KMTR-NBC Channel 16
November 26th, 2003
Zetty McKay
Low-Carb Thanksgiving with Mayor Torrey

The studio smelled just like home today while Zetty McKay and Chef Becky whipped up a Low-Carb Thanksgiving feast. What made the event extra special was a guest appearance by Mayor Torrey, who was an official taste-tester. Mayor Torrey has been following the Atkins diet since June. Our second official taste-tester was Karen Dietz of Eugene, who is not on the diet. Mayor Torrey’s favorite was the pumpkin cheesecake. He said that he felt like he was cheating on his diet!

We also prepared mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, stuffing, pumpkin cheesecake, and of course, turkey. Everything on the menu is low-carb so the entire family can enjoy the holiday without missing out on the traditional treats.

Low-Carb Turkey

1 12-pound fresh turkey
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup sage, dried
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
meat thermometer

Remove giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey well. With your hand, loosen the skin on the turkey breast, reaching up under the skin, loosening it from the entire breast. Pat the entire turkey dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix the butter, sage, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, spread about 2 tablespoons of the sage butter under the skin of each breast. Spread the remaining sage butter all over the outside of the turkey, coating it evenly.

Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 275 degrees. Turkey will take between 3-5 hours to bake. Check for doneness using a meat thermometer in the deepest part of the turkey breast. Remove turkey from the oven when the temperature reaches 175 degrees or so. The temperature will continue to rise (approximately 5 degrees) after removing the turkey from the oven. Let rest 20 minutes before carving.

Low-Carb Turkey Gravy

1 turkey neck
6 cups water
1/2 onion, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (a natural thickener available at health food stores)

Boil turkey neck in a medium saucepan with the water, onion, celery, and bay leaves for about 45 minutes. Remove the turkey neck and bay leaves. Puree the stock with an immersion blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the xanthan gum. Blend for 30 more seconds, or until mixture thickens. Return to the saucepan and heat through.

Low-Carb Cranberry Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup low-carb orange marmalade (available at low-carb grocery stores)
3/4 cup granular Splenda
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until berries pop and mixture boils down to desired consistency, about 5-8 minutes.

Low-Carb Mashed “Potatoes”

3 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 to 2 teaspoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

Boil cauliflower florets in lots of salted water, about 15-20 minutes. Cook until the florets are “fall-apart” tender. Drain the florets very well. Puree the florets in a food processor. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Lastly, add heavy cream one teaspoon at a time until desired creaminess is reached. Do not add all of the heavy cream at once. Doing so may cause your mashed “potatoes” might be too thin.

Low-Carb Stuffing

1 stick butter
1 cup onion, diced small
1 cup celery, diced small
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
8 cups low carb bread (I like Franz’s “7.7.60” bread)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 1/2 teaspoons sage, dried
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/4 teaspoon marjoram, dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken or turkey stock
2 eggs, beaten

Slice low-carb bread into cubes. Toast bread in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until mostly dried.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, and mushrooms in butter until soft, stirring frequently.

In a very large mixing bowl, pour cooked vegetables over bread cubes. Season with seasoning salt, sage, thyme, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Drizzle broth over mixture to moisten. Mix well. Add beaten eggs and mix again. Transfer to 13 X 9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes to brown top.

Low-Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons no-carb brown sugar crystals (available at low-carb grocery stores)
3 tablespoons melted butter

Chop walnuts in a food processor until fairly fine. Add almond meal, cinnamon, and no-carb brown sugar. Mix well. While food processor is running, slowly add melted butter. Mix well. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment. Spray sides of pan with non-stick spray. Wrap bottom and sides of spring form pan with heavy duty foil (to create a water barrier). Press nut mixture into the bottom only of the pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 7-9 minutes, or until browned. Set aside.

Filling

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup granular Splenda
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream 3 eggs

Filling

Ensure that the cream cheese is completely softened before making the filling, or your cheesecake will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese with the Splenda until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin, spices, and vanilla. Mix well. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

Pour the filling into the foil wrapped spring form pan. Fill a large baking pan (one that is big enough to hold the spring form pan) half way with hot water. Place the unbaked cheesecake in the hot water bath. Bake in a preheated 275 degree oven for approximately 90 minutes.

Remove cheesecake from water bath. Let cool on a wire rack for several hours. Place cheesecake in the refrigerator to chill. Remove cheesecake from spring form pan after cake has cooled completely.