Did you know that Thanksgiving leftovers led to the first-ever TV dinner? Not only that, Turkey wasn’t the first dinner back in 1621 when it was first celebrated, rather Plymouth such as seal, lobster and swans were the speciality.
Thanksgiving is that special holiday assigned every year, on the last Thursdays of November, for us to show gratitude and then eat to our heart content – thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who lobbied Congress for several years to make Thanksgiving an official holiday.
Presently, it is celebrated in the United States and Canada with families and friends gathered around a large meal of roasted turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving dinners such as Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin or Apple Pie, Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows.
Thanksgiving Dinner and Recipe
The list of Thanksgiving dinner could be endless and besides the turkey, pie that is bound to grace the table, we have brought just a handful of delicious meals you can also try and the turkey or chicken paprika will be a welcome diversion.
Turkey/Chicken Paprika Recipe
This is a tasty and colorful version made with fine sweet paprika that you can easily purchase at large supermarkets and grocery stores selling German and Austrian specialty foods. Bursting with flavor, as it is, but it’s not too spicy for young taste buds. The recipe below is for 6-8 servings and you only need the following ingredients:
3-pound turkey or chicken – cut in medium size pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Clove garlic and tomato – chopped
2 medium size onions – chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper (optional)
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 green pepper – cut into strips
1 teaspoon salt
Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan until hot.
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and cook the chicken over a medium heat for 15 minutes until brown on all sides, then remove and set as.
Stir fry onions and garlic in oil until tender, then drain oil from frying pan.
Stir in the tomato, paprika, bouillon, pepper and salt.
Add the chicken, cover and allow to cook under a low heat for 20 minutes until thickest pieces of chicken are thoroughly cooked.
Add green pepper and cover for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with sour cream sauce.
This goes well with dumplings and a cool bottle of wine.
Dessert
There are varieties of desserts you can try this Thanksgiving including the traditional pie that completes the day.
Sweet Potato Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie/Apple Pie
Cakes (ice cream cakes)
Cookies
Puddings
Decor
You can keep your dinner decor for the special occasion fancy in an indoor table setting; cuzy and intimate like an outdoor picnic such as that of @mayandtravel; or gather at a cuzy fireplace to keep warm while enjoying the meal, or just keep it simply your way. What matters the most is that it is celebrated together among loved ones with a joyful heart.
See Also: Keto Diet, Foods, Recipes for Weight Loss, Benefits and Risks
How to Eat Healthily
While you’re preparing a banquet for one of the most important meals of the year, you might want to consider taking a healthy approach. It is important to know which foods you should be eating more of and ones you should skimp on will help you keep the gluttony at bay.
You should pile half of your plate with vegetables followed by a one-quarter of the skinless turkey or chicken breast. First, reach out for a bowl of seasonal veggie soup to help minimize your chances of eating a lot more than is necessary. Coming on to your favorite side dishes, choose the seasonal ones you only see on the holidays and keep portions to a half-cup (sparingly).
In other words, one serving of starchy foods like mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing, and cranberry sauce should make up for 1/2 cup, that is as much as half of a baseball. Also keep a watch on the veggie casseroles, like green bean casserole and broccoli casserole as they are filled with cheese, sticks of butter and creamy soups.
To keep track of how much wine or beer you’re most likely to drink, experts advise you pour 5 ounces of wine into a glass so you can know the line that marks one serving and don’t refill your wine glass after you’ve had a few sips. Drink it to the last drop before reaching out for a refill.
Bottom line: It’s Thanksgiving! so don’t skip any of your favorite foods rather grab a bit of food you love especially those that would no longer be available at other time of the year like pumpkin pea and skip the everyday foods like mashed potatoes, rolls and chips.