Healthy Hottie Thanksgiving A menu plan to maintain our health and inspire others

Transcription

1 Healthy Hottie Thanksgiving A menu plan to maintain our health and inspire others MENU The Ginger Ruby Artichoke Dip with Garlic Rosemary Flax Crackers Kale in Creamy Lemon Dressing Honey Balsamic Pearl Onions Fresh Cranberry Relish Everything Quinoa with Cranberries Ginger Sweet Potato Hash Pecan and Pumpkin Pie with Maple Cream

2 Giving Thanks Thanksgiving is the kick off of what I consider the most challenging part of the year to stick with my healthy habits. It s not that I all of a sudden start to crave turkey, rolls with butter and pumpkin pie. The challenge comes with parties and family and traditions. It is compounded by shorter days, more errands and a mysterious slimming of my down time, some of which I happily spend getting a little ahead for each week by preping yummy foods. Tossing your otherwise healthy diet aside is not necessary, in fact I find it is the perfect time to practice balance. If you love certain family recipes, dig into them and see where they can be altered to be just a little more healthy. Who knows, you might inspire healthy change in those you love. To thank you for being part of the healthy conversation here at The Delicious Revolution, I am sharing this, my Thanksgiving menu, with you. My intention is not that you go cold turkey and skip on all your favorite holiday foods. The intention is that you skip the ones you re not fond of and sub them out for options that support your health and fitness. I feel confident that you will be offered plenty meat, cheese and bread, so you won t find any of that on my menu. You also won t find and GMO foods. You will find yummy, simple holiday fare that can help keep you on track to look uber hot when you hit the town on New Year s Eve. Thank you again, Joy

3 The Ginger Ruby 2 small beets (think baseball-size) 2 apples (seeds removed) 1 inch piece of ginger Juice all ingredients and serve over ice in chilled rocks glasses for a mocktail instead of premeal, calorie-dense booze. Artichoke Dip 1 cup cashews (soaked no less than 1 hour, drained) 2 tablespoon lemon juice, plus the zest 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 clove garlic water as needed to thin the mixture enough to blend 1/2 cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts 1/4 cup chopped chives Combine all ingredients except the artichokes and chives in a Vita-MIx or other high speed blender until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the artichokes and chives. Allow to chill before serving. Garlic Rosemary Flax Crackers 1 cup golden flax seeds (brown flax will do, golden has a milder, more nutty flavor) soaked in 1 1/2 cups filtered water until all liquid is absorbed 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked in water for 1 hour, drained and rinsed 1 teaspoon minced sweet onion of green onion 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary 3/4 teaspoon Himalyan Sea Salt Soak the flax in 1 1/2 cups water in a large glass mixing bowl. Once water is absorbed, add the drained sunflower seeds and remaining ingredients. Mix well to form batter. The soaked flax will have a slimy texture. This slime acts as the binder, kind of like eggs in conventional baking. Spread the batter

4 evenly to about 1/4 inch thickness onto a dehydrator tray lined with a Teflex sheet. This recipe makes one full tray for the Excalibur Dehydrator, which I highly recommend. Dehydrate the batter until it is dry enough to easily peel the Teflex sheet off the back. Flip the crackers, score them with an offset spatula or butter knife to the size you want. Dehydrate until crispy. I dehydrate them overnight. TIP It is easy to flip the crackers if you remove the tray from the dehydrator, top the crackers with another dehydrator tray then invert the sandwich of trays. Peel the Teflex sheet off the top of the now flipped crackers, peel the Teflex sheet then score and dehydrate until crispy. Kale in Creamy Lemon Dressing 6 cups julienne cut curly kale, stems removed 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup black olives 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup pecans Dressing 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup Veganaise 1 clove garlic 1/4 teaspoon Herbamare or Sea Salt 1 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast optional: 1 teaspoon dulse flakes Blend all dressing ingredients in the Vita-Mix until smooth. Toss the kale in the dressing and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Toss in the celery, olives, green onions and pecans just prior to serving..

5 Honey Balsamic Pearl Onions 4 cups pearl onions blanched, skins removed 1/2 cup coconut oil 2 cups water 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar Sauté blanched pearl onions in the coconut oil on high heat for 3 minutes. Add honey and salt and sauté two minutes more. Add the water. Bring he mixture to a boil and then let simmer until the water is reduced and you are left with a syrup-like sauce. Add in the balsamic vinegar and stir well to combine. Serve piping hot. Fresh Cranberry Relish 4 cups fresh whole cranberries 2-3 tablespoons raw honey 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cardamon dash sea salt 1 teaspoon orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse. Do not over process. There should still be small viable chunks of cranberry. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Everything Quinoa with Dried Cranberries 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil 1/2 tablespoon truffle oil 1 cup chopped celery 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1/2 cup dried cranberries 2 tablespoons toasted garlic 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds 1/2 cup raw pecan pieces 1/2 cup parsley 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

6 Heat the coconut oil and truffle oil in a sauce pan. Sauté the onions, celery and 1/4 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt. Once onions are translucent, add the quinoa. Sauté one minute, then add the water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all liquid is absorbed. While that cooks, pulse the pecans, parsley and coarse sea salt in a food processor to combine well. Once the moisture has been absorbed into the quinoa, mix in the cranberries, toasted garlic, sesame seeds, and the processed mixture of pecans, parsley and salt. Toss well, being careful to fluff instead of mash the quinoa as you mix. Serve hot. Ginger Sweet Potato Hash 4 cups diced sweet potato (about 1/2 inch dice) 3 tablespoons coconut oil 1/2 chopped finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 1 small jalapeño or Thai green chili (optional), seeded and minced 2 tablespoons minced cilantro Steam the diced sweet potato until nearly tender. Heat coconut oil in a skillet and sauté onions until translucent. Add minced ginger and, if desired the jalapeño or Thai green chili and sauté one minute more. Add steamed sweet potatoes and lightly toss. Cover and allow to lightly brown, usually 2-3 minutes.

7 Toss and brown again until all sides are lightly browned. JUst before serving sprinkle with the minced cilantro. Serve piping hot. Pumpkin Pecan Pie with Maple Cream Crust 1/2 cup raw almonds 1/2 cup rolled oats 4 Medjool dates, pits removed 1 tablespoon mesquite powder dash sea salt Filling 15 oz can organic pumpkin 1/2 cup coconut oil 2 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 1/4 cup apple juice 1 teaspoon powdered ginger

8 1 1/2 teaspoon powdered clove 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon zest 1/4 cup honey 1/2 cup maple sugar Topping 1/3 cup raw pecan pieces Maple Cream (optional) 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours and drained 1/4 cup young coconut meat seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean 1/2 cup maple syrup dash of sea salt. Start by putting the chia seeds into the apple juice so they can form a gel. Combine all crust ingredients in the food processor until well ground. Press the mixture into a 9 inch spring form pan that has been lightly greased with coconut oil. Press very firmly to pack the mixture down. Combine all filling ingredients in a large glass mixing bowl and combine well using a hand mixer until smooth. Transfer the filling to the spring form pan. Tap the pan so that there are no bubbles in the filling. Pulse the remaining pecans in the food processor for the topping. Sprinkle on the pie. To make the Maple Cream, blend all ingredients in the Vita-Mix until smooth, keep refrigerated. Refrigerate the pie for at least three hours to allow the filling to firm up. Serve cold with Maple Cream Happy Thanksgiving