Thanksgiving is a very special occasion wherein food is in the center stage. But for those suffering from Barrett’s Esophagus, GERD or acid reflux and have heartburn discomfort, what food they put on their plates matter so much.

I never thought I’d be writing this kind of post(GERD-friendly) until a few years ago when I had to modify my diet drastically to address my acid reflux, heartburn and Barrett’s Esophagus. I thought all food was friendly. I used to be able to eat what I wanted without any restrictions as I love food and I love to eat. 

Nowadays, I am mindful of what I eat. I want to be able to control what I cook, the ingredients I have, and the way the food is cooked. 

We always have traditional Thanksgiving dinner…turkey with all the trimmings and sides. Nowadays, we are making some changes by modifications. It is a give and take here in my household.  

Our Thanksgiving dinner consists of :

1. Baked Turkey
   1. Gluten Free Rosemary, Sage and Celery Stuffing
   2. Gravy
   3. Cranberry sauce  

3.   Blistered Brussels sprouts 

4.   Baked sweet potatoes 

5.   Super green salad

6.   Quinoa 

7.   Pumpkin pie/Apple pie  

BRINED ROASTED TURKEY:

Ingredients:

– Fruit and Rosemary Turkey Brine(in a box or). 

–  1  gallon of water 

–  10 lbs. of ice(if using a cooler)

– 1 (12 lb.) fresh turkey, thawed

– 5 tbsp. ghee butter  

– 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped  

– 1 fennel bulb and stalks, coarsely chopped

– 2 medium size apples, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped

(Organic celery, fennel, apples and turkey if desired). 

Brining the turkey: 

1. Boil 1 gal. of water and stir the brine mix until the salt is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and let it cool. 

3. Once it’s cool to touch, refrigerate it until ready to use.

4. Place the turkey inside the brining bag. Close the bag tightly with a “closer” tie that came with the brine box. 

5. See to it that the turkey is fully submerged in the brine solution. You can add water if needed.

6. If it fits in your refrigerator, that would be good otherwise you can put it in a big cooler full of ice.

7. Brine for 12 hours. 

Roasting the turkey: 

1. Remove the giblets and neck. You can use these for gravy or stuffing if you want.

2. Thoroughly rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. 

3. Place the turkey, breast side up, on a roasting pan big enough for the turkey.

4. It’s now time to pre-heat the oven to 325 F. 

5.  While the oven is pre-heating, season your turkey. As our turkey is already brined, it doesn’t need any more much of seasonings except butter. We use lactose free grass fed ghee butter to rub the inside turkey cavity and all over outside of the turkey.

6. Place the celery, fennel and apples inside the turkey cavity. 

7. Tuck the wings under. 

8. Roast the turkey uncovered at 325 F for up to 3 hours. (Refer to the wrapper of your turkey for estimated roasting time.) That roasting time has worked for us. You can also use a meat thermometer/timer to monitor your cooking. Meat thermometer should be at least 180 F when inserted in the thickest part of the turkey. 

NOTE: Here’s approximate Roasting timetable(from the turkey wrapper) at 325 F oven: 

8-12 lbs.         3.5 – 4 hrs. 

12-18 lbs.       4.25 – 4.75 hrs.

18-22 lbs.       4.5   – 5.0 hrs.

22-24 lbs.       4.75 – 5.25 hrs.

9. You can cover the turkey loosely with foil to prevent over browning or even burning the skin, during the last 10 minutes or so of roasting. 

10.  Remove the turkey from the oven. 

11. Stand the turkey for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to settle before carving. It also makes carving easier when it’s settled. 

12. Garnish the serving platter as you wish. 

To be continued…..with the trimmings and sides!

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