A SMART Thanksgiving

For those of you who have been subscribing to my blog, you know that the subject is worthy of repeating---inflammatory foods are the source of age related chronic disease.  And since the Thanksgiving holiday is all about food, family and friends, which every day is for me, I thought I would help those of you who truly believe in the anti-aging way of eating, to have an anti-aging Thanksgiving feast.  I know you are probably thinking it is a little early for Thanksgiving plans, but I have an ulterior motive.  

To me, Thanksgiving is all about tradition.  At Beyond the Bull, we are about to start a new one, right here in the town of Central where we will hopefully stay for many years to come.  Beyond the Bull has joined with the Marine Corps Reserve in the first annual Thanksgiving Benefit Dinner for Toys for Tots of Pickens

County---a Thanksgiving feast for a small price and a new unwrapped toy (of any value).  I know there are many who can't celebrate with their families and hope those of you who can't will join David and me on that day to dine on fresh, natural turkey breast, our popular butternut squash bread pudding and other BTB favorites.

If you decide you would rather do the cooking yourself, we won't hold it against you.  Here is my version of a tasty but traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Although traditional Thanksgiving foods can be highly acid forming if prepared using ingredients such as stuffing mix from a box, it is possible to have a SMART holiday that mimics those you remember fondly from childhood.  So, grab your potato masher and roasting pan and let’s have the smartest of all holiday dinners whether at the Bull with David and me or at your home with your loved ones.  Happy SMART Thanksgiving to all!

A Smart Thanksgiving Menu

Vegetable cocktail

In a juicer combine celery, parsley, cucumber and apple. 

Pour one ounce of your favorite gin or vodka in a chilled martini glass.  Add the juice and garnish with

cucumber slices.

Appetizer

Asparagus wrapped in thin sliced prosciutto with

horseradish mustard sauce

Vegetarian spring rolls

Seasoned Daikon chips

Soup

Butternut and jalapeno with

kale chip garnish

Salad

Spinach, red onion and black olive with a blueberry balsamic

vinaigrette and crunchy soy nuts

Entrée

Roast Turkey with wild rice, parsley, sage and mushroom stuffing

Gravy from pan drippings and stock

Smashed maple sweet and Bliss potatoes

Cranberry chutney made with celery, raisins, vinegar,

black peppercorns, apples, chili peppers and onion

Green beans and almonds

Roasted grapes for garnish

Dessert

Olive oil pot de crème

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, 

Chef AngelaB.