What if I told you that all of your favorite holiday dishes could be made healthy and scrumptious and you don’t have to be a chef to follow them?  Here is a free pass into my family kitchen where my mom and I created amazing holiday recipes together over the past 20 years.  What’s on the menu?  Spinach Dip, Olive Tapenade, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Chili Vinaigrette Squash, Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”, Vegetable Pot Pie with Cashew Gravy, Apple Crisp and Pumpkin Pie!

 It is important to enjoy these family holiday meals rather than worry about how heavy and acidic the traditional foods and dishes are.  That is why it is important to prepare guilt-free holiday dishes that you and your family can enjoy without feeling like you are going to pass out after each meal!

Spinach Dip
Ingredients:

• 1½ cups plain yogurt (try plain goat or soy yogurt) or same amount of my Sunflower Dip
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed until dry
• 1½ cups Vegenaise (non-dairy, raw Mayo – try the grapeseed oil variety)
• 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp Vegit seasoning
• 3 Tbsp vegetarian chicken broth powder (May also replace spices and broth with a package of dehydrated vegetable or onion soup mix.)

Directions:

1. Mix the spices and broth or soup mix with the yogurt or Sunflower Dip and Vegenaise.
2. Blend in the chopped spinach, water chestnuts and green onions to the mixture.
3. Cover the dip and chill for at least 2 hours.  Stir before serving.
4. Serve the spinach dip in a hollowed out whole grain Sour Dough dip loaf or bowl.

*Makes about 4 cups
*In this recipe I replaced the sour cream with plain yogurt, and regular mayo with Veganaise – These substitutions eliminate lots of fat and calories and adds more protein and calcium!

Olive Tapenade
Ingredients:

• 18oz. can black olives (preservative-free)
• 10 oz. jar green olives (preservative-free)
• 8 oz. can Greek black olives (pitted & preservative-free)
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup pepperchinis, chopped (preservative-free)

Directions: 

1. Process the black olives in a food processor on pulse chop and pour them into a bowl.  (When processing ingredients, pulse-chop for 10-15 seconds at a time until desired consistency.)
2. Process the green and Greek olives on pulse chop and   add them to the bowl with the black olives.
3. Process the chopped shallots, garlic and pepperchinis on   pulse chop and add them to the olive mixture.
4. Stir the olive tapenade well and serve in a hollowed out   whole grain sourdough dip loaf or in a bowl to put on rolls, or over mashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie or turkey.
   *Makes about 4 cups.

*In this recipe I eliminated the excess oil that is generally added (up to 1 cup oil) and replaced with more varieties of natural olives and peppercihnis.  The fat and calorie content is lower, while the flavor is much more intense and powerful!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is the most delicious and simple way to serve brussel sprouts.  I make them for family gatherings and even those who say “Yuck” before even trying them find that they are brussel sprout lovers.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound brussel sprouts (the smaller brussels are the sweetest)
• ¼ – 1/3 cup olive or grapeseed oil (just enough to coat all of the Brussels)
• Celtic Sea salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ tsp dried or 1 tsp fresh rosemary (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse the brussel sprouts, strain, and place in a large plastic bag.
3. Pour the oil over the brussel sprouts, seal the bag and shake a few times so that they are evenly coated in oil.
4. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the coated brussel sprouts, seal the bag and shake for about 10 seconds.
5. Pour the seasoned brussel sprouts into a baking dish.  The baking dish should be large enough so that there is only one or 2 layers of sprouts.
6. Bake uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes at a time, stirring the brussel sprouts each time.
7. After about 1 hour and 20 minutes of baking, the brussel sprouts should be slightly blackened on the outside.
   They are ready to serve. YUM!

*Serves 3-4

Chili Vinaigrette Squash

Here is another family favorite.  This dish is a fun twist on the normal, bland or overly sweet squash dishes generally served during the holidays.  It is a delicious autumn dish that has a bit of a kick and tang and is of course good for you too!

Ingredients:

• 1 large acorn squash or 1 medium size butternut squash
• ¾ cup olive or grapeseed oil
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Lime juice from 2-3 limes
• 1/2-1 tsp red chili flakes, depending on desired heat1 large shallot or 3 sprigs of green onion, finely diced
• Celtic Sea Salt to taste (because the squash will absorb the salt, add a bit more salt than    normal…I usually add at least 1-2 tsp salt)
• 1-2 tsp raw maple syrup or honey
• Goat feta, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pour the oil into a jar (that has a lid) and the add the lime juice, cilantro, chili flakes, chopped onion, and salt.
3. Seal the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for about 10-20 seconds and set aside.
4. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. If you are using an acorn squash, there is no need to remove the skin.  However, if using butternut squash, I recommend cutting the skin off.
5. Cut the squash into long lean wedges, about ½ – 1 inch thick.  If using the butternut squash, first cut it in half lengthwise before slicing, otherwise the wedges would be too long.
6. Layer the squash in a deep baking dish, 2-3 layers high.
7. Shake the vinaigrette again and then pour the entire jar over the squash.
8. Lightly stir the vinaigrette into the squash.
9. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
10. After 30 minutes of baking, give it a slight stir every 20 minutes for the next hour.
11. After 45 minutes of baking, place a lid on the dish if the squash is beginning to blacken on the edges.  Otherwise, you can leave the lid off.
12. After the full 1½ hours of baking, remove the squash from the oven, sprinkle a few ounces of goat feta, if desired, and serve hot.

Serves 3-4
*Option: Try mixing squashes – ½ butternut and ½ acorn squash. 

 VEGETABLE POT PIE and CASHEW MUSHROOM GRAVY 

 INGREDIENTS

Crust:

• 1½ cups spelt flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup Grape Seed, Macadamia Nut, or Coconut oil
• ½ tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• 2-3 Tbsp cold water

Filling:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes or try cauliflower for less starch
• 2 cups carrots cut into ½ inch slices
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1½ cups green beans
• 1 Tbsp Grape Seed, Macadamia Nut, or Coconut Oil
• ½ -1  tsp Celtic Sea Salt 

Cashew Mushroom Gravy:

• 3 cups filtered boiling water
• 1 cup rice or almond milk
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 8 Tbsp whole grain flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, or arrowroot
• 3/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
• 2-3 Tbsp  Coconut Aminos, Nama Shoyu or Tamari
• 1/3 cup dry vegetarian chicken or vegetable broth
• Black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Crust:

1. Combine the dry ingredients and oil in a food processor adding 1 Tbsp of cold water at a time until the dough clumps together. Press the dough into a 9×13 glass baking dish, covering the bottom, sides and corners and with a fork, randomly poke holes in the crust.

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare the vegetables, sauté the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp of water, the oil and half of the salt in a large skillet for 1-2  minutes. 
3. Add 1/4 cup of boiling water and the remaining vegetables. 
4. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Stir frequently. 
5. Drain any excess water and add remaining salt.

Gravy:

1. In a blender combine all of the gravy ingredients with the remaining 3 cups of boiling water and blend until smooth.
2. In a sauce pan cook the gravy over medium heat, stirring constantly. Slowly bring to a boil.

Pot Pie:

1. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the skillet and spread over the crust.
2. Slowly pour the gravy over the vegetables until just covered, reserving about 1½ – 2 cups of gravy to be served over the pot pie.
3. Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

*Serves 6-7 

CAULIFLOWER MASHED “POTATOES” 

Ingredients:                                                         

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• ½ of a large butternut squash (about 3 cups cooked)
• 1-2 Tbsp coconut, olive or grapeseed oil
• 1/4 tsp truffle oil, optional
• 2 Tbsp Goat Chevre Cheese
• 3-4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Dash of cayenne
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and lay facing down on a cookie sheet lightly greased with grapeseed or coconut oil.  Bake in the oven for about 35-45 minutes, until completely cooked (should be very soft and almost mushy). Set aside to cool.
3. While the squash is cooking, steam the cauliflower over high heat for about 10 minutes.  The cauliflower needs to be completely cooked and soft so that it blends like mashed potatoes.
4. Break up the cauliflower and place in a food processor or large bowl, and puree or whip until fluffy like potatoes (for about 1 minute). 
5. During this process, drizzle half of the oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt into the cauliflower (if needed pour into a large bowl) and set aside.
6. Scoop out ½ of the cooked squash and whip or process until smooth, for about 1 minute.  During this process, drizzle the remaining oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt over the squash. 
7. Whip together the cauliflower mixture and squash with a hand mixer adding the Goat cheese, truffle oil and the remaining salt.
8. Stir in the remaining seasonings, taste to adjust the seasonings if needed.Serves 4-5

*Enjoy as a delicious and light alternative to the traditional mashed potatoes.  Potatoes without the simple sugars!  Try it at holidays and see if anyone notices the difference. 

APPLE CRISP 

Ingredients:

Apple Mixture:

• 7 medium Granny Smith or Pippin apples
• 1/4 cup Xylitol (natural sugar Substitute)
• 1/4 cup xylitol, raw honey or maple syrup
• ½ cup spelt flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1/8 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

Topping:

• ½ cup raw honey or ¾ cup Xylitol
• 1 cup rolled oats, organic
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 7 Tbsp grapeseed, coconut or macadamia nut oil (or try mixing the different oils together to equal 7 Tbsp)
• ½ tsp Celtic Salt

Apple Mixture:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×12 glass baking dish with coconut, grapeseed or macadamia nut oil.
3. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, gently toss the apples with the flour and sweeteners.
5. Arrange the apple slices in the greased baking dish. 
6. Sprinkle a pinch of Celtic Sea Salt over the apples and set aside.

Topping:

1. Mix the sweeteners, oats, flour and spices in the same bowl.
2. Add the oil and mix thoroughly until mixture is crumbly.
3. Sprinkle topping evenly over the apple slices.Bake for 30 minutes or until the apples are tender and the topping is golden brown.

Serve warm.
*6-8 serving

PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• ¼ cup almond flour
• 1/3 cup tapioca flour
• ¼ cup Coconut or Grape seed oil
• 2-3 Tbsp cold water
• A dash of Celtic Sea Salt

Filling:

• 1/4 cup almond flour
• ½ cup raw sugar or 2/3 cup Xylitol
• ¼ cup honey, yacon syrup or maple syrup
• 4½ tsp egg replacer powder (for 3 eggs)
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup organic plain soy yogurt
• 2  1/3 cups of pumpkin, canned or fresh cooked
• 1/8 tsp
• Celtic Sea Salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves

Directions:

Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients and oil in a food processor and process, adding 1 tbsp of water at a time until it clumps together.
3. Press the dough into a 9” pie plate and with a fork; randomly poke holes in the crust.

Filling:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients and mix on high with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. Pour the batter into the pie shell.
3. Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 45-50 minutes (canned pumpkin) or 55-60 minutes for fresh cooked pumpkin. 
4. Bake until firm when gently rotated.
5. Let the pie cool and refrigerate.  Serve the next day.
6. Serve with “Almond Cream”. 

Makes one 9” Pie

*Option:  eplace the almond flour with equivalent amount of other nut flours.

Related posts:

1. Gluten-Free Butternut Quinoa
2. Tasty Dairy-Free Potato Pancakes
3. Raw Carrot Cake Cookies – My Favorite
4. Celebrate Thanksgiving the Natural Way
5. Seasonal Holiday Ingredients