The sweet coconut flavour of this crust complements the smooth, rich lemon flavour of the filling, combined with the light fluffy melt in your mouth meringue. For me, this dessert provides a nice light ending to a Christmas meal. If this sounds good to you, get your oven mitts, a large and small mixing bowl, and a sauce pan, then proceed with this recipe and experience some lemon goodness!

Pie Crust

1/2 cup of coconut flour

1/2 cup of shredded coconut

2 and 1/2 tbsp virgin coconut oil measured, then melted

1/2 cup of brown Demerara sugar

1/2 cup of walnuts crushed in food processor (almost to a flour)

Mix ingredients together in bowl, then press into bottom of a stoneware or ceramic pie pan. This crust tends to burn in a metal pie pan.

Lemon Filling

1 and 1/4 cups white sugar

2 cups of water

1/2 tsp sea salt

6 tbsp potato starch

3 egg yolks (lightly beaten)

1/2 tsp coconut oil measured, then melted

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

1 and 1/2 tsp of Knox gelatin

Mix the sugar, salt, gelatin, and potato starch in the bottom of the sauce pan. Gradually, stir in water while whisking with a whisk. Bring to a boil over a medium high heat while stirring constantly.Once boiling, reduce to medium low and continue stirring for about 3-4 minutes. It will start to thicken. Then add oil and whisk until blended. Then add a couple of tsp of hot mixture into egg yolks, stir well, then add to hot mixture and whisk it. Continue stirring on heat for 2-3 minutes (to cook egg in mixture, then add lemon juice and rind. Stir well for 1-2 minutes. Remove pot from heat and gently pour into the pie pan with the prepared crust. Place in the fridge to cool while you prepare the meringue.

Meringue

3 egg whites (at room temperature)

1/4 tsp grain-free, diary-free cream of tartar

6 and 1/2 tbsp white sugar

Beat egg white with cream of tarter until stiff peaks form when beater is taken out. Then continue beating while slowly adding sugar. Eventually, peaks will become shiny and peaks will form again when beater is removed. Pour onto filling and bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 10 –12 minutes (sometimes longer) until meringue is golden. Sit at stove and supervise until the peaks are a golden brown (it can burn easily). Let cool, then serve, or refrigerate. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 large russet potatoes chopped

1 large yam chopped

1 large sweet potato chopped

2 leeks sliced (push on middle of each slice to separate into rings)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp of fresh rosemary chopped fine

3 tbsp of fresh sage chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic pressed through the garlic press

Add the rosemary, garlic, and sage to the olive oil and stir. Put the chopped yams, sweet potato, and potato in the roasting pan with the sliced leek. Pour the olive oil and herb mixture over the vegetables and stir the vegetables around until are well coated with olive oil and herbs. Apply sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook at 350 Fahrenheit for 60 minutes (or longer) until vegetables are soft.

To begin, get a medium saucepan, a strainer with a bowl under it, and a measuring cup

In the saucepan, add:

3 cups of fresh cranberries

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of water

Boil this mixture for 15-20 minutes, then pour mixture through the strainer with a bowl underneath (it should look a bit thicker now). Take a large spoon and press the mixture against the strainer to ensure all flavour and most of the pulp is pushed through. The residue left is mostly cranberry skin. Remove bowl with strained mixture and place it in the fridge to cool and thicken. Enjoy!

To begin, get a sauce pan, a cutting board, and a knife to chop vegetables.

Ingredients

7-8 cups of stock/pan drippings (can put a little less if you don’t have enough)

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of chopped red onion

1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots

10-15 chopped dates

6 sundried tomatoes soaked then chopped

1 chopped plum tomato

2 sprigs of rosemary chopped

1/4 cup fresh thyme chopped

1/4 cup fresh oregano chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 bay leaf

4-5 tsps of butter (Optional-don’t use, if you want the dairy-free option)

5 tsp of potato starch

Bring pan drippings to a boil over medium to high heat and cook all of the ingredients (except for the potato starch) in the pan drippings for 15-20 minutes. Let the turkey rest while cooking the gravy. Once cooked, strain the sauce through a strainer with a bowl underneath. Press down on vegetable mixture to ensure all broth is pushed through. Place strained broth back into saucepan and bring to boil for 5 minutes, add butter and stir until melted. Place potato starch in a cup with 1/4 cup water and mix well. Then add a little of the potato starch mixture at a time into the broth while briskly stirring the broth with a whisk. Wait one minute between each addition of potato starch/water mixture. Keep adding the potato mixture until the broth is the consistency of gravy. Serve and enjoy!

This rice based stuffing has been a favourite of our family for a few years. It is infused with the rich flavour of hazelnuts and tangy sweetness of mandarin oranges combined with a light olive oil of your choice. It is relatively simple to make and provides a rich source of flavour within the turkey as it roasts, adding to the pan drippings which will be used in the gravy.

To begin, take out a large saucepan, a cutting board, and a knife to chop vegetables.

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked brown rice

1/2 cup of chopped shallots (can substitute with red onion)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 mandarin oranges, peeled, sectioned, and chopped

1/2 cup of hazelnuts chopped in food processor

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, cook the onion/shallots and celery in olive oil over medium heat until cooked. Then remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to mix, let cool, then stuff your turkey. I baste the skin with a mixture of olive oil and fresh herbs such as rosemary, garlic, and sage. Extra water can be added to the bottom of the roasting pan to ensure lots of pan dripping are available for the gravy. A mixture of carrots, onion and celery (1/2-1 cup each) can be added to the water to infuse extra flavour into the drippings. Roast as per roasting instructions. I roast my turkey with the lid on until about 1/2 hour before it is done. Then, the lid is removed for the last half hour to ensure the skin is brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Menu

Part 1 Of 5 Part Series: Hazelnut, Mandarin Stuffing for Your Turkey

Part 2 Of 5 Part Series: Full Bodied Gravy

Part 3 Of 5 Part Series: Cranberry Sauce

Part 4 of 5 Part Series: Roasted Vegetables With Herbs

Part 5 of 5 Part Series: Lemon Meringue Pie

If this sounds good to you, put on your Santa hat, turn up the Christmas tunes, adorn your apron, and cook your way into a G-free culinary Christmas paradise set to delight your taste buds with natural foods that are nutritious and delicious. Merry G-Free Christmas Everyone!