On The Twelfth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

Chocolate Walnut and Date Truffles

End your Christmas meal with these tasty and healthy treats.  They will definitely satisfy your craving for something sweet!  Because of the walnuts they are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats for all of your body’s cells, especially your brain. The dates are a great source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup walnuts
  
• 3 dates pitted
• 2-4 squares of dark chocolate (we use Endangered Species brand)
• 1 tsp shredded coconut + additional for coating truffles

Directions

• In a food processor, mix all ingredients together
• With your hands form truffle sized pieces
• Coat with shredded coconut

Makes about 10 pieces

Prep Time: 20 min

On The Tenth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

This salad is a great way to end your Chirstmas Dinner.  The delicate flavour of the fresh mint cleanses your palette. It’s a perfect balance of crunch from the apple and softness from the tangerine.  It is packed with lots of nutrients and will satisfy anyone’s craving for something sweet!

Mint Fruit Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1 package of strawberries halved
• 2 apples diced
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2 kiwis diced (peel skin)
• 2 tangerines peeled and separated
• 2 mangoes diced
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 5-10 drops stevia (optional)
• 2 tbsp mint leaves chopped

(You can add any fruit to this if you wish)

Directions

• Mix orange juice, lemon juice and stevia in a bowl
• Add all fruits and mint to bowl and toss well
• Serve chilled

Serves 4-6

Prep time 15 min

On The Ninth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

Polenta is made from corn.  Corn is high in carotenoids, which are great antioxidants.  Corn is also a good source of dietary fiber. Eggplant is high in a phytonutrient called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. Eggplant also lowers cholesterol which is a good thing during the holiday season!

Eggplant and Polenta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 2- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 log polenta, sliced into thinly
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 8 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar, italian seasoning, basil and black pepper. Remove sauce from heat.
4. Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat
5. Lightly brush eggplant slices with the remaining tablespoon oil. Working in batches, lay slices in skillet in a single layer; cook until browned and they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
6. In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom.  Add polenta slices and cook until slightly brown on both sides
7. Spoon about 1/2 cup tomato sauce into a baking dish, spreading to coat evenly. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer. Spoon about 1 cup tomato sauce over eggplant, and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Repeat with sauce and another layer of eggplant. Finish by dotting with remaining tomato sauce.
8. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes
9. Remove foil and continue baking about 15 minutes more
10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Serves: 4

Recipe Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living with adjustments made by me!

The Sixth Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

This is a great dip to serve with veggies such as celery, carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers or with your favorite flat bread or rice crackers.  Its packed with lots of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory benefits.

Artichoke and Green Olive Tapenade

Ingredients

• 1 cup artichokes
• 3/4 cup green olives
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 1 clove garlic
• 8 raw almonds
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Blend all ingredients in a food processor and enjoy with your favorite veggies, flatbread or crackers!

The Fifth Day of Christmas My True Love Made for Me…

Brussels Sprouts are a great healthy side to any Christmas Dinner.  When steamed to perfection and served with this great tasting dressing, these brussel sprouts will be enjoyed by everyone.  They take minutes to prepare and they are a great source of Vitamin, K, C and A!

Steamed Brussels Sprouts with Mediterranean Dressing

Ingredients

• 20 brussel sprouts quartered
• Mediterranean Dressing

Directions

• Steam brussel sprouts in steamer pot for 5 min
• Make Mediterranean Dressing and set aside in bowl
• Once steamed toss brussel sprouts in dressing – serve and enjoy!

Prep time and Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 6-8

recipe courtesy of whfoods.org

The Fourth Day of Christmas My True Love Made for Me….

This recipe is a great way to incorporate kale into your diet and into your healthy holiday feast! Kale has cholesterol lowering benefits, it helps the body detox, and it is very high in antioxidants.  It is an excellent source of Vitamin K and Vitamin.  Kale also has a whole list of other beneficial properties.  Therefore it is a great addition to your diet during the holidays.

Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• sea salt to taste
• 2 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped finely

Directions

• Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Heat two tablespoons of grape seed oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat
• Add the garlic, chopped kale, a big pinch of salt, and saute just until tender, and then set aside
• Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork
• Add sea salt and black pepper and olive oil and mix well
• Add the kale on top of the potatoes and give a quick stir
• Garnish with scallions

Cook Time and Prep time: 30 min
Serves: 6

recipe courtesy of 101cookbooks.com (with adjustments made by me!)

On The Third Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…

This delicious pasta salad is packed with nutritious ingredients such as artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and black olives.  Olives are packed with iron and copper, and they are a good source of dietary fiber. They’re also rich in vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.  Sun Dried Tomatoes are a natural source of vitamins C (and antioxidant) and a good source of iron.  Artichokes are high in fiber, they improve digestion and they are good for the liver.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 package brown rice fusilli pasta
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (from jar)
• 5 artichoke hearts, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped finely or 1 tbsp dried
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 3/4 cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil to make a smooth dressing. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water (about 1 tbsp salt to 4 quarts water) to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then pour pasta into a large bowl.
3. While the pasta is still warm, pour a couple tablespoons of the dressing over the pasta and toss so that the pasta doesn’t stick together as it cools. Let it cool to room temperature, tossing now and again to help the cooling process and to prevent sticking.
4. When the pasta has cooled, add the sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, basil, onion, olives and oregano and toss. Add the vinaigrette and toss again until the pasta ingredients are evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve.

Prep Time and Cook Time: 30 min

Serves: 6-8

On The Second Day of Christmas My True Love Made For Me…….

This is one of our favorite salads. It’s refreshing, filling and nutritious.  The walnuts add a great crunch and are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.  The ingredients are appealing and will therefore be a great addition to your Christmas Dinner!

Mango, Avocado, Walnut Salad

Ingredients

• 1 mango, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 avocado, sliced thinly
• 1/4 red onion sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 4 cups mixed baby greens

Directions

• Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve with our Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Prep Time: 25 min (including time to make dressing)
Serves: 4

On The First Day of Christmas, My True Love Made For Me……

Lets start the holiday feasting with a warm and hearty soup that’s packed with protein. This soup contains plenty of healthy ingredients such as, black beans, pumpkin seeds, kale and garlic which all combine so well to make it taste amazing! In addition to being so healthy, its fast and easy to make!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 – 15 oz can black beans
• 1 – 15 oz can yellow corn
• 1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 zucchini diced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup collard greens or kale chopped
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp taco seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 green jalapeno minced
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• In a large stock pot heat coconut oil and saute onions until translucent
• Add garlic and zucchini
• Add vegetable broth, black beans, corn and diced tomatoes and bring to boil
• Add red chili powder, ground cumin, taco seasoning, jalapeno, sea salt and black pepper
• Reduce heat to simmer, add collard greens or kale, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and simmer for 15 minutes
• Turn stove off and add chopped cilantro
• Serve and Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Prep time and cook time: 30 min

Spinach and Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, lightly packed

Directions

1. In blender, combine almond milk, water, banana, strawberries, and spinach
2. Blend on high until smooth
3. Pour into glasses and serve