Bison brisket is bomb

Last Thanksgiving, I made a beef brisket with Whole Foods grass fed beef.  Last weekend, I tried a 2 lb. bison brisket, grass fed and grass finished, from Linder Farms.  It was about $10 per pound, the same price as the WF brisket.
I was concerned that bison is leaner than beef, so after defrosting, I marinated overnight in lime juice, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.  When I was ready to cook, I pulled the meat out to allow it to come to room temperature and turned the oven to 450.
While the meat warmed, I started my two large golden onions, 1.5 bulbs of garlic, and chopped cabbage to cook in coconut oil.  Cabbage in a brisket?  I'm Polish.  I seasoned with oregano, cumin, parsley, thyme and red pepper flakes. 

Then I seared the brisket in very hot coconut oil.

I added it to the vegetables and added my low-sodium vegetable broth.  I don't use any foods that include "spices" or "flavor."

I covered, brought the broth to a boil, and put it in the oven.  After 30 minutes, I turned the oven down to 200 and left it for five hours.

I consider both briskets to be a success.  Both had great flavor but slightly different texture.  The beef was more moist and stringy, while the bison was firm and drier.

I made a salad with radiccio, a spicy yogurt and olive oil chimichurri sauce, and slices of brisket.

I chopped small pieces of the brisket and fried them in olive oil and coconut oil, added eggs and small chunks of real Parmesan cheese.

Holiday Temptation - Abstain or Moderate?

I am an abstainer. Are you a moderator? This article from Slate has some tips.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Salad

More for Thanksgiving

I love Mark Bittman. I'm totally making #1, so easy.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crushed Almonds

I'm too sick to do a whole Thanksgiving for you guys this weekend, but I tried a few things. The Brussels were great with nuts, also rosemary and olive oil. I added the crushed nuts once the vegetables were almost roasted. I want to try Brussels with Brazil nuts. Pecans or walnuts seem doable too.
I'd try Kalyn's Kitchen for good recipes that won't overload your blood sugar this Thanksgiving. Of course Kalyn uses artificial sweeteners, but many times they can be left out. As always, allrecipes.com has that "enter your ingredients" feature that I enjoy when I need ideas.

The Holidays and Meal Workouts

Holiday food and celebration is so tied up with tradition and emotion that many people I know just throw their food resolutions to the wayside. It is possible to enjoy family, friends, food and tradition without going crazy and without losing sight of your very important goals.

For me, the hurry, stress and demands of the season actually make it even more crucial that I stick to my guns. If I don't, I end up feeling even worse than I would if I cheated during another time of year. Everyone around me would feel it too, and I don't want that.

Choose your special occasions very carefully. Even though events come fast and thick in Nov and Dec, not all of them qualify as special occasions. I read one woman's strategy simply to enjoy one treat on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve while sticking to her plan the rest of the time. After all, there are plenty of suitable food items associated with the holidays. Make an effort to choose them.

I will be posting many fantastic holiday recipes and suggestions here. Most of them will be high in healthy fats to keep us satisfied and smiling, and lessen the temptations of processed foods and refined carbohydrates.

Make sure you turn off the TV and get enough sleep, preferably while it is dark out. Exposure to light in winter will most certainly trigger carbohydrate cravings, which can lead to binging quicker than a wink.