Many families have their tried-and-true holiday dishes that they turn to year after year. But if you’re feeling a little burned out on the bird, and have had your fill of stuffing, why not try something a little different this year?
Consider these ten ideas for holiday meals that will not only please everyone at the table but will leave you feeling much healthier. Enjoy!
Carob Cream Pie1
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashew
- 1 qt. pure water (or 1 qt. nut milk)
- 1/2 cup coconut, finely shredded
- 1/3 cup carob powder
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tsp. Cafix, Pero, or Roma
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1/2 sea salt
- 6 tbs. Arrowroot powder
- 9” or 10” baked pie crust
Steps
- Blend cashews and coconut with half the liquid until very smooth. Add carob, honey, cafe, vanilla, and salt; blend again.
- Heat in saucepan on low, stirring to prevent sticking or lumping. Blend remaining 2 cups liquid with arrowroot; pour into hot mixture, stirring until mixture comes to a low boil. It will get very thick.
- Remove from stovetop. Pour into graham cracker crust or baked pie shell. Garnish with fresh coconut. Refrigerate to chill and set.
- Serve with soy whipped cream or your favorite topping.
Cabbage Dumplings2
Dumpling Dough
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tbs. yeast
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
Filling
- 2 cups cabbage, diced fine
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3/4 cup unflavored textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- 3/4 tsp. onion powder
- 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 3/4 cup hot water
Steps
- Mix yeast, warm water, and honey in a large mixing bowl. When mixture bubbles, stir in flours and salt, then knead about 10 minutes.
- Filling preparation: Sauté cabbage and onion in a small amount of water. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and cover with hot water to rehydrate vegetable protein. Let sit about 5 minutes.
- Add to sautéed vegetables and simmer 5 minutes until all the liquid is gone. Roll dough onto floured surface until 1/8” thick.
- Cut into 3-inch squares. Place 1 heaping tbs. sautéed mixture in center of each square. Pull opposite corners together, pinching closed along openings.
- Place on lightly oiled baking sheets. Let rise about 15 minutes. Bake at 375º 15-20 minutes. These freeze well.
Makes 5 dozen dumplings.
Creamed Carrots3
Ingredients
- 6 fresh carrots (about 1/2 lb.)
- 1/4 cup soy milk powder
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3 tbs. Arrowroot powder or unbleached flour
- 2 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Steps
- Peel, slice, and steam carrots until tender.
- Combine remaining ingredients and blend using any liquid from the cooked carrots as part of the water.
- Pour blended ingredients into a pan; bring to a boil and simmer until thickened.
- Pour over cooked carrots.
- Sprinkle with parsley flakes. Serves 6-8.
Stuffed Peppers4
Steps
- Core 4 peppers by cutting around the stem and removing stem and seeds.
- Stuff with about 1 cup of Spanish Rice (amount depends on size of peppers).
- Bake at 350º about 45 minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Serve with Brown Gravy or Tomato Sauce.
Barbecue Tofu5
Drain and freeze 2 16 oz. packages of fresh, water-packed firm tofu, at least overnight, then thaw.
Basting mixture:
- 3 tbs. almond, peanut or soy nut butter
- 1/2 cup wate
- 1 tbs. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 recipe Barbecue Sauce (see recipe below)
Steps
- Combine all basting ingredients in small bowl. Stir well to mix.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Slice the thawed tofu and cut each slice in half vertically so you have 2 per slice. Place them on a cookie sheet. With a small basting brush, spread the basting mixture generously on both sides of the tofu strips.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Turn strips over and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes. Tofu should not be dark. You don’t want to overtake them.
- Place baked tofu in baking dish and pour Barbecue sauce over them. Let sit for at least 3 hours. Bake at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Serve over brown rice or alongside mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables for a delicious home-cooked meal.
Makes 30-40 pieces
Barbecue Sauce6
Ingredients
- 3 cups tomato puree (1 6 oz. can tomato paste mixed with enough water to equal 3 cups)
- 5 tbs. blackstrap or fancy molasses
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tbs. garlic powder
- 1/2 tbs. parsley flakes
- 3 tbs. Braggs Liquid Aminos
- 2 tbs. lemon juice
Steps
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Makes 3 1/2 cups
Roasted Root Vegetables7
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1 pound parsnips
- 1 pound turnips
- 1 pound carrots
- 2 tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried, ground rosemary
- 3 tbs. chopped fresh sage or 2 tsp dried, rubbed sage (less if using ground sage)
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head garlic, minced
- 1 - 2 tsp. coarse sea or kosher salt, or to taste
Steps
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Peel and cut all vegetables into 1-inch pieces. Combine all ingredients in large roasting pan and toss to combine. Season with salt.
- Roast for 1 - 1 1/4 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Makes 6-8 servings
Italian White Bean Soup8
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup water (add more for preferred consistency)
- 1 (32-oz.) can Great Northern beans, liquid reserved
- 1-2 tsp. McKay’s Chicken Style Instant Broth and Seasoning (or other chicken-like seasoning)
- 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, stem removed and leaves chopped
Steps
- In a medium pot, sauté the garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. When the garlic is translucent, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serves 4-6
Broccoli with Roasted Peppers and Olives9
Ingredients
- 1/2 red bell pepper (about 1 cup), chopped
- 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups chopped)
- 10 Kalamata olives, quartered
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp. fresh marjoram, finely chopped (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
- salt to taste
- lemon wedges, for serving
Steps
- Roast the peppers: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Brush both sides of the bell pepper with olive oil and place cut side down on a sheet pan. Roast the red pepper in the oven for 10 minutes.
- When the pepper has cooled down, peel off the skin and discard.
- Dice the pepper into small cubes, and set aside.
- While the peppers are roasting, steam the broccoli in a bit of water until tender, but still crunchy, then set aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet, and sauté the garlic slices over medium heat until they’re browned.
- Add the steamed broccoli, quartered olives, roasted bell pepper, and marjoram, and sauté until vegetables are heated through.
- Salt to taste and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 6-8
Millet Loaf10
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup wheat germ or bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cup cooked millet
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tbs. chicken-style seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1/2 tsp. sage
Steps
- Blend cashews and water until smooth.
- Combine well with remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Pack into oil-sprayed loaf pan or casserole dish. Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Patties can also be formed and browned in a nonstick skillet.
- Serve with gravy.
Happy Cookies11
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups walnuts
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbs. light olive oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup flax meal
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup dairy-free carob chips
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Grind 1 1/2 cups of the walnuts in the blender or food processor, leaving some coarsely ground. Pour into a mixing bowl.
- Blend remaining 1 cup of walnuts with the maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and salt in a blender. Mixture should be smooth and creamy.
- Add blended mixture to the ground walnuts. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Form cookies by placing slightly more than 1 tbs. of batter on nonstick cookie sheet. Flatten with the back of a spoon coated with oil (using a small scoop sprayed with oil also works well.)
- Bake for 12 minutes. Watch closely as oven temperatures can vary.
Makes 24 cookies
Sources:
- Better Choices Fresh and Healthy Cuisine (adapted from Ten Talents), Rosalie Hurd and Frank Hurd, Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2013, pg. 125.
- LaVonne Hoover, A Taste of Nature, Hoover, LaVonne 1992, pg. 60.
- Ibid., pg. 92
- Ibid., pg. 95
- Stephanie Bergsma, Cooking for Life, Bergsma, Stephanie, 2013, pg. 114.
- Ibid., pg. 73
- Ibid., pg. 96
- Tami Bivens, From Plant to Plate, Life and Health Network, 2013, pg. 186
- Ibid., 210-211
- Barbara Watson, Amazing Health Cookbook, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2012, pg. 87.
- Ibid., pg. 107