Thanksgiving in a Jar (plus all the recipes you need for a scrumptious FMD Thanksgiving!)
Mason jars have ounce/cup marks on the side, so it’s easy to get perfect portions (1/2 cup of cooked meat equals about 4 ounces, 1/2 cup beans equals 1 serving, etc.). For each Mason jar, we layered:
Green beans (we used our creamy Green Bean Casserole)
Stuffing (Sprouted Grain Stuffing)
Turkey (Roast Turkey Breast with Sage and Cayenne)
Sweet potatoes (slow-cooker Coconut-Pecan Sweet Potatoes)
Cranberry sauce (Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce)
These are FMD-perfect recipes your whole family will love, and you’ll know that with each luscious bite, you’re firing up your metabolism! Happy Thanksgiving!
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Phase 3 | Serves 8 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 slice sprouted grain bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans, boil for 5 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain the beans and set them aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook and stir until the mushrooms have cooked down and are golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer this vegetable mixture to a separate bowl and return the skillet to the heat.
In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the arrowroot into the almond milk until it dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, along with the almond milk mixture, sea salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to the texture of heavy cream. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and green beans.
Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Grind the almonds and bread in a food processor to the consistency of crumbs. Add them to the skillet and stir constantly for a minute or two, until the mixture is golden and fragrant. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the casserole and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
SPROUTED GRAIN STUFFING
Phase 3 | Serves 10 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes
10 slices sprouted grain bread
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1 1/2 to 2 cups of turkey giblet broth (or chicken, vegetable, or mushroom broth)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Toast the bread so it’s dry and crispy. Cut it into cubes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often until they’re translucent and soft about 8 minutes.
Stir in the herbs, and then add 1 1/2 cups of the broth and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then stir in the toasted bread cubes until they soak up all of the moisture. Cook and stir for a few minutes, breaking up the bread cubes until the stuffing reaches the consistency you like. Add more broth if your stuffing is too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH SAGE AND CAYENNE
Phase 3 | Serves 12 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
6-pound bone-in turkey breast
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Place the turkey breast, skin-side up, on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over the turkey skin, and let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour. (Note: You can prepare the turkey to this point 1 day ahead. After seasoning the turkey, chill it, uncovered, overnight. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.)
Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Roast the turkey for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 50 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
COCONUT-PECAN SWEET POTATOES
Phase 3 | Serves 12 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon powdered stevia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place the sweet potatoes in a 5-quart slow cooker. Combine the next six ingredients (pecans through salt) and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in the vanilla and serve.
WHOLE-BERRY CRANBERRY SAUCE
Phase 3 | Makes 2 cups | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes, plus optional chilling time
3 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup water
Zest of 1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons powdered stevia, or to taste
Combine the cranberries, water, zest, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil until the berries pop (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit. Add stevia until it’s as sweet as you like, and refrigerate before serving (if you like your cranberry sauce chilled).
Mason jars have ounce/cup marks on the side, so it’s easy to get perfect portions (1/2 cup of cooked meat equals about 4 ounces, 1/2 cup beans equals 1 serving, etc.). For each Mason jar, we layered:
Green beans (we used our creamy Green Bean Casserole)
Stuffing (Sprouted Grain Stuffing)
Turkey (Roast Turkey Breast with Sage and Cayenne)
Sweet potatoes (slow-cooker Coconut-Pecan Sweet Potatoes)
Cranberry sauce (Whole-Berry Cranberry Sauce)
These are FMD-perfect recipes your whole family will love, and you’ll know that with each luscious bite, you’re firing up your metabolism! Happy Thanksgiving!
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Phase 3 | Serves 8 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup raw almonds
1 slice sprouted grain bread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans, boil for 5 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain the beans and set them aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook and stir until the mushrooms have cooked down and are golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer this vegetable mixture to a separate bowl and return the skillet to the heat.
In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk the arrowroot into the almond milk until it dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, along with the almond milk mixture, sea salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to the texture of heavy cream. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mushroom mixture and green beans.
Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Grind the almonds and bread in a food processor to the consistency of crumbs. Add them to the skillet and stir constantly for a minute or two, until the mixture is golden and fragrant. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the casserole and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
SPROUTED GRAIN STUFFING
Phase 3 | Serves 10 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes
10 slices sprouted grain bread
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1 1/2 to 2 cups of turkey giblet broth (or chicken, vegetable, or mushroom broth)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Toast the bread so it’s dry and crispy. Cut it into cubes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often until they’re translucent and soft about 8 minutes.
Stir in the herbs, and then add 1 1/2 cups of the broth and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then stir in the toasted bread cubes until they soak up all of the moisture. Cook and stir for a few minutes, breaking up the bread cubes until the stuffing reaches the consistency you like. Add more broth if your stuffing is too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
ROASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH SAGE AND CAYENNE
Phase 3 | Serves 12 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 2 hours 45 minutes
6-pound bone-in turkey breast
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Place the turkey breast, skin-side up, on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over the turkey skin, and let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour. (Note: You can prepare the turkey to this point 1 day ahead. After seasoning the turkey, chill it, uncovered, overnight. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing.)
Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Roast the turkey for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 50 minutes longer. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving.
COCONUT-PECAN SWEET POTATOES
Phase 3 | Serves 12 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon powdered stevia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place the sweet potatoes in a 5-quart slow cooker. Combine the next six ingredients (pecans through salt) and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Stir in the vanilla and serve.
WHOLE-BERRY CRANBERRY SAUCE
Phase 3 | Makes 2 cups | Prep time: 10 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes, plus optional chilling time
3 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup water
Zest of 1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons powdered stevia, or to taste
Combine the cranberries, water, zest, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil until the berries pop (about 5 minutes). Remove from the heat and let it cool a bit. Add stevia until it’s as sweet as you like, and refrigerate before serving (if you like your cranberry sauce chilled).
