Roasted Beet & Persimmon Salad

* Recipe from Jean-Marc Fullsack (WHEL study)

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.
 

Serves 4-8.

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted beets, sliced

• 1 cup fuyu persimmon, sliced

• 1/4 cup red onion, minced

• 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens

• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

• 2 tablespoons chives, chopped

• 3 ounces maple Dijon dressing

Directions

1. Wash the beets, spritz with avocado oil.

2. Roast beets in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced.

3. When cool enough to handle, if you desire, peel (I never peel them), and cut into slices.

4. Mince onion and slice persimmon.

5. In a medium bowl combine beets, persimmon, onions, and dressing and toss very gently.

6. Serve on a bed of spinach or greens.

7. 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

1. Blend all ingredients and process until smooth.

2. Cover well and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

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

• 1 cup raisins

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat stirring them constantly. Alternatively, you could place in toaster oven.

3. Add garbanzo beans, spinach, raisins, pine nuts, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.

4. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes until heated through.

5. Serve & enjoy!

Sweet Potato-Jalapeno Soup with Tomatillo Cream

* Recipe 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

• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

• ½ teaspoon Himalayan or unrefined sea salt

• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

• 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

1. Heat the oil in a 6-quart soup pot over medium heat; add the leeks, and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened.

2. Add the garlic and cumin, lower the heat, and cook for another minute.

3. 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.

4. Puree the soup in the pan with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.

5. Add the remaining cup of broth if the soup is thicker than you desire.

6. Return the soup to the pot if necessary and bring it to a simmer.

7. Add the lime juice, syrup (if desired), and corn. Cook the soup for 3 minutes.

8. Taste for seasoning.

9. To make the tomatillo cream, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix.

10. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with tomatillo cream, corn, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

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

1. Warm a dry heavy-bottomed saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium-low heat.

2. 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.

3. Add the water, orange slices, apple slices, lemon slices, cranberries, rosemary, and vanilla extract.

4. 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.

5. The potpourri will last up to 4 days, simmered a few times daily. Just add water as needed.

6. Store in the refrigerator between uses.

Hope you enjoy one or more of these holiday recipes! Wishing you all a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season! Hope to connect with you all in 2022.

All the best,

Natalie