Consider Your Holidays Le Planned

happy holidays! We are so grateful for you. to express our appreciation, we’re sharing our favorite plant heavy, gut healthy holiday dishes. enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Apple Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 TBS Avocado Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped
6 cups Sweet Potato (about 2 large sweet potatoes), peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
3 cups Apples (3 apples), peeled, cored and chopped into 1” cubes
7 cups Vegetable Stock
½ can Coconut Milk
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp White Pepper
½ tsp Nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot.

  2. Add onions and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent.

  3. Add in garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minutes - be careful not to let the garlic burn!

  4. Add apples and sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat with the shallots and garlic.

  5. Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

  6. Boil for about 25 minutes until vegetables are fork tender.

  7. Using an immersion blender or Vitamix, blend soup until smooth.

  8. Transfer soup back to the pot and stir in coconut milk, nutmeg, salt and white pepper.

  9. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

NOTES

*Serves 6

Turkey Brine

ingredients


1 (12- to 22-pound) turkey (ideally not saline-injected or otherwise pre-salted)
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
1 cup coconut brown sugar

Peels of one orange
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
5-6 cloves of garlic smashed
2 whole cinnamon sticks
3-5 whole bay leaves
1 Tbsp Whole cloves or allspice berries
1 Tbsp. juniper berries
2 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
3 whole star anise
2 gallons cold water

instructions

  1. Prepare the turkey for brining- Remove the turkey from its package and pat dry. Remove any giblets/neck and save for making gravy.

  2. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a low boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Turn off heat, cover and allow the brine to cool completely before adding the brine to your turkey.

  3. Place the uncooked turkey in a large pot, brining bag, or other large container that you will be using to brine in (one that will fit in your fridge). Pour the completely cooled brine over the turkey, making sure the turkey is submerged, cover then refrigerate at least 24 hrs for up to 2 days. If you need to, add more cold water to cover the turkey.

  4. When you’re ready to cook your turkey, remove it from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse with cool water inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.

  5. Your turkey is ready for roasting!

TIPS!

  1. Make sure you use kosher salt and do not substitute any other type of salt. Table salt is denser than kosher salt and doesn’t measure the same way.

  2. Be sure to use apple cider, not apple cider vinegar:)

  3. Many pots are not large enough to hold a whole turkey. Brining bags are great for turkey brining. The bags are easy to fit into a standard sized refrigerator. Also a well temperature controlled clean cooler is a great option!

  4. You want to make sure you put your turkey into a cool brine; never put a turkey in a hot or warm brine.

  5. Pat your turkey dry before you roast it to ensure crispy skin.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Lemon Dairy-Free Ricotta, Arugula, and Pomegranate Seeds

INGREDIENTS

Squash
3 Medium Sized Delicata Squash
2-3 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 TBS Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Salt

Lemon Ricotta
2 cups Dairy Free Ricotta (Kite Hill brand recommended)**
Zest of 2 Lemons
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
2 cups Fresh Arugula
Extra virgin Olive Oil or Lemon Juice (optional)
½ cup pomegranate seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

Squash

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F.

  2. Remove the ends and slice the delicata squash in half, lengthwise. Remove seeds with a spoon and then cut the squash into ½ inch slices.

  3. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika and salt. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Flip squash pieces over and roast for another 5-10 minutes, just to ensure both sides get some color.

  4. When done, set aside and let cool.

Ricotta

  1. Put ricotta in bowl. Add lemon juice and zest, mixing thoroughly to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Final Dish

  1. Spread ricotta on the bottom of the serving dish.

  2. Sometimes oven space at Thanksgiving is hard to come by, so this dish is a great room temperature option! If you prefer it as a hot dish, you can warm the squash up in the oven before plating.

  3. Toss squash with arugula, feel free to drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing.

  4. Assemble squash and arugula on top of the ricotta, drizzling with additional olive oil. A sprinkle of crunchy salt and/or crack of fresh black pepper would also be delicious!

  5. Top with fresh arugula and pomegranate seeds. Enjoy!

NOTES

*Serves 6
**If you can’t find dairy free ricotta, a dairy free greek yogurt or sour cream also work great!

Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

INGREDIENTS

1 Loaf Sourdough or Gluten Free Bread (I love Anna B’s GF Bread if you’re local to Richmond)
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 lb Sage Sausage (Any type of sausage works here. If making this recipe GF, make sure sausage is GF too)
2 Leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced and washed well (Can sub 1 yellow onion, chopped)
4 Stalks Celery, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Apples, diced into 1” cubes
2 tsp Dried Thyme
2 Eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 300F.

  2. Diced bread into 1 inch cubes and spread onto a baking sheet.

  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. When bread is done, turn oven up to 350F.

  4. While bread is baking, heat 1 TBS olive oil over medium heat.

  5. Transfer sausage to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up into little pieces.

  6. Transfer sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain some of the grease out

  7. Wipe the pan of any excess grease, leaving a little to cook the veggies. Don’t wash your pan!

  8. Add leeks, celery, garlic and apples to the pan and sauté for 7-8 minutes until apples start to soften.

  9. Add salt, pepper and thyme and continue to sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

  10. Transfer toasted bread, sausage and veggies to a large bowl.

  11. Beat your eggs and transfer to the bowl.

  12. Drizzle stock over mixture along with an additional pinch of salt and pepper

  13. Stir everything to combine and transfer to an oiled 9x13 baking dish

  14. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes then uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.

NOTES

*Serves 8-10
**Making Ahead - All components of the dish (bread/veggies/sausage) can be prepped in advance, however, I recommend waiting until you are ready to bake to combine everything. This is especially important if using GF bread so it doesn’t get soggy.

Shredded Brussel Sprouts

INGREDIENTS

Brussel Sprouts
1 ½-2 lb Brussel Sprouts, washed and thinly sliced
2 TBS of Olive Oil, Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil
1 TBS Butter, Ghee or Vegan Butter
1 TBS Poppy Seeds
1 Lemon, juiced
¾ cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped (can substitute hazelnuts, pecans, almonds or sunflower seeds)
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
⅔ cup Dried Cherries, coarsely chopped (can substitute dried fruit of choice), optional

Dressing, Optional
1 TBS Grainy Mustard
1 ½ TBS Maple Syrup
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Trim the ends off the brussel sprouts, peeling and discarding any blemished outer leaves.

  2. Cut each brussel sprout in half from top to bottom. Lay it flat and slice into fine shreds - can also shred Brussels sprouts using a mandolin or food processor fitted with a slicing blade.

  3. Using your hands, fluff up the sprouts and separate the shreds.

  4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot add oil of choice then add the brussels and cook for 1-2 mins without stirring.

  5. Add butter and sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, then turn off heat.

  6. Deglaze with lemon juice and stir in poppy seeds and nuts.

  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  8. Place in a dish of choice.

  9. If adding the dressing, whisk grainy mustard, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar together in small bowl or place in mason jar with a tight fitting lid and shake vigorously. Drizzle over the brussel sprouts. Garnish with fresh herbs of choice - I suggest parsley and dried fruit.

NOTES

*Making Ahead - Brussel sprouts may be shredded up to a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
**Best served immediately, but may also be served at room temperature.

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2lbs of Yellow or Red Skin Potatoes, Washed and Cut Into 1 in Chunks (I like skin on but you do you!)
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt
1/2 C Parsley, Chopped
Optional: 1/2 C Kite Hill Sour Cream

instructions

  1. Start by making your garlic oil. In a small saucepan combine oil and garlic and bring to a low simmer. Let the garlic simmer for 25-30 minutes, watching to make sure it doesn’t burn. Turn off the burner and let the oil sit for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves. This can be done in advance!

  2. Transfer the potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, add several large pinches of salt and boil the potatoes for roughly 20 minutes, until fork tender.

  3. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of water from the potatoes. Drain potatoes and transfer them back to the pot.

  4. Using a potato masher or electric mixer, mash potatoes until you get your desired consistency. While mashing, add in some of the reserved water if you need it to help break up the potatoes.

  5. Mix in oil, parsley and sour cream (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

    NOTES

    *Serves 4

    *Make Ahead- Garlic oil can be made ahead of time!

Cranberry Salsa

ingredients

1 x 12oz. bag of cranberries (fresh or frozen) ((if frozen no need to thaw))
1/2 a large red bell pepper
1/2 a medium onion
3/4 cup of sugar (can replace with coconut sugar or 1/4 cup agave)
1/3 cup of apple juice
3 Tbs. of chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped pickled jalepeno
zest from 1 lime

instructions

  1. Pulse cranberries apple juice, onion and pepper into a food processor until roughly chopped. (Make your salsa as chunky as you’d like!)

  2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in other ingredients. Cover, chill for 30 minutes to an hour and serve. (Can be made a day or two in advance)

    *Makes a solid sized bowl for 4-6 to share or maybe less, depending on how much you love salsa!

Apple Pecan Crumble

INGREDIENTS

Apple Filling
8 Medium Sized Apples*
⅔ cup Brown Coconut Sugar
5 TBS Tapioca Starch (can sub Arrowroot Starch)
¼ cup Apple Cider (local is preferred, can sub Apple Juice)
2 TBS Lemon Juice
1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg

Pecan Crumble
1 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats
½ cup Almond Meal***
½ cup Pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup Brown Coconut Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup Coconut Oil, very soft

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.

  2. Grease a 9x13” or similar size dish with coconut oil.

  3. Peel, core and slice apples to your liking. Place in a medium mixing bowl.

  4. Add brown coconut sugar, tapioca starch, apple cider, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples.

  5. Stir until the apples are thoroughly coated.

  6. Evenly spread the apples in the prepared baking dish. Pour in any liquid that remains.

  7. If needed make almond meal and chop pecans.

  8. In another medium sized mixing bowl, add the oats, almond meal, pecans, brown coconut sugar, salt and coconut oil.

  9. Stir until completely incorporated.

  10. Evenly sprinkle the crumble atop apples.

  11. Place in the oven for 50 minutes-1 hour. Liquid should be bubbling and crumble should be golden brown. If it browns too quickly, cover with foil.

  12. Let it set for at least 30 minutes.

  13. Enjoy warm or room temperature simply as is, or top with your favorite dairy free ice cream, milk or whipped cream!

NOTES

*Serves 10
**We like Honey Crisp or Granny Smith, local and/or organic when possible!
***Can be made by blending raw almonds in a food processor.

Pumpkin Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

*makes 2 loaves

Loaf
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Ripe Banana, mashed
1 1/2 cup Pumpkin
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/3 cup Coconut Sugar
4 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Spice
1 cup Dairy Free Sour Cream (I Kite Hill!)
1 cup Almond Meal
1 1/2 cup Gluten Free Oats
3/4 cup Almond Milk
2 cups Gluten Free Flour Blend, sifted (I either make my own blend, or use King Arthur's!)
1 cup Pecans, chopped

Topping (optional)
1/4 cup Vegan Unsalted Butter, room temperature (I recommend Miyoko's Creamery)
1/2 cup Vegan Cream Cheese, room temperature (I recommend Kite Hill or Miyoko's Creamery)
2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 pinch Salt
3 TBSP Raw Pepitas, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Lightly grease loaf pans with coconut or olive oil and line with parchment paper.

3. In a medium bowl, measure out and soak gluten free oats in almond milk.

4. In a standing mixer or bowl, whisk eggs.

5. Add mashed banana, pumpkin, maple syrup, olive oil and vanilla. Whisk to combine.

6. Add coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin spice. Whisk to combine.

7. Add in dairy free sour cream and whisk thoroughly.

7. Add almond meal, soaked oats, and gluten free flour to the mix. Whisk until just combined.

8. Fold in chopped pecans.

9. Distribute batter evenly into two pans.

10. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

11. While this is baking, prepare the frosting if desired.

12. In a standing mixer, beat the butter until very creamy.

13. Add the cream cheese and beat vigorously again until very creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

14. Add the sifted powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until desired consistency. Using less will result in more of a glaze. Using the full 2 1/2 cups as the original recipe is written will result in a thick frosting.

15. Once the bread has finished baking, allow to cool completely.

16. While the oven is at 350, toast pepitas for 5 minutes.

17. Once the bread is cooled entirely, frost to your heart's desire and sprinkle with toasted pepitas.

18. Slice and enjoy!

Pomegranate Ginger Smash

ingredients

1oz Vodka
1oz Ginger Beer
1.5oz Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate seeds for garnish
Optional Sugar Rim - Finely Chopped Rosemary, Sugar, Grated Ginger

instructions

  1. Combine vodka, ginger beer and pomegranate juice in a cocktail shaker or high speed blender.

  2. If using sugar rim, combine all ingredients on a small plate and dip the rim of the glass to create a sugar rim

  3. Shake or blend cocktail then pour over ice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Holiday Marg

ingredients

2oz Tequila
1oz Cointreau
Juice of 1 orange and 1 lime
Pinch of Cinnamon
Sprig of Rosemary
Smoked Salt and Orange Zest (can sub regular salt if you have it)

instructions

  1. Zest your orange and combine with smoked salt on a small plate.

  2. Combine Tequila, Cointreau, citrus and cinnamon in a cocktail shaker or blender

  3. Use the leftover orange peel to brush the rim of your glass with orange juice then dip into the salt mixture.

  4. Pour cocktail over ice and garnish with a sprig of Rosemary