A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

For many, the Thanksgiving holiday means a hot roasted turkey smothered in gravy with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans with onions on the side. Perhaps there is a platter of fresh corn on the cob cooked to a perfect crunch with some cranberries decorating the perimeter of the plate. For some, the Thanksgiving holiday means taking a moment to be grateful for all we have: our families, our homes, our loved ones. But to me the Thanksgiving holiday means one thing and one thing only: The Dallas Cowboys game. I grew up in a home of die hard Cowboys fans and as the only girl in the family with something to prove, I joined in the rapture of the game. I’ll never forget the Thanksgivings of my youth spent with quarterback Danny White and runningback Tony Dorsett. Sometimes, in my memory, I can catch a glimpse of my exhausted, overworked mother, who spent hours in the steaming kitchen preparing the roasted Turkey and corn on the cob. It’s a shame we appreciated the efforts of the coach Tom Landry more than hers.

Now of course Thanksgiving means something different: it means standing in the steaming kitchen with my exhausted mother preparing the food that is appropriate for my daughter’s gluten-free diet. I usually pass off the turkey to my mother who somehow manages to do it with grace. I take the side dishes because that way I can be assured that there will be mostly gluten-free food on the table. Fortunately I have successfully adapted my standard side dishes to the gluten-free diet. The first dish requires gluten-free oats which can be costly, but Thanksgiving only comes once a year. It is important to note that some celiacs do not tolerate oats, so make sure you can eat oats before you make this recipe.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Crunch

2 medium diced apples
1 can whole cranberries
1 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup rice flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened margarine
cinammon

Mash up the softened margarine and add the rice flour, sugar, and gluten-free oats.
Grease a pan and press half of this mixture into the pan to form a crust.
Lay the diced apples on to the crust.
Pour cranberries on top of apples.
Sprinkle with Cinammon.
Top with the remainder oat mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

My sister-in-law is in charge of the soup course, but she makes such a yummy pumpkin soup that I had to post it. The best part: it’s naturally gluten-free.

1 finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced shallots (optional)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 16 oz. can pureed pumpkin
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
white pepper to taste
1 cup of cream or non-dairy creamer

Sautee onions and shallot in butter (or margarine) until translucent.
Add pumpkin, chicken broth, and spices.

Heat until close to boil, but don’t let boil.
Add cream or creamer.
Serve hot.

Thanksgiving is a time of thankfulness and family togetherness. So if you are watching the Cowboys game this Thursday just remember to take a moment to stop off in the kitchen and thank Mom for her fantastic (gluten-free) turkey.

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