Thanksgiving turkey clean eating style

Seriously. This turkey is easy. This turkey is to die for. This turkey is a must-try recipe. So if you haven't yet figured out how you're cooking your bird, you really have to try this.

I stumbled across this recipe last year when I was about a week into my clean eating adventure. Trying to figure out how to eat healthier at a holiday that is all about food seemed somewhat daunting to me. I lucked out though and found this floating somewhere on the web, gave it a try and now it's our new and go-to holiday recipe.

Now, I'll admit, I'm a turkey person. I LOVE Thanksgiving. It's a holiday that's all about food and family - 2 of my favorite things. With that said, this is easy, delicious and I kid you not when I tell you that H. was literally licking his plate last weekend when we made it for our family Thanksgiving before Thanksgiving.

Clean Eating Roasted Turkey

Ingredients:
Marinade for the turkey:
8-10 Tbls olive oil
8 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp lemon zest
2+ tsp minced dried rosemary
1 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Gravy:
2 Tbls unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
2 shallots or 1 onion, diced
8 c. low sodium chicken broth
handful of diced rosemary/thyme/parsley
1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Mix together everything for the turkey marinade. Rub under the skin and over the breast meat until covered.

2. Roast turkey in the oven at 325 degrees until internal temp. reaches 165 degrees. In general it takes about 15 min. per lb.

3. While the turkey is cooking, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the onion and saute until golden. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf and seasonings and let simmer on low for 2 hours.

4. When turkey is done, remove it from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 min. before carving.

5. Add 1/2 c. of chicken broth to the pan, return it to med-high heat on the stove and deglaze the pan (use the broth loosen the drippings and get all that good stuff off the bottom of the pan.) Once the bottom of the pan is sufficiently clean, transfer the mixture to a measuring cup and let it settle.

6. Skim the top of the liquid (the fat) with a spoon and add it back into the pan with 1/2 c. flour, mix together and brown it for about 3-4 min. stirring constantly.

7. Gradually add broth to the roux and whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce it to med/low. Add roasting juices from the cutting board to the broth/roux mixture.

8. Simmer and cook over reduced heat for about 10 min. or until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

ENJOY!

                                             BEFORE:                                     AFTER: