Healthy Holiday Feast

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The winter holiday season is upon us, and with it arrives the onslaught of festive food, beverages and assorted snacks and desserts. During this time of celebration, friendly reunions and sharing of our accomplishments of the past year, it seems we can never escape the not so pleasant side of the holiday season that presents daily temptations to make poor food choices. We would like to offer a bit of relief through a few recipes that are healthy twists on traditional holiday classics, and sure to please your holiday taste buds.

First, ditch the raw veggies and dip. I can hear you saying, "but I thought raw veggies are good for you?!", and they are! So hang onto them. But the same old French onion or ranch dip is not only boring, but downright not good for you. The typical store-bought dip has been sitting in a cooler for weeks before it makes it to your holiday party and is filled with preservatives and ingredients such as:

• High fructose corn syrup (widely debated and linked to obesity, type II diabetes and osteoporosis)

• Monosodium glutamate (or MSG; an excitotoxin that hyper stimulates the nerves)

• Phosphoric acid (leaches calcium from your bones)

Each individual dressing may have different flavoring, but no matter what processed food you may find, these ingredients are standard. An alternative to "not another boring veggie tray" is hummus, a dip made from ground chickpeas. The recipe listed below has a twist on the traditional hummus, and there are many ways to change up your hummus recipe.

"Not another Boring Veggie Tray" Jalapeño and Lime Hummus Dip

For the dip (naturally gluten-free):

• 1 -16 oz. can chilled garbanzo beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or skip the BPA-lined cans and buy your beans dry to soak overnight)

• Squeezed juice of one fresh large lime

• 1-2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter (preferably organic), to taste

• 3 cloves fresh garlic

• 3 tablespoons pickled jalapeños

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, torn

• Red pepper flakes, to taste

• Pinch of cumin, to taste

• Pinch of sea salt, to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in the food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Tip: you can make the hummus the day before, and refrigerate until ready.

Ingredients for the dippers (mix and match):

• Carrot sticks

• Celery, cut in 6 inch sticks

• Red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin slices

• Hearty whole grain crackers

• Pita chips (bagged or make your own by cutting pita bread into quarters, brush with olive oil and bake for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven)

Once you put it all together, you will find a new style of dip loaded with flavor and supportive of your overall health. The holiday season is filled with opportunities to imbibe in alcoholic beverages, but scads of tasty drinks won't make your buttons pop off. Cranberries and pears are common winter holiday fruits, so enjoy this recipe that incorporates them in a fresh new recipe:

"Easy on Your Buttons and Warm on Your Stomach" Pearberry and Ginger Drink

Ingredients

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup raw cane sugar or 1/2 teaspoon Stevia powder (natural sweetener derived from Stevia plant)

• 1 2-inch price of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

• 3 medium pears, chopped into bite-size pieces, divided

• 2 quarts apple cider

• 1 lemon, halved and sliced

• 1 tablespoon ground allspice

• 1 cup fresh cranberries

• 2 tablespoons of non-imitation vanilla extract

Preparation

(Tip: you can make this a day ahead of time, just let cool, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat in a saucepan over low heat.)

1. Combine water, sugar or Stevia, ginger and 1 pear into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Strain out the solids and return the mixture to the pan.

2. Add the remaining pears, cider, lemon slices and all spice and heat over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add the cranberries and vanilla and reduce heat to medium-low (liquid should be simmering, but not boiling). Simmer for ten minutes, and serve in your best holiday heat-safe mugs!

Don't worry, we wouldn't leave you without dessert! These gluten-free tempting treats are sure to make you the star of the evening.

"Not another Pie!" Pumpkin Chia Muffins

Ingredients

• 16 oz. can of organic pumpkin or 2 cups steamed and pureed pumpkin

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds, ground (use a coffee or spice grinder)

• 1 cup brown rice flour or quinoa flour (white flour if you absolutely must)

• cup tapioca starch or arrowroot

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• teaspoon nutmeg

• 2 teaspoon baking soda

• teaspoon salt

• 2 organic brown eggs

• cup coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

• cup pure maple syrup

• cup agave nectar

• 1 tablespoon non-imitation vanilla extract

• cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, mix all ingredients together, saving some nuts for garnish

2. Spoon into lined muffin tray, about 1/2 full, add sprinkle of nuts to top

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until inserted tooth pick comes out clean

4. Let cool for a few minutes then remove to cool on wire rack

These are just a few ideas to put a spin on the same old dishes you see every holiday season, so why not try something new, or create your own recipe? Your guests are sure to be delighted by your creativity and fresh approach, and you'll thank yourself come New Year's resolution time!

Sources: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/03/jalapeno-lime-hummus.html http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sleigh_driver.html http://meghantelpnerblog.com/