Plan Your Thanksgiving Meal The Metabolic Way

This week, ahead of Thanksgiving time, I'd like to share a couple of recipes with you in case you're in planning mode and looking for some healthy alternatives! Both of these recipes can be altered for Metabolic Type® by changing the amount of fat used for creaming.

Curry Cauliflower Mash

This dish is a wonderful substitute for mashed potatoes, a seasonal staple that doesn’t always work so well for those more sensitive to starch. The addition of flavor-packed spices like curry, cinnamon, and ginger make for an excellent side dish that packs a healthy punch!

Prep time: 30 min Cook Time: 30 min

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped

1/2 cup cashews

3/4 cup heavy cream (substitute for half & half or cashew/any nut milk or camel’s milk depending on Metabolic Type® and fat requirements)

3/4 cup coconut milk (low fat or full fat or combination based on Metabolic Type®)

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp butter (or coconut oil)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 tbsp curry powder

2 dashes ground cinnamon

1 dash paprika

Salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper (optional!) or

Recipe

First, soak the cashews in fresh water for at least 30 min (but up to 8 hours). This will ensure a smoother, creamier mash. While the cashews are soaking, prep the cauliflower and other ingredients. After the cashews have soaked for at least 30 min, strain them, heat a saucepan over medium heat, then add the butter (or coconut oil). Once heated enough, add the garlic and ginger to the pan and sauté for 2-3 min, making sure not to burn the garlic. Once the garlic and ginger are softened, add the cauliflower, cream, coconut milk, cashews, salt, and water to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce, cover, and let simmer for 20 min. After dish is finished cooking, add the rest of the spices, stir, and blend with immersion blender or transfer to a food processor and pulse until mixture is smooth but not runny (there should still be some texture from the cauliflower). Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serves 4-6.

Low Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
This pie is very low in sugar, high in fiber, and yet still yummy. I used a combination of lower fat and regular coconut milks and the consistency is smooth and fabulous. Full fat coconut milk could be used for protein types, whole cream if you prefer, all low-fat coconut milk, nut milk, or whatever your heart desires! The base of the filling is sweet potato, a wonderful nutrient for all types and an excellent complex carbohydrate. There are no eggs in the recipe, and no grains. Seeds provide the bulk and the binding for the filling, and are fantastic for binding toxins in the gut as well!

Prep Time: 25 min Cook Time: 1 hour, 8 min

Ingredients

For the crust:

2 1/2 cups pecans

1 1/4 tsp Korintje cinnamon (I prefer this type as it lends sweetness)

4 tbsp melted butter

For the pie filling:

2 cups baked sweet potato (better baked than boiled to bring out the natural sugars!)

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups milk or cream of choice

3 tbsp ground flax/chia blend (Whole Foods has some blends that are flavored, and they are great in this recipe)

1/4 - 1/3 cup raw sugar or maple syrup, to taste

1/3 tsp salt

2 tsp Korintje cinnamon

Recipe

Crust: Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until like wet sand, but be careful not to over-grind to nut butter stage. There should be some coarseness. Press into pie pan and chill for 15 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Pie: Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and pour into nut crust.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, then without opening oven door, turn off oven and leave in for another 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for 8 hours or overnight.