Thanksgiving Recipes for Diabetics

Food plays a very important role while celebrating occasions like Thanksgiving. However, people affected by diabetes are the ones who have a bit of trouble at such times, as they have to keep a watch on what they eat and follow a proper diet.

Thanksgiving recipes are the updated classical dishes that are prepared using the traditional fresh herbs, tangy spices, seasonal vegetables, and fruits. The recipes rely heavily on vegetables combined with fat-free fish, poultry, and lean meats.

You should try to avoid canned and processed foods on such occasions, and cut down on as many saturated fats and trans fats as possible. Given here are some Thanksgiving recipes for diabetics.

Ingredients
♦ 1 Whole turkey (15 lbs approx)
♦ ½ cup Peach preserves
♦ 1½ teaspoons Salt
♦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground Black pepper
♦ 2 tablespoons Bourbon
♦ 5 pickled Peaches
♦ 2 teaspoons Angostura bitters
♦ Pan juice

Procedure
Remove the turkey giblets and neck, and preserve it for making the gravy. Clean the turkey under running water, and pat it dry. Sprinkle the pepper and salt over the cavities, and fold the neck skin. Fasten it to the back using skewers. Fold the turkey wings under the back, and return the legs to the tucked position.

Place the turkey on a large and shallow roasting pan. Place it breast side up. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, such that it doesn't touch the bone inside. Roast it in an oven that is preheated to over 325 ºF, for 3 to 4 hours. While the turkey roasts, heat a saucepan over low heat and add peach preserves, bitters, and bourbon to it.

Let it cook until the peach preserves melt. In the final 30 minutes of the roasting process, baste the peach preserve mixture with the pan juices. This is the bourbon peach glaze. Continue roasting the turkey until the thermometer displays a temperature of 180 ºF.

Remove it from the roast, and wait for 20 minutes before carving it. Place the prepared turkey on a large serving dish, and garnish it with the peach glaze.

Ingredients
♦ 4 cups Turkey broth
♦ ¼ cup Water
♦ ¼ cup Cornstarch
♦ Pepper and Salt
♦ Defattened pan juice (put poultry dipping into a measuring cup, and refrigerate it until the fat gets solidified and forms a layer on top of the liquid. Remove this fat and use the liquid)

Procedure
Heat a saucepan over medium heat, and add turkey broth and pan juice to it. Bring this mixture to a boil. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together. Dissolve all the cornstarch clots by whisking it continuously. Add this to the broth and pan juice mixture. Boil it until it forms a gravy, and season it with pepper and salt, to taste.

Ingredients
♦ ½ lb small Red potatoes
♦ Crushed garlic cloves
♦ 2 lbs Butternut squash
♦ 2 tablespoons Olive oil
♦ ¼ teaspoon dried Thyme
♦ 1 Bay leaf
♦ Fresh thyme sprigs

Procedure
In a bowl, combine the quartered potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, dried thyme, garlic, bay leaf, pepper, and salt. Put this mixture into a large and oiled toasting pan (which is suitable for an oven). Roast it in the oven which is preheated to over 375 ºF, for 25 minutes. Keep turning the vegetables after every 5 to 10 minutes.

Take a bowl and add remaining olive oil, a bit of pepper, salt, and squash to it, and toss the mixture well. Add this to the roasting pan, and roast the entire mixture for 15 minutes more. Discard the bay leaf and garnish the vegetables with the thyme sprig.

Ingredients
♦ 2½ cups fresh Blueberries
♦ 3 Eggs (separated)
♦ ⅓ cup ground Almonds
♦ 1 tablespoon Sugar
♦ 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
♦ 1 teaspoon Sugar substitute
♦ ½ cup Whipping cream
♦ ½ cup Yogurt

Procedure
Beat the egg yolk and sugar together until it forms a light structure. Add the almonds to it, and keep beating until the eggs become stiff. Add the egg whites to this yolk mixture. Take a baking pan and line it with waxed paper. Pour this mixture into the pan and bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes, at a temperature of over 325 ºF.

Remove the pan from the oven, allow the mixture to cool, and then cut it into small square pieces. For making the blueberry sauce, add ½ cup of blueberries to a blender and make a puree. Dissolve the cornstarch in the whipped cream.

In another saucepan, mix the blueberry mixture, cream mixture, and the remaining blueberries together, and cook it for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Allow this to cool, and then add the sugar substitute to it. For serving, line a serving dish with the blueberry sauce. Place the egg squares over it, and top it with the remaining sauce and yogurt.

These recipes are healthy for diabetic people, easy to make, and very tasty. It will be a good idea to include these in your Thanksgiving meal.