EWG knows how challenging it can be during the holidays to feed your family healthy and tasty meals. So we asked our staff for their favorite Thanksgiving recipes to help you prepare. We hope you enjoy them, and please share your culinary creations with the hashtag #EWGEats.
Ginger Pumpkin Soup by Nadia Barbosa
Brussels Sprout Salad by Nicole Price
Kale and Butternut Squash Salad by Ashley McCormack
Scrap Greens Soup by Almila Kakinc
Turkey Bone Broth by Ashley McCormack
Butternut Squash and Quinoa Boats by Ashley McCormack
Bunch of Brussels Sprouts by Helen Lucey
Sonya's Cranberry Relish by Sonya Lunder
Kale Colcannon by Dawn Undurraga
Babuscio's Rosemary Turkey by Jocelyn Lyle Babuscio
Pumpkin Pie by Hanna Rhodes
Swedish Apple Cake by Shannon Van Hoesen
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
2 small culinary pumpkins, also called sugar pumpkins
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 can coconut milk
1/2 carton vegetable broth
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced roughly
4 garlic cloves, halved
1 fresh nutmeg seed
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt, pepper and olive oil for seasoning
Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Remove the stems of each pumpkin and cut them in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the fibers and seeds.
3. Fill the pumpkin halves with chopped onion and garlic cloves and coat them with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
4. Place the filled pumpkin halves on a layer of aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour at 350°F . Cool.
5. Remove roasted onions and garlic from baked pumpkin halves and set aside.
6. With a knife, gently peel skin from pumpkins.
7. Place baked pumpkin meat, roasted onions and garlic and minced ginger into a food processor or blender and puree, adding vegetable stock as needed to achieve a liquid consistency.
8. Pour the puree into a pot and add bay leaf, cinnamon and coconut milk.
9. Use a small grater to grate about a third of the nutmeg seed into the puree. You can store the rest in a cool, dry container to use later.
10. Add any leftover stock. Heat the soup through.
11. Add salt, pepper, and maple syrup to taste.
Even those who don’t love Brussels sprouts already will love this salad! The toasted pecans add a delicious crunch, and the berries bring lovely color and a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries
Directions
1. Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts using food processor, knife or mandolin and set aside.
2. Sauté pecans in dry pan over medium-high heat, stirring until they darken and smell toasty, 2 - 3 minutes.
3. Add butter and stir.
4. Once butter melts, add Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper. Stir continually, until color brightens and sprouts are just tender, 5 - 7 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, add cranberries, toss and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Salad
2 bunches dino kale
1 medium butternut squash
1 large pomegranate
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
Dressing
1/2 shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
6 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about one lemon)
Pinch of salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Skin and dice the butternut squash to one-inch cubes. Mix with olive oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt on top. Roast squash for about 30-40 minutes until tender, tossing occasionally.
2. While the squash is cooking, make the dressing. Combine ingredients and whisk until combined to the desired consistency. Add more olive oil and/or lemon for a slightly thinner dressing.
3. Remove pomegranate seeds from fruit. One easy way to do this is to fill a bowl with water, cut pomegranate in half, and remove flesh and seeds inside the bowl of water. The white flesh will float to the top and the seeds will sink to the bottom as they are removed. Skim the flesh from top, drain water, and dry seeds.
4. Wash, dry and cut kale to bite size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add roasted squash. Add dressing and gently toss. Add pomegranate seeds, grate parmesan on top and serve.
The green tops of root vegetables like beets and radishes often get thrown away. Too bad, because they can add a bittersweet pop to your dinner and sneak in more nutrition.
This easy scrap greens soup glows with the slight sweetness of caramelized onions, coconut milk and coconut oil. Serve warm on those drizzly fall nights or cold in summer.
Ingredients
1 bunch radish, turnip or beet greens, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coconut oil or grass-fed ghee
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup purified water
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (a Clean Fifteen produce)
Directions
1. Sauté chopped onions with a tablespoon of coconut oil or grass-fed ghee on medium heat for about five minutes. Ghee will yield a slightly nutty and sweeter aroma. For non-vegans grass-fed butter works well
2. Reduce the heat and cook until the onions caramelize.
3. Chop greens and sauté with a tablespoon of coconut oil until wilted.
4. Add coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
5. When cool, puree with an immersion or conventional blender. Season with sea salt to taste.
Don’t toss the turkey carcass. Make healthy and delicious stock, which you can use to make your favorite soup or freeze for up to 6 months.
Ingredients
1 turkey carcass
1 onion, diced
8 cloves garlic
2 to 4 carrots
4 stalks of celery
Directions
1. Put the turkey carcass and scraps into a large soup pot.
2. Add salt, pepper, diced onion, peeled crushed garlic cloves, carrots and celery. Thyme and parsley optional.
3. Fill the pot to cover ingredients with 2-3 inches of water.
4. Bring stock to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 ½ to 3 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the better the flavor and more concentrated the broth.
5. Once the broth is cooked, strain with a fine metal mesh strainer. Serve immediately or let cool completely and store in the refrigerator or freezer. For a more refined broth, skim off foamy white scum.
Serves 2-4, depending on the size of your squash
Ingredients
1 – 2 whole butternut squash (2 small or one large)
¾ cup cooked quinoa
8 ounces goat cheese
1 small sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions
1. Preheat over to 400°F.
2. Cut butternut squash in half vertically, scooping out seeds.
3. Place squash skin side up on baking sheet.
4. Bake for 45-60 minutes until squash is soft and tender. Set aside.
5. While squash cooks, cook quinoa as directed and sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 20 minutes.
6. Once squash is cooked and cooled, scoop out most of the flesh from the skin and place into a bowl, ideally reserving the skin to re-stuff once the mixture is complete (If skins fall apart, you can serve dish in a bowl.)
7. Mix into squash meat 6 ounces of goat cheese, cooked quinoa, sautéed onions and 2 tablespoon of dried cranberries. Stir until evenly combined, adding more cheese and cranberries if desired.
8. Place the filling back into the squash skins and top with remaining cheese, dried cranberries, salt and pepper. Bake at 375°F for 10-15 minutes to warm through.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 large bunch of Brussels sprouts (about 30)
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3-4 slices of prosciutto
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Slice Brussels sprouts thinly
3. Toss Brussels sprouts in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Roughly chop cranberries and prosciutto
5. Spread Brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet
6. Add cranberries and prosciutto
7. Roast for 20 - 30 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are browned and slightly crisp, stirring occasionally.
Serves 6
Not just for Thanksgiving, this low-sugar relish (1/3 less sugar than the typical homemade variety) pairs well with any roasted meat or vegetable dinner. You can further reduce sugar if you enjoy the tartness of cranberries.
Ingredients
1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries
2 or 3 apples, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice or water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Spread out on baking sheet and roast in the oven for 40–60 minutes, or until cranberries have popped and fruit is soft.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
2 pounds organic baking potatoes
1 large bunch organic kale
1 ¼ cups of milk
3 green onions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions
1. Remove stems from kale and blanch. Drain, squeeze out water, chop finely.
2. Boil potatoes, drain and mash.
3. Simmer milk with green onions.
4. While hot, combine kale, mashed potatoes, milk and green onions and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot or keep warm until ready to serve.
Adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients
5 lemons, cut in half
½ cup honey
2 bunches thyme
1 bunch parsley
3 garlic heads, sliced in half
3 tablespoons whole peppercorns
6 quarts ice water
18 to 20 pound turkey
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
4 yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons salt
1 bunch rosemary
4 bay leaves
Directions for Brine
1. Combine 4 quarts of water, salt, lemon, honey, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns in a 12-quart pot, cover, bring to a boil, stir until salt is dissolved, then remove from the heat. Transfer brine to 20-quart food-safe container, and add 6 quarts of ice water. Let cool completely.
If using a 20-quart pot, combine 4 quarts of water in the pot with the salt, lemon, honey, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir until salt is dissolved, then remove from the heat and add 6 quarts of ice water. Let cool completely.
2. Lower the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry, and place on a rimmed baking sheet, breast-side up, to air dry for a minimum of 24 hours in the refrigerator. Once the turkey is dried, it is ready to roast.
Directions for Roasting:
1. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove and let stand 3 minutes. Skim off the froth and discard. Slowly pour butter into a medium bowl. Discard solids and reserve clarified butter in bowl.
3. Place the vegetables in the roasting pan and toss with oil. Place roasting rack on top of vegetables. Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the remaining rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and garlic, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Place the air-dried turkey on the roasting rack, breast side up.
4. Brush the turkey skin with the clarified butter and season the skin with desired salt. Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Rotate the pan and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 150°F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
5. Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving. This will lock in the juices and the turkey to rise to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Ingredients
Pre-prepared pastry for two 9” crusts
¾ cup brown Sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups cooked pumpkin
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
Directions
1. Combine the sugars, molasses, salt, spices and pumpkin in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat eggs with milk.
3. Combine the two mixtures and mix thoroughly.
4. Roll, shape, prick bottom and bake pie crusts for 10 minutes at 400 °F Fahrenheit.
5. Fill partially-baked crusts with pumpkin pie mixture and bake 35-40 min at 400°F.
6. Cover edges with crimped foil or crust cover during baking.
7. Decorate top of pie with leaf and pumpkin shaped crusts – rolled, cut and baked on a cookie sheet until browned. Serve with homemade whipped cream!
Yields two cakes
Ingredients
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
3 organic baking apples (Apples top EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so it’s best to buy organic)
Cinnamon, a few teaspoons
Raw sugar, to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Sift baking powder with flour and set aside.
3. Beat butter with eggs and sugar.
4. Slowly stir flour mixture into butter mixture.
5. Grease two round cake pans.
6. Divide the batter, pour into pans and spread evenly.
7. Peel apples and cut into wedges.
8. Fan apple slices across the top of the batter.
9. Mix cinnamon and raw sugar and sprinkle across the top of the cakes.
10. Bake cakes for about 20 minutes or until brown.
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