Holiday recipes (and a new site)

My word! When did November become the new December for Christmas decorations and Food Gremlins?

Not to worry, I worked hard to launch my new site (same purpose) to help you get so Food Smart that you will intuitively get a sense of what real food is and how to make it work for you.

This week, I have five excellent and mostly easy to make recipes for the holidays that will satisfy and balance your food cravings while keeping you trim and sane. Try one or two and then tell me how they worked out, or write to me if you have any questions about the listed ingredients.

HOLIDAY RECIPES

Dip
Whole Food Market’s Walnut Spread is a hit every time I make it. Use dry chickpeas (pre-soak and boil them) instead of the canned version if you can. Also pre-soak your walnuts overnight or for 8 hours to release their nutrients and enhance digestion. Serve with Mary’s Organic Gluten Free Crackers, Pecan Fruit Crisps from Terra Breads or Lesley Stowe’s Raincoast Crisps.

Slaw
If I could digest raw food well, Dreena Burton’s Kale Slaw with Curried Almond Dressing would be on my must-make list. The Vancouver based, best-selling vegan author is hugely passionate about veganism, has a great sense of humour and recently released her fourth cook book Let Them Eat Vegan.

Side dish
Eden MacDonald’s Garden Fresh Marinara Sauce tossed in brown rice pasta would make a perfect side dish for a large party. If you want to sprinkle some cheese on it, choose a more easily digested organic feta from goat or sheep’s milk.

Main meal
When it’s cold, we want comfort food. Go ahead and indulge with Dreena Burton’s Mac-Oh, Geez casserole – a vegan mac n’ cheese version without any icky tofu or cheese substitutes. This dish is a little more labour-intense than the others on this page, but after whipping through a version of Dreena’s white sauce, I say it’s worth the effort.

Cookies
You’ll either want to hoard these ridiculous and fragile *Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut and Cacao Nibs or share them with anyone and everyone you know. They’re perfect for special occasions.

*To make almond meal, pulse almonds in a food processor until they resemble a fine crumbly texture. Don’t over pulse or you will end up with almond butter.

You can prepare ahead of time by pre-soaking a big bowl of almonds overnight or for 12 hours, rinse and then put them in the oven at the lowest temperature until dry (about four hours). They freeze well for months.

Featured photo: Almond Meal Cookies with Coconut and Cacao Nibs originally created by Sprouted Kitchen (A Sweet Spoonful)