Healthy Holiday Meal Ideas
(serves 6-8 – adjust accordingly)
Turkey:
Basting Sauce:
21⁄4 cups chicken or veggie broth
1⁄2 cup non-hydrogenated canola spread
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1⁄4 tsp each: dried marjoram and rosemary
1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh chives
Turkey Preparation:
If turkey is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 325. Remove any innards
from the bird. Place the turkey, breast side
up, on a flat rack in an open roasting pan
about 2 inches deep. Insert an oven-safe
meat thermometer deep into the lower part
of the thigh next to the body, not touching
the bone. Brush the skin with vegetable oil
to prevent skin from drying and if desired,
use basting sauce. Roast at 325 (see
cooking schedule on turkey for roasting
time schedule – it depends on weight), and
continue basting approximately every 30
minutes. When the skin is light golden,
about 2/3 done, shield the breast loosely
with lightweight foil to prevent overcooking.
Check the turkey 1⁄2 hour before it is
expected to be done. The Turkey is fully
cooked when the thigh’s internal temp. is
180. When done, let the turkey stand for
15-20 minutes before carving.
Festive Fall Rice:
2 cups blend of wild and brown rice, cooked
as directed
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans (or other nut –
except peanut)
2tsp. walnut oil or vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries
Combine 1 cup brown rice and 1 cup wild
rice in saucepan. Add 4 cups water, bring
to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for
45 minutes or until water is absorbed.
Sauté nuts and dried cranberries in oil and
gently fold into cooked rice.
Candied Yams:
6 yams or sweet potatoes
2/3 to 3⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄2 cup non-hydrogenated canola spread
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350. Boil potatoes in skins
until about half done. Drain water from
potatoes, remove skins, and cut in
lengthwise slices. Place slices in a greased
baking dish and dot with the canola spread.
Heat together the maple syrup, cinnamon
and nutmeg. Pour over the potato slices.
Bake 45-50 minutes, basting frequently
with the syrup. Cook until potatoes are
tender.
Cranberry Sauce:
4 cups cranberries
1 cup maple syrup
1⁄2 Tbsp grated ginger
1⁄2 cup toasted pecans
Warm together the maple syrup and ginger.
Add the cranberries and cook until they pop
(about 5 minutes). Add pecans and cool
sauce.
Stuffed Squash:
8 baby pumpkins or small squash
1/3 cup veggie or chicken stock
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1⁄2 cup onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 tsp each dried sage leaves and thyme
1 cup rice bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup chopped celery
1⁄4 cup dried apricots
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 Slice off the top 1⁄2
inch of each pumpkin and scoop out the
seeds. Bake pumpkins for 15 minutes. In a
large skillet over medium-high heat, soften
onions in oil. Add stock and simmer. Then
add sage, thyme and bread crumbs. Cook,
stirring, 1 minute, then remove from heat
and stir in remaining ingredients. Lightly fill
pumpkins with stuffing. Bake for 15
minutes or until stuffing is lightly browned and heated through. Be careful not to over-
bake the pumpkins because they will split.
Mulled Apple Cider:
2 quarts organic apple juice
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. each allspice & ginger
1⁄2 cup lemon juice
Combine juices in a pot. Add cinnamon,
cloves, allspice and ginger. Bring to a boil
and then simmer for 15 minutes.
Zesty Green Beans:
2 pounds fresh green beans
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1⁄2 cup fresh minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix together parsley and lemon zest and
set aside. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to boil, add green beans and cook until crisp-
tender (3-5 minutes). Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss beans with olive oil to coat and then in parsley/lemon mix.
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Maple Baked Apples:
6 Jonagold or Golden Delicious apples
6 Tbsp raisins
6 Tbsp chopped pecans
3⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup maple syrup
6 Tbsp water
6 Tbsp non-hydrogenated canola spread
Heat oven to 350. Core apples and peel
top third of each. Place peeled side up in a
baking dish. Combine raisins, pecans, and
half of the cinnamon and stuff the mix into
the apple cores. Drizzle 2 tsp maple syrup
in and over each apple. Pour water into
dish, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes
or until tender. In small saucepan, combine
remaining maple syrup, cinnamon, and the
canola spread. Heat to a boil, reduce heat
and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle over apples
Cranberry Punch
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup red raspberries or strawberries
1 Banana
2 cups apple juice
Combine in blender, whip until smooth. Serve
as is or add sparkling mineral water.
Carob-Nut Candy
1 cup unsweetened carob chips
1/4 cup almond butter or cashew butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, slivered almonds –
actually any nut will do
Melt in double boiler: honey and carob chips.
Add almond butter, mix well. Stir in nuts.
Spread in greased glass baking dish and place in
freezer to cups when firm. Store in airtight
container.
Cranberry Rice Pudding
2 oz short-grained rice
1 oz cranberries
1⁄2 pint coconut milk
1 vanilla pod or 3 drops vanilla extract
If you are using the vanilla pod put it in the milk
and bring it just to a boil, then allow to cool.
Put the rice, cranberries and milk (discarding the
vanilla pod if used) into an ovenproof dish. Mix
around and put in a low oven (300 degrees)
uncovered.
Cook very slowly for 2 1⁄2-3 hours, stirring
whenever you happen to remember.
Serve warm or cold.
Cashew Cream
Use this detox-safe cream as you would whipped cream – great with fresh fruit.
1-cup raw cashews, or macadamia nuts
1-cup water, or rice milk, or coconut milk (or combination)
1-1.5 cups sunflower oil, walnut or grapeseed oil (depending on how thick you like it)
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1⁄4 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt
1. Blend together nuts and water/milk
2. Blend in oil
3. Slowly add maple syrup, vanilla and salt
4. Refrigerate to thicken (can freeze to make ice cream)
Spicy Cranapple Sauce
1 pound cranberries
1 – 1 1⁄2 cups unsweetened apple-juice concentrate
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon arrowroot
3 tablespoons water
Wash the cranberries carefully, and discard any imperfect fruit. Place the berries, 1
cup juice concentrate cinnamon and cloves in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring
occasionally. When bubbles first appear, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or
until most of the skins have popped.
Taste sauce. For a sweeter, juicer sauce, add remaining 1⁄2 cup juice concentrate.
Increase spices, if desired. If sauce is too tangy, dilute with a little water.
Dissolve the arrowroot in the water. Stir into the hot berries. Cook, stirring, another
2 or 3 minutes until think and clear. Serve warm or cold.
Rum Balls
1⁄2 cup walnuts
3⁄4 cup currants
1⁄4 cup dried apricots
2 teaspoons rum flavoring or almond extract
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄2 cup coconut, grated
Place nuts and fruit in a food processor or
grinder and process until the fruit is chopped
and the mixture clings together in a large
ball. Add the rum flavoring and vanilla and
process a few seconds more. Form into
small balls with your hands and roll in
grated coconut or chopped nuts. These are
exceptionally good and keep well.
Nut Butter Cookies
Quick to fix and a family favorite
Preheat oven: 350 F Yield: 2 1⁄2 dozen
1 cup nut butter (pecan, cashew, or
macadamia)
1⁄2 cut fig or currant, or fruit puree or
concentrated pineapple juice.
1/8 cup olive, pumpkin or walnut oil
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 cups nut meal (pecan, macadamia,
pumpkin seed, almond, or other nuts)
Mix nut butter, sweetener and oil together
until smooth. Add favoring and salt and
blend again. Add nut meal a little at a time
and mix well. (its usually best to mix nut
meal with hands, not an electric mixer).
Roll dough into balls, place on oiled cookie
sheet and flatten with a fork. Or form into
2” rolls on waxed paper. Chill and slice 1⁄2”
thick.
Bake about 12 minutes, watch closely to
avoid burning.
Hint: uncooked dough keeps well in
refrigerator
Bake as needed. Freezes nicely also.
Nutri Ola Tasty Allergy-free Granola Versatile: Cereal—Breakfast Bar—Snack Bar
Yield: 10 portions
Preheat oven to 275 F
Need total of 4 cups which can be made up
of any of the following:
Finely ground hazelnuts, walnuts, or sesame
seeds
Coarsely ground coconut, cashews, walnuts,
pistachios
Whole sesame seeds
1 cup finely chopped, dried apples, papaya
or raisins
1⁄2 cup honey or concentrated frozen fruit
juice or fruit puree
1⁄4 cup sesame, walnut or soy oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
Use blender and or food processor to grind
nuts, grains or seeds to desired consistency.
Mix the nuts, seeds and/or grains in a large
bowl. Mix together fruit, sweetener, oil and
vanilla. Pour over the dry mixture and stir
lightly. Spread mixture into a lightly oiled
baking pan (15 x 10x 1”_. Bake for 1 hour
stirring every 15 minutes. Cool. Break into
small pieces for cereal or large chunks for
snacks. Store in air tight, labeled container.
For snack BARS slowly add liquid to make
stiff batter. Follow above directions, baking
at 325F for about 30 minutes. Cut into
squares when done. Hint: taste batter
before baking and make sure you like it.
Add more sweetener or salt if desired.
Nut Butter Cookies
Quick to fix and a family favorite
Preheat oven: 350 F Yield: 2 1⁄2 dozen
1 cup nut butter (pecan, cashew, or
macadamia)
1⁄2 cut fig or currant, or fruit puree or
concentrated pineapple juice.
1/8 cup olive, pumpkin or walnut oil
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 cups nut meal (pecan, macadamia,
pumpkin seed, almond, or other nuts)
Mix nut butter, sweetener and oil together
until smooth. Add favoring and salt and
blend again. Add nut meal a little at a time
and mix well. (its usually best to mix nut
meal with hands, not an electric mixer).
Roll dough into balls, place on oiled cookie
sheet and flatten with a fork. Or form into
2” rolls on waxed paper. Chill and slice 1⁄2”
thick.
Bake about 12 minutes, watch closely to
avoid burning.
Hint: uncooked dough keeps well in
refrigerator
Bake as needed. Freezes nicely also.
Heavenly Nut Bread
Preheat oven: 350 F
1& 1⁄2 cups meal (pecan, macadamia,
pumpkin seed)
1⁄2 cup thickener (xantham gum or Guar)
1- 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, optional
1⁄2 teaspoon each- powdered sugar, and
ground cardamom
1 cup currants
1⁄2 cup chopped pecans
3⁄4 cup pumpkin, walnut or olive oil
1 cup fruit puree or ground figs
1 cup pineapple juice
3 eggs or substitute (1 egg= 1 Tbsp ground
flax + 3 Tbsp water)
1-1⁄2 cups pumpkin (cooked or pureed)
1-1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine dry ingredients together and mix
well. Combine wet ingredients together and
mix well. Gradually and gently blend wet
and dry ingredients together. Batter will be
very thick. Spread in oiled and floured pans
and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour until a
toothpick inserted into the middle comes out
clean.
For Pineapple Nut Bread
Substitute one 4 oz. can crushed pineapple
for the pumpkin, increase pecans to 1 cup,
and omit currants.
Hint: to avoid the dreaded soggy middle
syndrome, use small pans rather than large
pans
Pear – Apple Crisp with Almonds
4 apples cored and chopped
3 pears cored and chopped
1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
1⁄2 cup dried apricots finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup rice flour
1⁄2 cup ground almonds
2/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1⁄4 tsp salt
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
8 Tbsp canola margarine
1 tsp almond extract
1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Stir together apples, pears, cranberries, apricots, and lemon juice. Place in an ungreased,
3 quart, 2 inch deep baking dish.
3. In a bowl, stir together flour, almonds, salt and cinnamon. Work margarine, into flour
mixture until crumbly. Stir in honey/maple syrup and almond extract.
4. Cover fruit with the crisp topping. And bake until golden brown and juices are bubbling –
about 45 minutes.