Thanksgiving may be the one holiday when we get to indulge ourselves in what seems like never-ending meals of traditional, homemade comfort food. However, upon arriving to that anticipated Thursday every year, most families have come to expect the same tasting turkey as the previous year, or duplicates of boring casseroles or side dishes that are usually eaten for days after.

Eventually some may question their recipes and want to try new things to spice up their conventional dishes, but don’t know how to keep that Thanksgiving old-school charm. With help from a couple of personal chefs, we have the perfect solution to alternative dishes that bring some new flavor to the table.

“People nowadays are so pressed for time that when they do get together with their family, they want to make it special and keep it traditional,” said Lorna Williard, personal chef and owner of Riverside-based Come Home to Dinner Personal Chef Service.

“Families like familiarity of the old favorites but also like to put new twists into their Thanksgiving meals to make it more memorable for their guests,” she said.

Williard said with the increase of people being diagnosed with celiac disease, it can be extremely frustrating for those people to participate in a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Celiac disease causes intestinal problems for people with the disease who consume gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, according to FamilyDoctor.org.

“The alternative menu I’ve come up with has a little bit of international flavors and are all gluten-free,” she said.

We have come up with an alternative menu covering all of the classic Thanksgiving dishes to spice up your palate.

TURKEY ALTERNATIVE: Try brining your turkey, a popular method for improving flavor and moisture that can be used to cook your turkey.

“What I do with turkey is I brine it all day by soaking it in salt water solution and adding herbs to give it flavor,” said Terry La Plante, personal chef and owner of Roselle-based Real Meals Personal Chef Service.

He said the method makes it very difficult to overcook the turkey, which typically needs to be soaked for 12 hours, depending on the amount of meat.

“What brining does is it opens the protein molecules, it’s like osmosis. The meat just absorbs the water and stays really juicy,” he added.

Another alternative La Plante suggested was to buy two to three smaller hens that weigh 12 to 13 pounds, as opposed to the bigger 18-pound turkeys that may tend to dry out quicker.

“With the smaller hens, you can cook them longer to get them more tender,” he said.

STUFFING ALTERNATIVE: Try bread dressing with fresh sage and thyme.

“The bread cubes are made from brown-rice-bread instead of regular bread,” Williard said.

“People with gluten intolerance can have the exact same thing as stuffing just without the main component in it.”

The cubes are dried in the oven and moistened with chicken stock, she added. This is a new spin on the popular side dish.

MASHED POTATOES ALTERNATIVE: Try Sri Lankan sweet potatoes with cardamom and chilies.

“Everyone loves potatoes but I’ve taken these globally. These sweet potatoes are spiced with turmeric and have heat that comes from dried hot red chilies,” Williard said. “The whole dish has an underlying warmth with cardamom pods and cinnamon.”

Fresh lime juice is also added for lightness and freshness. It compliments the heat of the dish, she added.

CRANBERRY ALTERNATIVE: Try this fresh cranberry-fig relish.

“Forget Mom’s old-fashioned canned cranberries with the ring still around them,” Williard said. “This is much more sophisticated and flavorful.”

She has taken cranberries along with fresh ginger root, fresh-squeezed orange juice and agave nectar to sweeten them. Fresh figs can be used to give this dish more texture and color.

VEGGIE ALTERNATIVE: Try making Brussels sprouts but with a twist.

“I know in my family the kids never would eat the Brussels sprouts and to us they are a tradition, but one day I got innovative and buzzed them through a blade and cut them into shreds,” La Plante said.

For a hearty taste, he sautés them in butter, garlic, a dash of nutmeg and a little bit of cream, he said. Finish it off with some salt and pepper.

“Now they love them and don’t even realize they are eating their vegetables,” he added.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE ALTERNATIVE: Try green beans with fresh citrus and rosemary gremolata.

Instead of the old fashioned green bean dish, this tasty side features fresh steamed green beans tossed with fresh orange juice and topped with a gremolata, which is a mix of fresh citrus zest, fresh rosemary and minced garlic, Williard said.

DINNER ROLLS ALTERNATIVE: Try pumpkin-corn muffins.

Instead of the store-bought dinner rolls, people can enjoy these muffins that are made from gluten-free cornmeal, canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice.

“They have just enough sweetness without being overly sweet,” Williard said. “You can also enjoy these with coffee the next morning. They stay very moist and are good to eat for 2 to 3 days after making them.”

PUMPKIN PIE ALTERNATIVE: Try this coconut-pumpkin custard.

This dessert is different than the usual pies that are brought to most homes on Thanksgiving, and yet it still has a traditional but international taste to it. This custard is made with coconuts, milk, canned pumpkin, eggs, sugar and spices, said Williard. They can be baked in individual custard cups for a nice presentation.

“If you really want to impress your guests, purchase a mini blow torch, sprinkle each custard cup with sugar and caramelize it with the fire from the blow torch,” she added.

RECIPES

Courtesy of Lorna Williard

FRESH CRANBERRY-FIG RELISH (GLUTEN-FREE)
2 tbsp of canola
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp of grated fresh ginger
2 cups of fresh orange juice
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
2 tbsp of agave nectar (or honey)
1 pound of fresh cranberries
1/4 tsp of coarse sea salt
6 fresh or dry figs, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 tbsp of grated orange zest.

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add orange juice, brown sugar and agave nectar and bring to a boil. Add half of the cranberries and cook until they pop and the mixture thickens, about five minutes. Add remaining cranberries and cook for an additional five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, figs and zest. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4-6.

PUMPKIN CORN MINI-MUFFINS (GLUTEN-FREE)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of extra light olive oil
3/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup of organic stone ground cornmeal
1 cup of gluten-free baking mix
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line mini muffin tins with mini size paper cups. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, add the oil and whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk well. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and whisk to combine.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, gluten-free baking mix, baking powder and sea salt.

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir by hand just enough to make a smooth batter. Drop the batter by spoonfuls into the mini muffin cups. Bake on a center rack in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until the muffins are firm to the touch and golden. Check with a wooden pick, if necessary. If it emerges clean, the muffins are done. Place the muffin pan on a wire to cool for about five to 10 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tin and place them on the wire rack to continue cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 42 mini muffins.

COCONUT PUMPKIN CUSTARD (GLUTEN-FREE)
1 can of Coconut Milk
1 cup of canned pumpkin (not pie mix)
3/4 cup of sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of coconut extract
1/4 tsp of nutmeg
cinnamon sugar (for garnish)
Equipment: 6 oven proof custard cups (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. With a mixer or whisk, beat coconut milk, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, salt, extract and nutmeg until well mixed. Fill each custard cup with 2/3 cup of pumpkin mixture and lightly sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar. Make a water bath by filling a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish with four cups of hot water. Place each filled custard cup in baking dish. Carefully place dish in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center of the custard comes out clean.

SRI LANKAN SWEET POTATOES
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/4 tsp of ground turmeric
3 tbsp of peanut or olive oil
3 whole dried hot red chilies, broken into halves
2 whole cardamom pods
1 3 inch cinnamon stick
20 fresh curry leaves or basil leaves
3 large onions
1 1/2 tsp of salt
1 1/2 tbsp of fresh lime juice, or to taste

Peel the sweet potatoes and quarter lengthwise. Cut crosswise at 3/4 inch intervals to get chunky pieces. Put the potato pieces in a large pot and cover well with water. Add the turmeric and bring to a boil. Stir well. Boil, uncovered, for five to six minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but still firm. Drain.

Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the red chilies. Stir once and when the chilies darken, a matter of seconds, put in the cardamom and cinnamon. Stir once or twice and put in the curry or basil leaves. Stir once and put in the onions. Stir and cook the onions for five to six minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Add in the sweet potatoes. Stir and fry for six minutes. Add salt and lime juice to taste. Stir and cook, lowering the heat as needed, until the potatoes are tender enough for your taste. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods before serving. Serves 4-6.