10 tasty Thanksgiving recipes: gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan alternatives

It's Thanksgiving on Thursday 26 November, the traditional American holiday giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest – and food plays a major part in the celebrations. From pumpkin pie and glazed ham to warm potato salads, our friends across the pond certainly know how to cook up a feast.

If you fancy trying some Thanksgiving dishes for yourself, we've got 10 brilliant recipes to follow – plus these creations are a mix of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, so there's something for everyone. Enjoy!

Gluten-free: Ginger beer mustard glazed ham

Ingredients

1½ kg smoked boneless gammon joint with a good layer of fat covering

For the glaze:

3 cans (990ml) old Jamaica or similar fiery ginger beer
150ml bourbon or whisky, whatever kind you have or like best
Juice of 4 oranges and the zest of 2 (approximately 400ml)
500g soft dark brown sugar
1 large thumb sliced ginger
6 tbsp. French’s® Classic Yellow Mustard

Method

1. Place the ginger beer, sugar and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring all the time until the sugar dissolves.

2. Add in the orange juice and zest and continue to boil, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about a third and is becoming stickier. Whisk in the mustard and continue to cook until the glaze has reduced a little more and is becoming sticky, coating the back of a spoon and shiny. Remove from the heat, immediately whisk in the booze if using and allow to cool a little.

3. Place the gammon in a large pot of cold unsalted water (making sure it is submerged) and bring to a boil as fast as you can, drain off the water and do the same again, this will remove any excess salt from the gammon and saves you soaking it overnight the old-fashioned way. 

4. Turn down to a simmer and cook for around 45-60 minutes or until a knife goes in and out easily and the meat feels tender.

5. Remove and place in a tray lined with greaseproof paper (this will make your washing up easier later).

6. If the gammon has skin use a small knife to remove it, keeping as much fat as possible still on the meat.

7. Pour over a third of the glaze, making sure to cover the surface well (I use a pastry brush to help).

8. Place in your preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until bubbly and starting to brown. Repeat the glazing and baking process twice more, reserving just a tablespoon or two of the glaze at the end.

Bake the final time until the gammon is burnished and crispy with glaze.

9. Take it out of the oven and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before brushing over the last tablespoon or two of glaze to give it an attractive shine and serving. 

Vegan: Tanya Maher's raw pumpkin pie 

Ingredients

For the crust:

510g Pecans 
340g hazelnuts
340g dates, pitted and soaked only if dates are too dry
340g dried apricots
2 tbsp cacao nibs
1/3 tsp salt

For the filling:

1 small/medium pumpkin (about 1 kg before peeling)
680g dates
2 tbsp coconut oil (or 3/4 cup if you want the filling to be more solid)
1.5 tbsp mesquite/algarroba
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger powder
1 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tbsp vanilla extract)
½ tsp nutmeg
2 capsules of Udo's Choice Super 8 Probiotics

Method

1. Process the nuts for the pie crust until they are roughly chopped. Add all the remaining crust ingredients and process until well combined, but slightly chunky.

2. Transfer the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish and use your hands to press it in, making sure that you create the same thickness to line the bottom and the sides of the dish. Use your fist if more force is necessary to move the crust outwards and create a wall high enough for the filling to sit in.

3. Cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out and discard of all the seeds, then carefully chop off the peel with a good knife and roughly chop the pumpkin flesh. Process all the filling ingredients until creamy, using a blender if necessary.

4. Pour the filling into your pre-constructed pie crust. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

For more information head to tanyascafe.com 

Vegan: Maple glazed sweet potatoes

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
2 tbsp maple syrup
4 medium red onions, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt flakes, to sprinkle

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

2. Place the potato into a large oven tray; drizzle with the maple syrup.

3. Add the red onion; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

4. Roast for around 40 minutes or until tender and browned.

For more information head to Lakeland.co.uk 

Gluten-free: Pork, Sage & Onion stuffing

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes

Ingredients

900g/2lb gluten-free pork sausage meat
25g/1oz chopped fresh sage
75g/3oz white breadcrumbs made from Genius Gluten Free bread left out overnight and then whizzed up in a blender
1 large onion, very finely chopped
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the gluten-free breadcrumbs, sage and onion

2. Stir in 2 tablespoons boiling water and mix thoroughly.

3. Gradually add the sausage meat into the wet mixture and season.

4. Bring the stuffing together into a ball, then cover and chill until you're ready to stuff your turkey.

5. Use half of your stuffing inside your turkey, putting into the cavity prior to cooking and with the remaining stuffing either roll into balls or spread out evenly in a greased ovenproof dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown all over and cooked through.

6. If you’re making the stuffing in advance you can freeze in a plastic freezer box or a freezer bag.

For more information head to geniusglutenfree.com 

Gluten-free: Grain-free pecan pie

Serves: 10-12
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

70g ground almonds
70g chestnut flour (You can use ground almonds or almond flour as an alternative)
85g organic coconut flour
140g organic virgin coconut oil
Pinch sea salt
3 large eggs, beaten
110g organic virgin coconut oil
110g organic agave nectar, light amber & mild
200g organic coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste, or 1 vanilla pod deseeded
100g pecan halves

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F, gas mark 4, 180°C (160°C fan-assisted). You will need a non-stick 9inch loose bottom tart tin.

2. Place all the flours in a mixing bowl together with sea salt and coconut oil using your hands form into a ball. Once the ball is formed, place into the base of your tart tin and smooth out on the base and up the sides so it’s even all around. Then refrigerate the pastry case for 30 minutes until hard.

3. To roast the pecans, place in the oven for 10-12 minutes on a baking mat, stirring a few times so they don’t burn, until they are light brown and fragrant. Set aside and let them cool.

4. In a medium sized saucepan melt the coconut oil, agave syrup and coconut sugar until smooth and soft. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes.

5. Then ad the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir well.

6. Remove the pasty case from the fridge, pour in the melted mixture and decorate with the pecan halves flat side down.

7. Place into the pre-heated oven and back for 45-50 minutes. Check on the pie after 35 minutes as you may want to add a sheet of foil over the pie to prevent the crust and nuts from burning.

8. The mixture will rise in the oven, but don’t be alarmed, once out of the oven it will return to its natural shape.

Photo by David Munns. More information head to myrelationshipwithfood.com and The Groovy Food Company. 

Vegetarian and dairy-free: Warm squash and potato salad with crispy onions, chestnuts and peas

Ingredients

800g salad potatoes
1 small squash/pumpkin such as acorn or similar (400g)
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
10-12 cooked peeled chestnuts
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1-2 tbsp French’s® Classic Yellow Mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice, cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
1 small bunch chives finely
¼ bunch chopped parsley
2 heaped tbsp. chopped cornichons
5 tablespoons French’s® Crispy Fried Onions
6 eggs, boiled for 10 minutes
50g Pumpkin Seeds - toasted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C.

2. Peel the squash, halve it and remove the seeds, dice into bite-size chunks, or the same as your potatoes. Coat in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper, roast in the oven until tender and lightly golden but not mushy.

3. Quarter the chestnuts and mix through the squash/pumpkin whilst still warm.

4. Wash the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and allow to cool. If the potatoes are large, halve or quarter them into bite-sized pieces. Mix with the squash and chestnuts.

5. Peel the eggs and separate the yolks and whites, break up the yolks with a fork or on a small grater.

6. Add the peas and crumbled yolks to the potatoes and squash mix and fold the lot to mix evenly.

7. In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, mustard, and olive oil and mix with the potatoes and peas, parsley, and cornichons.

8. Taste and season to your liking with salt and pepper. Place in your serving bowl and garnish with the crispy onions, crumbled cooked chestnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped chives.

Gluten-free: Ballotine of Turkey with spinach, braised baby gems, potato rosti and thyme

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the turkey:

4 turkey breasts, weighing about 150g each
100g of spinach
8 slices of Parma ham
10g of butter
1 dash of olive oil salt

For the rosti:

4 large potatoes
1 sprig of fresh thyme
50g of butter
1 dash of olive oil salt
2 egg yolks 

For the thyme jus:

3 sprigs of fresh thyme
50ml of red wine vinegar
100ml of red wine
100ml of port
100ml of Madeira
650ml gluten-free beef stock 

For the baby gem and carrots:

4 baby gem lettuces, sliced thinly 
50g of butter 
1 dash of olive oil salt 
12 baby carrots, peeled 
1 knob of butter

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Roll out a large piece of cling film on the work surface and place two pieces of parma ham next to each other, slightly overlapping by about 1cm. 

2. Butterfly the turkey breast and season with salt then beat it with a mallet until it reaches a thickness of 1cm. Lay out on top of the Parma ham. 

3. Place the butter and olive oil in a hot pan and as it begins to sizzle and add the spinach to wilt. Season well with salt. Remove the spinach and drain on kitchen paper, then divide it into four portions. Take one and arrange it in the centre of the turkey, running it the length of the breast.

4. Roll the turkey up in the cling film to make a tight cylinder shape. Twist the ends and, using two strips of cling film, tie them off. Wrap it in foil and repeat three times so you have four ballotines.

5. Place the ballotines in a deep oven tray with enough water cover half of the turkey. Cover with tin foil, place in the oven and cook until the core temperature is 75C for about 30-45 minutes. Remove and allow to rest to re-heat before serving.

6. To make the potato rosti, peel and coarsely grate the potatoes. Season with salt and leave for five minutes in a colander. Place the grated potato in a cloth and ring out the excess moisture then mix into a bowl with egg yolks and thyme.

7. Place a frying pan on a medium heat. Place the rosti mix on a chopping board and cut into 8cm rings. Add olive oil and butter to the pan and once hot, use a spatula to lift the rings of potato into the pan. Cook until the base is golden brown. Colour the other side of the rosti and put it in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

8. For the jus, place a saucepan onto a medium heat and reduce the red wine vinegar. Repeat with the port and Madeira before adding the beef stock and thyme.

9. While the jus is reducing, bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the baby carrots until tender. Heat a pan and add the knob of butter – as soon as it foams, add the carrots and glaze.

10. Before starting the baby gem, re-heat the turkey in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Place a pan on a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, but not smoking, add the baby gem and sauté until soft. Add the butter and cook for a further two minutes.

 For more information head to tonicfood.co.uk

Gluten-free: Genius Gluten Free gravy 

Makes: 1 pint
Prep: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Meat juices
2 tbsp liquid meat fat
30g/1oz cornflour
570ml/1 pint stock

Method:

1. As the bird roasts, collect the juices and the fat and put into a glass jug and allow to stand for a few minutes. This is allows the fat to rise to the surface, so that it can be skimmed off so that the fat will rise to the surface. Skim off the fat.

2. Use the roasting tin that you used to cook the bird, place it on the hob on a medium heat and add the fat.

3. Stir in the cornflour and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the meat juices and gradually stir in the stock until you get a smooth gravy.

5. Bring to the gravy to the boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Season to taste.

For more information head to geniusglutenfree.com 

Gluten-free: Pan-fried duck breast with cherry ginger sauce with parsnip mash and Brussel Sprouts

Serves: 4
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

4 duck breast fillets, with skin on
4 parsnips, peeled and cored
250g sprouts, halved
4 tbsp rapeseed oil
25g butter
1 tsp horseradish
50g chestnuts
White pepper
Sea salt

For the cherry sauce:

400g cherries, pip removed
4 tbsp. amaretto
15g caster sugar (or coconut sugar)
100 ml water
1 star anise
½ tsp. ginger, finely grated
1 sprig rosemary
Sea salt

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425°F, gas mark 7, 220°C (200°C fan-assisted).

2. To make the sauce, remove the pip from the cherries. Place the cherries in a bowl and soak with the amaretto, water, star anise, mix it all together and leave it for about 4 minutes so it infuses the cherries.

3. Finely grate the ginger into the bowl with the cherries, pour into a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat. When it starts bubbling, add the sugar and season with salt and a sprig of rosemary. Cook for about 20 minutes, the cherries should be soft and the sauce reduced.

4. Peel and cut around the core of the parsnips, discarding the core and place on a pre-lined baking tray with the sprouts on the other half of the tray, drizzle 3 tbsp. of rapeseed oil over the vegetables, sprinkle with salt and bake for 25 minutes in the oven.

5. When cooked take the parsnips and sprouts out of the oven, leave the sprouts on the tray and place the parsnips in a food processor and process until smooth, add in the butter, horseradish, white pepper and sea salt and process until combined.

6. Wash and pat the duck dry with kitchen towel, it has to be completely dry in order for the skin to be able to crisp up. Take a non-stick frying pan and brush 1 tbsp. of rapeseed oil over the pan. Add the duck breast to a cold pan, skin side down and push slightly on the duck so it makes a sizzling sound, when it heats up.

7. The skin needs to be golden and crispy, this should take around 8 minutes, keep checking to make sure it’s not overdone. Once the skin side is done, flip it over so the skin side is up, to seal the rest of the duck for 1 minute. Take the duck out of the frying pan and leave to rest on a plate with kitchen towel, leave the liquid from the duck in the frying pan and add a sprig of rosemary to the pan.

8. Place the duck skin side up back in the frying pan and then place in the preheated oven 5 minutes. Take the duck out of the oven and let it rest for a further 5 minutes to allow it to cook out of the oven.

9. Add the chestnuts to the sprouts, mix together and put back in the oven for 5 minutes.

10. Once the duck has rested, cut on the diagonal into 3 or 4 strips, and plate with the parsnip mash, sprouts and chestnuts, served with the cherry and ginger sauce.

Photo by David Munns. More information head to myrelationshipwithfood.com and The Groovy Food Company. 

Dairy-free: Red cherry pie

Serves: 4
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients

225g plain flour
A pinch of salt
100g Trex
2 x 410g cans Princes Red Cherry Fruit Filling
1 egg, beaten 
2 tsp caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the Trex into the flour until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add 2-3 tbsp chilled water and mix it in with a knife until the pastry clings together. Form the dough into a ball, then wrap and chill for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/Gas Mark 6. Roll out half the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 20cm (8 inch) diameter pie dish. Roll out the rest of the pastry to form the lid, then set it to one side.

3. Spoon the cans of Princes Red Cherry Fruit Filling into the pie dish. Dampen the edges of the pastry, lift the lid on top and press the edges together to seal. Trim with a sharp knife.

4. Brush the surface of the pie with the milk mixture. Sprinkle with caster sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.