Roasted Beet & Persimmon Salad
Recipe adapted from Jean-Marc Fullsack.
If you want a festive and beautiful salad that tastes delicious, make this one! It's full of color - red, purple, orange, and green. And you know if it's colorful, it's rich in various protective phytochemicals, including antioxidants - carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and more.
Ingredients:
2 cups roasted beets, sliced
1 cup fuyu persimmon, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
4-6 cups mixed greens, baby spinach or arugula
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
3 ounces maple Dijon dressing
Directions:
Wash the beets, spritz with avocado oil.
Roast beets in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced.
When cool enough to handle, if you desire, peel (I never peel them), and cut into slices.
Mince onion and slice persimmon.
In a medium bowl combine beets, persimmon, onions, and dressing and toss very gently.
Serve on a bed of greens, spinach or arugula.
Sprinkle pomegranate arils and chives on top.
For the Maple Dijon Dressing:
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or pumpkin seed oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon 100% maple syrup
1 teaspoon whole seed Dijon mustard
1/2 clove garlic
salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Blend all ingredients and process until smooth.
Cover well and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Honey Balsamic Roasted Acorn Squash and Brussels Sprouts
A tasty and aesthetic recipe that provides greens and winter squash!
Adapted from Flavour & Savour.
Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash
2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh cranberries
Himalayan or unrefined sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Slice squash into ½ to ¾ inch thick slices. Remove seeds.
Combine olive oil, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Toss with squash and Brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning half way through, until squash is fork tender. Add cranberries for last 5 minutes of roasting time
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Spinach with Garbanzos, Raisins, & Pine Nuts
This recipe was one of my favorite WHEL study recipes from years back. It includes dark leafy greens, my all-time favorite - adding protective carotenoids, chlorophyll, and fiber. Note that spinach shows up year after year on the list for highest pesticide toxicity, so it would be wise to purchase organic spinach. The allium compounds found in the onions and garlic have been found to inactivate carcinogens and also have various benefits for cardiovascular health.
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 16-ounce bag frozen spinach
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
black pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat stirring them constantly. Alternatively, you could place in toaster oven.
Add garbanzo beans, spinach, raisins, pine nuts, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.
Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes until heated through.
Serve & enjoy!
Sweet Potato-Jalapeno Soup with Tomatillo Cream
Recipe adapted from adapted from The California Cookbook, written by Diane Rossen Worthington.
As nourishing as it is delicious, the sweet potatoes are a slow-burning carbohydrate rich in carotenoids and fiber. The corn adds a subtle crunch and additional fiber. Southwestern seasonings and the tartness of the tomatillo cream provide just the right contrast to the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and corn.
Makes 8 cups.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, cleaned and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 pounds (~6 medium) sweet potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 2” pieces [note that I don’t peel them]
6-7 cups vegetable or organic chicken broth
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ teaspoon Himalayan or unrefined sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup organic frozen corn, preferably Shoepeg; reserve ½ cup for garnish
Tomatillo Cream Ingredients
½ cup organic plain low-fat yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
2 tablespoons tomatillo salsa
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon Himalayan or unrefined sea salt
Directions:
Heat the oil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium heat; add the leeks, and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened.
Add the garlic and cumin, lower the heat, and cook for another minute.
Add the sweet potatoes, 6 cups broth, jalapeño, salt, and pepper and simmer, covered over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are very tender.
Puree the soup in the pan with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.
Add the remaining cup of broth if the soup is thicker than you desire.
Return the soup to the pot if necessary and bring it to a simmer.
Add the lime juice, syrup (if desired), and corn. Cook the soup for 3 minutes.
Taste for seasoning.
To make the tomatillo cream, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tomatillo cream, corn, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Poached Pears with Spiced Chocolate Sauce
Adapted from Eat This, Not That!
Ingredients:
4 medium ripe pears
¾ cup unsweetened apple juice
¼ cup dry red wine
2 ½-3 inches stick cinnamon
Spiced Chocolate Sauce
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
Dash ground allspice
Dash ground cloves
Directions:
Core each pear from the bottom, leaving the stem intact. Peel pears. If necessary, slice the bottoms off pears to allow them to stand upright.
In a medium sauce pan, combine the apple juice, wine, and cinnamon stick. Add pears to pan. Poach until soft, about 7-10 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to dessert plates.
Place chocolate and spices in a small pot atop a pan simmering with water (double boiler technique) OR place in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth.
Drizzle sauce over pears and serve.
Pomegranate & Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bark
Adapted from Maple & Mango.
Ingredients:
10 ounces 70% or higher dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
¾ cup pomegranate arils, approximately 1 pomegranate
½ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped [if you use unsalted pistachios, add ¼ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt]
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pat the pomegranate arils dry with a paper towel.
Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a small pot of gently simmering water. Stir chocolate until almost fully melted. If needed, add salt and stir to combine.
Pour melted chocolate onto the lined baking sheet and spread into a rectangular shape (roughly 8x10 inches and ¼ inch think).
Immediately sprinkle the pomegranate arils and chopped pistachios onto the chocolate. Press in gently, if needed.
Place in the refrigerator or freezer until the chocolate has hardened, ~15-60 minutes.
Break it up or cut into pieces and enjoy!
If not eating immediately, store in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for 2 months.
Orange Cranberry Stovetop Potpourri
Recipe from Jerry James Stone www.jerryjamesstone.com
This recipe is not designed to eat, but instead to fill your home with a festive aroma.
Ingredients:
3 cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves or 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 star anise
8 cups water
2 oranges, sliced
1 apple, sliced
2 lemon slices
1 cup cranberries
3 fresh rosemary sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Warm a dry heavy-bottomed saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Add the cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and star anise. Toast the spices for a couple of minutes until they become fragrant; be careful to not them burn. This process, known as blooming, helps the spices release their natural oils, providing more aroma.
Add the water, orange slices, apple slices, lemon slices, cranberries, rosemary, and vanilla extract.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let simmer for up to 4 hours, checking regularly so to not burn the pan.
The potpourri will last up to 4 days, simmered a few times daily. Just add water as needed.
Store in the refrigerator between uses.
Happy Holidays! Wishing you all health, joy, & more adventures in 2026!
In Health,
Natalie