends, & great food together without being overly commercial like many other holidays.  Thanksgiving dinner can be delicious, healthy, gluten-free, easy, & enjoyed year-round.  I had a turkey breast half in the freezer, & red potatoes & green beans in my crisper drawer so I chose to make Thanksgiving dinner last night even though it's March. This meal isn’t something to make on a hectic weekday night, but is great for the  weekend, a day off, for company, or obviously holidays.  Another benefit is that it may provide 1-2 nights of leftovers, depending on how much you cook.  If you've never roasted turkey before & if the idea scares you, this recipe is a great place to try it out!

INGREDIENTS

Yield = 6 servings

Preparation time = 20-25 min
Cooking Time = 1.5 hours + (depends on the weight of your turkey)

ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH LEMON GARLIC HERB INFUSION
1	Turkey Breast Half, bone in (mine was 2.85lb)
4	Garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp	salt
½	Lemon, juiced & zested
2-3 sprigs	Fresh rosemary, chopped
3-5 sprigs	Fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
2.5 lb	(Red) potatoes washed, partially peeled, & diced
1+	Garlic clove, peeled
1.5 Tbsp	Butter (optional)
1 cup	Reserved potato water (after cooking)
?	Milk to taste/desired texture (optional)
Pinch	salt
GREEN BEANS
4-6	Large handfuls of green beans, rinsed & stems cut off
1 Tbsp	Olive oil
Pinch	Salt

TURKEY PREPARATION

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

2.  Prepare the lemon-garlic-herb infusion.  In a mortar, add the minced garlic & 1 tsp salt.  With a pestle, crush the garlic & salt into a paste.  (If you do not have a mortar & pestle, see my suggestions below)

3.  Zest & juice the lemon half into the mortar. (See my suggestions below if you don’t have a zester or citrus press)

4.  Add the thyme leaves, chopped rosemary, & olive oil to the mortar.  Mix well.

5.  Place the turkey in a roasting pan.  Separate the skin from the muscle by tearing the fascia, but don’t remove the skin.  Cut a pocket into the turkey.  Mine was about 4 inches long & 2 inches deep.  Be careful not to cut through the turkey.

6.  With a spoon, stuff about 2/3 of the lemon garlic paste into the pocket.  Rub the remainder over the turkey breast, under the skin.  If you have any reserved rosemary sprigs, place them under the skin as well.   If the skin is pulled back anywhere, use poultry pins to pin it in place over the meat.

7.  Tent the turkey with foil & put in the oven.  After about 45 min, remove the foil & continue to cook until the turkey is done.   Plan to cook the turkey based on this: 30-35 min per pound.  It will be done when a thermometer reads 180 degrees F, or juiced run clear when the turkey is pierced. 

8.  Once done, remove from the oven & let the turkey sit a few minutes before carving.

GARLIC MASHED POTATO PREPARATION

(Start when the turkey is 30min from being done)

1.  When the turkey is about 30 min from being done, start the mashed potatoes.  Fill a large pot with water & bring to a boil.

2.  Rinse, peel, & dice the potatoes.  Peel a clove of garlic.  Place the potatoes & garlic* in the pot.

3.   Once the potatoes are boiling, reduce to a simmer & let cook until the potatoes are soft.

4.  Reserve a cup or the hot potato water, & then drain the potatoes.

5.  Return the drained potatoes to the pot.  Add the butter (if using), some of the potato water, & mash.  Add more potato water as needed.  If you are using milk, add it after you have added all of the potato water.  Add a little at a time until you like the texture.

6.  Add a pinch of salt.  If you want creamier potatoes, whip with a mixer. 

* Typically, I use 2-3 garlic cloves for garlic mashed potatoes.  I only used 1 for this meal since the turkey has garlic in it also.  Instead of boiling the garlic with the potatoes, you could roast it ahead of time, then add the roasted garlic to the mash.

GREEN BEAN PREPARATION

(Start while the potatoes are cooking)

1.  While the potatoes are cooking, rinse, & trim the green beans.

2.  Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a large skillet.  Add the green beans.  Be careful!  Water from the rinsed beans may splatter hot oil onto you.

3.  Toss to coat the beans with oil.  Next, add an ounce of water to the skillet & cover.  Cook a few minutes until the beans are crisp-tender & bright green. 

4.  Remove from the heat & uncover. Add a pinch of salt & toss.

SUGGESTIONS

• For an entire turkey, rub the paste under the skin.  You can stuff the bird with A LOT of fresh rosemary, garlic, & lemon wedges if you are avoiding gluten.  I did this few years ago & it came out moist & delicious. 
• The lemon-garlic-herb paste can easily be multiplied.
• I kept the green beans simple because I used garlic in the turkey recipe & the mashed potatoes.  Usually, I toss the cooked green beans with sauteed minced garlic clove & a few chopped almonds.  Another variation I like is to toss the cooked green beans with sauteed onions & red bell peppers.
• If you don’t have a Microplane grater/zester & a citrus press/juicer, here are other things you probably have that you could use: a box grater, & a regular juicer.  If you don’t have a juicer, you can squeeze the juice out by hand!
• If you don’t have a mortar & pestle, here are some kitchen items you could use instead
• Use a small bowl for the mortar
• Use any of these as a pestle: a large spoon handle, an ice cream paddle handle, a flat-bottomed shot glass, smaller bowl, smooth rock, or muddler.
• A mini food processor could work, especially if you are making a larger amount than I did. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Baked pears with currants are a healthy dessert that I love to make for the holidays.
Roasted turkey breast with butternut squash

JOHN'S MOCK POST, "BREAKFAST DELIGHT" 

While the turkey roasted, I went to the gym.  My husband (who assisted with the pictures for this post) took photos of his favorite breakfast... I found his pictures when I started to work on this post & laughed alot!

Following Eat Right For Your Type?  Click here to jump to Dr. D'Adamo's Typebase Index to see how the ingredients in this recipe work for you.
Do you want to learn more about the Blood Type Diet?  See the links I have posted in the left column of this site under the heading "Learn More About the Blood Type Diet."

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