Our Go-To Holiday Recipes (2024)

By Marilee Nelson | 12/15/2020

With the holidays right around the corner, we wanted to share some of our favorite healthy recipes! You can't go wrong with these delicious dishes and desserts. They have been tried and true favorites among our family and friends. We always use and recommend organic ingredients when you can!

All recipes can be made gluten free, dairy free, and egg free.

Egg Substitutes:

• 1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar = 1 egg (makes baked foods light and airy)
• ¼ cup carbonated water = 1 egg (makes baked goods light and fluffy)
• 1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds or chia seeds fully expanded in 3 tbsp water = 1 egg (makes baked goods more dense and may impart a flavor)
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin puree, avocado puree, or mashed banana = 1 egg (makes baked goods dense and moist and may impart a flavor)
• 2 tablespoons kuzu thoroughly mixed with 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg (Could also use arrowroot. Kuzu is alkalinizing and arrowroot is acidifying.)

Ghee or Butter Substitutes that Withstand Heat

• Coconut oil
• Organic refined olive oil - smoke point 450 degrees
• Organic virgin olive oil - smoke point 375 degrees

Note: Do not use your extra virgin olive oil. It's more suitable for salads not heating. I've also found that using olive oil can work very well and doesn’t impact the taste if someone is sensitive to coconut oil.

Dairy Substitutes

• Nut milks

SPICED KABOCHA SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients:

• 1 Kabocha Squash
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 onion, chopped or cut in eighths (this will be blended)
• 1¼ tsp cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• Enough water or vegetable stock to get consistency of soup desired
• 1 cup additive free coconut milk (optional)
• 1-3 tsp (or to taste) fresh ginger juice. Add at the end of cooking.
• Salt to taste

Directions:

Preparation of Squash

(Bake the Kabocha squash for the sweetest, richest tasting soup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the squash into 4 pieces and scoop out the seeds.
3. Rub the interior of the squash with a little coconut oil.
4. Sprinkle with salt.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until fork tender.
6. Remove from the oven and cool.

Preparation of Onions

1. Water sauté or sauté onions in a little coconut oil until soft. Sprinkle with salt and the spices and cook a few minutes more.
2. Cool.

Preparation of Soup

1. Scoop out the interior of the cooled squash (you can use the skin in the soup if desired - will turn it green or you can eat the squash skins).
2. Place the cooled onions in your blender and add the squash.
3. Blend with enough water or soup stock to the consistency of soup desired.
4. Heat when ready to serve.
5. Add coconut milk if desired.
6. Adjust seasonings.
7. Grate fresh ginger and squeeze the grated ginger to create ginger juice. Add juice as desired to the soup.

BAKED ARTICHOKE SPREAD

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. artichoke hearts
• 3/4 cup grated organic parmesan cheese (see vegan parmesan recipe below)
• ½ cup organic sour cream
• ½ cup Primal Kitchen or homemade mayo
• 8 oz. organic cream cheese
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 jalapeño peppers, diced

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth.
3. Place in a shallow pan, ceramic dish or 10” terra-cotta quiche dish and bake for 30-45 minutes at 300 degrees until lightly browned on top.
4. Serve with freshly baked French bread, crackers, and/or vegetable sticks.

VEGAN NUT-FREE PARMESAN CHEESE

No food processor required—just stir together the ingredients and you’re done. Recipe yields about ¾ cup.

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup hemp seeds
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt, to taste

SPICY ROASTED GARLIC TOAST

Ingredients:

• 50 peeled large garlic cloves
• 4” sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp. dried rosemary
• ½ tsp crushed red peppers
• Olive oil
• Umeboshi paste (optional)
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put crushed red peppers, rosemary and garlic in a small baking dish with olive oil to cover.
2. Cover with lid and bake for 25-30 minutes. The garlic is ready when the fork can easily pierce the clove.
3. Mash into a paste and use as a spread for garlic toast (add umeboshi paste or roasted salt to taste).

SPINACH SALAD

Dressing Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Salad Ingredients

• ½ – 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
• Bunch of fresh spinach
• Crumbled organic feta cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
2. Toss vegetables with dressing and serve immediately.

QUICK PEA SALAD

Ingredients:

• Two bags organic petite green peas
• Approximately 6 oz Avocado Oil Mayonnaise
• 1 red onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp wasabi or to taste OR 1-2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

POTATO SALAD

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• Radishes, chopped
• Parsley, chopped
• 3 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 8 large potatoes, boiled and chopped

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes into cubes and boil until tender.
2. Chop ingredients.
3. Mix apple cider vinegar, olive oil, mayo, mustard and salt.
4. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and fold in chopped hard boiled eggs.

BASIC GREENS

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch greens (dandelion, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, or turnip greens)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil/Coconut Oil
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Wash greens.
2. Chop greens into bite sized pieces.
3. Place in a cooking pot.
4. Mix 1 tbsp of olive oil thoroughly into greens.
5. Add 1-2 cups of water and a pinch of sea salt.
6. Bring to boil.
7. Turn down and simmer for about 3-7 minutes – should still be bright green and fork tender.
8. Serve.

ALMOND SAUCE (for greens)

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup almonds soaked in water to cover with 1 tbsp lemon juice overnight
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 green onion cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• Fresh basil to taste – about 6 large leaves
• ¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Drain the almonds.
2. Add all the ingredients, except the oil, to a blender.
3. Puree.
4. Add oil slowly and blend.
5. Serve on greens.

SWEET POTATO DISH

Ingredients:

• 5 large sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook sweet potatoes on stove.
3. Drain to cool.
4. Add all the ingredients to a blender or processor and pulse to combine.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.
6. Top with whipped cream if desired - recipe below.

GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD

Ingredients:

• 3 cups stone-ground cornmeal
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp ghee or olive oil
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup kefir or almond milk
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 tbsp Rumford (no aluminum) baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the cornmeal and melted ghee or olive oil together.
3. Boil water with salt.
4. Pour boiling water over the cornmeal mixture and stir until well mixed.
5. Add the milk to the mixture and set aside to cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature, about 40 minutes.
6. Make sure cornmeal mixture is cool.
7. Blend eggs and baking powder.
8. Stir in the beaten eggs and baking powder to cornmeal.
9. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish and warm in the oven for a few minutes.
10. Pour mixture into the hot, well-oiled 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
11. Place in a hot oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.

Try not to open the oven and check until it has fully risen and almost done. Turn down the oven if necessary to finish cooking. Check with a knife for doneness.

GLUTEN FREE CORNBREAD STUFFING

Ingredients:

• Cornbread from recipe above. Cool and crumble the cornbread.
• 2 cups onions chopped
• 1 cup celery chopped
• 10 eggs beaten
• 1-4 cups homemade chicken broth/stock or ready made (Most Chicken Broths have excitotoxins – read labels carefully. We love Brodo's Chicken, Brodo's Vegetable Broth or Shelton’s Organic Chicken Broth)
• 2 tbsp dried sage
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ghee (use to sauté onions and grease pan)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Sauté onion, celery until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix eggs, chicken stock, sage, and salt and pepper together in a bowl.
4. Mix in cooled celery onions, crumbled cornbread, eggs, chicken stock, sage and salt and pepper to taste.
5. It should be the consistency of cake batter or thick soup (really soupy – this is secret of good dressing. If you add too much stock, you can continue cooking until dries).
6. Mix well.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake in a greased baking dish 13x9 inches for 40 minutes or until done. Serves 10-12.

PECAN PIE

Oatmeal Cookie Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ½ cup spelt flour
• ½ salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ½ tsp vanilla
• ½ cup ghee
• 3 tbsp honey (melt honey and ghee together)

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.
2. Oil the pie plate with ghee. Mix crust ingredients and press into the pie plate.
3. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Set aside to cool.

Egg Filling

Ingredients:

• 3 cups pecans
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup maple syrup
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans for 10 minutes.
2. Reduce to 325 degrees.
3. Whisk eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in a bowl.
4. Stir in nuts and pour into baked pie shell.
5. Bake 325 for 30 minute or until set – cool before serving.

EASY CHRISTMAS ALMOND TORTE COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup spelt flour (for gluten free, omit and change to 1 cup pecans)
• 1 cup rolled oats (1 ½ c. for pie)
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup ghee or coconut oil
• Sour cherry or raspberry jam
• pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place almonds, rolled oats and 1 cup spelt flour (or 1 cup pecans) in a food processor and blend into flour.
3. Combine maple syrup, ghee or coconut oil and salt in a blender or mix thoroughly. Combine #1 and #2.
4. Form into cookies on a cookie sheet.
5. Depress the middle with a spoon and spoon in organic sour cherry or raspberry jelly. For a crispy cookie press thin.
6. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in glass pyrex. Make sure to watch as ovens will vary. You WILL NEED LESS time on a cookie sheet.

PUMPKIN CAKE OR MUFFINS

(Makes 21 muffins or one 8 inch round cake)

Ingredients:

• 4 organic eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups cooked pumpkin or (2 cans of 15 oz. Pumpkin) at room temperature
• ¾ cup organic butter or ghee, or coconut oil at room temperature
• 1 cup maple syrup at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups spelt flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup raisins (optional)
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bake 1 Hokkaido pumpkin until soft or use 2 cups of canned pumpkin.
3. Beat maple syrup and oil together then add eggs…..beat thoroughly.
4. Add pumpkin and salt.
5. Sift the spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice together. Then add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. Mix in raisins and/or walnuts.
7. Turn down oven to 300 degrees and bake 25 minutes for muffins OR 45-60 minutes for cake.

WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy organic cream
• 2-3 tbsps Honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Chill deep bowl in the freezer.
2. In a large bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks are just about to form (take a dishcloth and cover because it will spatter).
3. Beat in honey and vanilla until soft peaks form. Don’t over-mix.
4. Put back in the icebox until ready to serve. We wouldn't recommend making this far ahead of serving.