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This is so easy, so delicious, and a no-fuss solution to a great holiday dinner.
Serves 10-12.
Oil the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with a little olive oil.
Place in the bottom: 1 medium onion, quartered, 2 large stalks celery cut in chunks, a package of peeled baby carrots, along with 3 peeled baking potatoes and three peeled sweet potatoes, all cut into small chunks. Sometimes I also throw in several trimmed, fresh, uncooked whole green beans.
Top with: a a partially thawed 5-6 lbs. boneless turkey breast, cut in half.
Pour over all: 1/4 c. melted healthy margarine dissolved into 1-1/2 C. heated low-sodium chicken broth. Season lightly with pepper, amd Mrs. Dash if desired. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours. When done, and an inserted meat thermometer registers 160 degrees or more, remove turkey to a heated platter and surround it with the vegetables. Let the turkey breast sit a few moments before slicing.
For the gravy: Make sure the slow cooker is on HIGH, and whisk in 4 Tbs. cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C. cold water or low-sodium chicken broth into the pan juices. Stir until thickened. Taste to adjust seasonings if needed.
To serve stuffing with this meal, make up a recipe of Slow Cooker Stuffing ahead of time, then refrigerate it in a microwaveable covered dish to reheat the next day.
Easy Slow Cooker Stuffing:
Make up your favorite stuffing recipe.
Generously grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker. Spoon in the stuffing, cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Turn down to LOW and continue to cook about 3-4 hours until it is thoroughly cooked but still a bit moist.
Refrigerate immediately stored in a microwaveable covered dish to reheat when ready.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
Just follow your favorite family recipe for Pumpkin Pie with these substitutions:
1 – Use Soy Non-Dairy creamer in place of evaporated milk.
2 – Halve the amount of sugar usually called for.
3 – Instead of all the spices traditionally called for, simply use 1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice so that the spice flavoring does not overwhelm the fresh taste of even the canned pumpkin we all usually use.
4 – Use egg substitute equivalent for the eggs in your recipe.
Prepare and bake as usual.
This makes a very tasty, satisfying pie. If making it a day or more ahead of serving time, cover gently with waxed paper and refrigerate.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
Although I usually believe certified organic foods are often preferable for our health in the long run over conventionally produced foods in this country. There has been such a huge increase in consumer interest and spending over the last few years within the organic foods industry that unfortunately many of the small Mom and Pop type of reliable organic farms have been gobbled up or bought for outrageous profit to the farmer by the very food industry leaders producing the pesticide and hormone laden foods we try so diligently to avoid. Higher gasoline prices, the cost of moving products quickly to the retail outlets they serve, increased land taxes and payroll costs, and many other problems that often plague these small farms and ventures, have also been a strong reason for their move to joining large corporations. On top of all of that, the entire original organic certification, legal, and labeling laws have been terribly muddled by the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration, Congress (who recently voted to weaken the Organic Certified Foods Act), and many of the corporate food producers themselves have helped to dilute the quality of some so-called organic products. When there are millions and billions of dollars to be made, the unsuspecting consumer is too often the victim of deceit, and even outright scams. Check out this article titled “IS ORGANIC SUPERIOR TO REGULAR FOOD” at www.bankrate.com/brm/news/pf/20060206b2.asp –the information contained therein is well worth your time. Also, at that site, click on another of their excellent articles, “17 Tips for Buying Organic Food On the Cheap”.
Just as an example, here are a few popular previously trusted “certified organic” companies who have QUIETLY “sold out”:
1 – Small Planet Foods (Cascadian Farms), is in bed with General Mills. General Mills is really owned by several other companies such as McDonald’s, ExxonMobile, Monsanto, Phillip Morris, just to name a few.
2 – Kashi is owned by Kellogg’s.
3 – Knudsen is owned by Smucker’s.
4 - Seeds of Change is owned by M&M Mars candy company.
So what are we consumers to do to protect our families and our food dollars?
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Check out the label names on the internet of the organic foods you usually purchase to find out who the real owners are. Even Wild Oats and several of the other national organic food markets are not being completely truthful with you as to what is in their own products and the other products they sell. Many companies labeling themselves as “organic” are importing several food ingredients from foreign companies. I do not trust a company who claims they are importing “organic” foods from China, just to name one popular source. Who oversees so-called organic farms in China? We are not even able to do it correctly in our own country!
For more in-depth information, look up the Organic Consumers Association at:
www.organicconsumers.org, and my thanks to the cover story and article published in the December 7, 2006 of the Salt Lake City “City Weekly” newspaper written by Jamaine Batson at www.slweekly.com for her expose that prompted this entry!
Healthy eating,
Marianne
Here is a reminder of the produce items that may be healthier if bought certified organic, and produce that is usually considered “safe’ when purchased at a local supermarket or from local growers. Recently, many commercial retail markets like Walmart and Albertson’s offer many (labeled) organic frozen and canned foods on their shelves next to the usual non-organic products. And WalMart has begun to offer a few fresh produce items that certified organic. Be sure to look for those products as they can also be a good choice. LOCALLY GROWN and/or SEASONAL produce is often still the best choice for “safer” food choices. Thoroughly wash ALL produce, whether organic or not. For non-organic or any questionable produce, it is wise to wash, and then PEEL the produce varieties that can be peeled, before consuming.
Note: Please see the “Organic Foods Consumer Alert”, my next blog entry, December 08.
OFTEN BETTER QUALITY IF BOUGHT CERTIFIED ORGANIC and/or LOCALLY GROWN:
apples – apricots – cantaloupe (imported, Mexican) – celery – cherries – cucumbers – grapes – green beans – lettuce, all types – nectarine – peaches – pears – peppers, green/red/yellow – potatoes, all types – raspberries – spinach, other greens – squash, winter – strawberries – tomato
USUALLY CONSIDERED SAFE WHEN NON-ORGANIC:
asparagus – avocado – banana – broccoli – cabbage – cauliflower – sweet corn – kiwi – mango – onions – papaya – peas, frozen – pineapple – and most tropical fruits some of which I have already listed: banana, kiwi, mango, papaya, etc.
For additional reliable information on this subject, go to www.whfoods.com, check out their “Dirty Dozen” list of produce; and www.organicconsumers.org
Healthy eating,
Marianne
BE SURE TO READ MY JULY 05 ENTRY: “Be A Savvy Seasonal Eater” and MY DECEMBER 08 ENTRY: “Organic Foods Consumer Alert”.
Wintertime Fruit Salad
Peel and section pink grapefruit and navel oranges over a bowl to catch their juices. Toss with raisins or cranraisins, 1 small can chunk pineapple and its juice, a sliced firm banana, chopped ripe pear and grapes. Serve as is, or to really delight children, try this variation:
Add drained red and green maraschino cherries. Top with non-dairy whipped cream type topping and then sprinkle with colored sugar or candy sprinkles.
Lemony Turnips
This is especially good to serve to those who say they hate turnips.
Peel and cut turnips into chunks, and cook in salted boiling water until tender. Drain well. Toss with healthy margarine, fresh lemon juice and parsley.
Healthy eating,
Marianne
