Healthy holiday feast

During the busy holiday season, do you have trouble remembering to swallow your vitamins regularly? Feel guilty about not incorporating all of the vegetables and other foods that experts recommend for optimum health into your diet? Are you of the opinion that French fries with ketchup count for two vegetable servings? Not to worry. You can still get all of the vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and enzymes your body requires for good health during the holiday season—a time when many of us worry about all of the added sugar and fat we’re eating.

Scientists have found some of the most potent health- promoting chemicals in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and beans, seeds and nuts, and fresh oils such as olive oil. Onions, garlic, mustard-family members (such as cabbage and broccoli), and all green leafy vegetables are veritable natural pharmacies with no side effects. Unless, of course, you overeat because you get carried away by all of the fantastic flavors and aromas!

The holiday meal on the following pages gives you the gain of superlative and highly healthful nutrition without the pain of overly rich, heavy food. The ingredients used are full of potent healing compounds such as antioxidants, immune-activators, and special nutrients that help the body’s cells remain cancer-free, protect the cardiovascular system, and help keep us healthy into old age. Of additional benefit is the fact that these delicious recipes are not high in calories—a big issue during this stressful time of year, when holiday sweets are almost impossible to avoid. So why not celebrate this holiday season with family and friends by serving up healthy dishes with a big helping of nutrition?

HOLIDAY VEGETABLE PIE

Serves 4 to 6

This hearty dish is rich in vitamin A and other carotenoids, such as lutein (from the greens, carrots, and broccoli). The shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) provide an immune boost as well. The pie, with its parsley and paprika topping, is also a feast for the eyes, appropriate for a holiday dinner party.

Topping

4 medium russet potatoes (with skins), chopped
1/4 cup milk or soymilk
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in hot water until soft
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sour cream or Kefir cheese (a sour cream substitute), optional, if a tangy flavor is desired
1/4 teaspoon paprika and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley to sprinkle on after baking

Filling

11/2 cups broccoli florets and stems
1 bunch greens (such as spinach, kale, or Swiss chard)
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium carrots, diced
1/2 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil

Boil the chopped potatoes in 1 quart of water until soft. Mash until smooth with the milk or soymilk, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and sour cream or Kefir cheese, if desired. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the broccoli florets into small pieces and the stems into 1/4-inch round slices. Wash the greens and chop them finely. Over medium heat, sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil, until the onion pieces are translucent. Add the carrots, broccoli, and shiitakes. Stir well and add the tomatoes and water, bringing the mixture to a light boil.

Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Mix in the greens, salt, and basil.

Drain the excess water from the vegetables and place them in an ungreased 9 ¥ 13-inch baking dish. Spread the potatoes over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the paprika and parsley before serving.

CREAMY SPINACH SOUP

Serves 6

Perfect for winter evenings, this rich and creamy soup is a good source of calcium and iron (from the spinach). The soup also contains vitamin A and lutein (from the zucchini, carrots, and spinach). And don’t forget that onions are one of nature’s best sources of quercetin, another cancer-fighter.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 russet potato, cut into chunks
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 cups milk or soymilk
1 bunch spinach, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Diced red peppers, optional

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil briefly, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the potato and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes. Cover the vegetables with water (just enough so the vegetables are submerged) and simmer until they are almost tender (about 10 minutes), then add the zucchini and simmer for 5 more minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender.

In a small frying pan over low heat, melt the butter. Make a roux by stirring the flour into the melted butter, then add the milk or soymilk and stir until the mixture is thickened.

Combine the pureed vegetables and the roux in a soup pot and add the spinach, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook over very low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasonings to taste and serve. For a festive flair, sprinkle each bowl of soup with diced red peppers.

LEMON-BASIL SALMON

Serves 6

This dish is a delicious way to get your protein without having to use any oil. It is also quite easy to prepare—an additional benefit when you have little time, with so much other cooking going on.

6 fresh salmon fillets or steaks
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the salmon fillets or steaks on pieces of foil, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece of fish with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of the basil, and 1/3 teaspoon of the Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

CRANBERRY RELISH

Serves 6 to 8

This healthy, tasty relish is quick and easy to prepare, and invariably gets rave reviews at holiday parties. We like it so much that we keep making it even after the holiday season. Cranberries are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium and have proven benefits for the urinary tract. New studies show that the tangy fruit is effective for preventing and helping to relieve symptoms of urinary tract infections. There is also evidence that eating these tart fruits may lower cholesterol and prevent cancer. The walnuts are rich in minerals and are a good protein source, and because you also use the rind of the oranges, you get a good supply of bioflavonoids. Orange peels have strong cancer-fighting effects, so go ahead and be liberal. After all, prevention really is the best medicine.

1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
1 orange, with peel, cut into fourths
1/2 cup walnuts
Honey, Sucanat, or sugar to taste

Place the cranberries, orange, and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Empty the mixture into a bowl, add sweetener to taste, stir well, and refrigerate. The flavors in the cranberry relish get deeper as it sits, so it’s a good dish to make the day before a big holiday meal.

DIGESTIVE TEA OR CHAI

Serves 6

This decaffeinated herbal drink is very flavorful and always a favorite with guests as an after-dinner tea. In the summer, try iced chai for a change. And if you are having iced or hot chai during the day, you can always make a mildly caffeinated chai—just omit the peppermint and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of black tea and steep for 3 minutes before straining the mixture. Too much caffeine can lead to insomnia and increase blood pressure in some people, but judicious amounts invigorate the nervous system and help cleanse the body of wastes by increasing water release from the kidneys. The three seeds in the recipe are effective for preventing gas and gastric distress, the licorice has a soothing and immune-boosting effect, and the orange peel and peppermint promote optimum digestion and provide healthy antioxidants.

8 cups water
2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
2 tablespoons fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)
2 tablespoons caraway seeds (Carum carvi)
1 tablespoon orange peel
3/4 teaspoon chopped licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
11/2 teaspoons peppermint leaves (Mentha ¥piperita)

Pour the water into a large pot. Place the seeds, orange peel, and licorice root into the water, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the peppermint, and allow to steep, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain and drink.

AMBROSIA

Serves 6

This recipe tastes as good as it sounds and is a wonderfully healthy, delicious holiday dessert. The pecans are cardiovascular-friendly, the oranges are high in vitamin C, and the coconut contains calcium. This light dessert is the perfect way to clean your palate after a holiday meal.

6 to 9 cups orange sections
1 cup grated coconut, fresh or dried
Honey, Sucanat, or sugar to taste
1 cup chopped pecans

Working over a large bowl (to catch the juices), peel the oranges, using a knife to cut away the white membrane on the outer edge of the orange. For more health benefits, leave some of the white “rag” on the sections—it’s a good source of bioflavonoids. Place the orange sections in a bowl along with any juices. Add the grated coconut (if you use dried coconut, it will absorb some of the orange juice) and your choice of sweetener. Stir the mixture and refrigerate. Add the pecans before serving.

Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., A.H.G. is an herbalist and botanist with more than thirty years of experience with medicinal herbs. Beth Baugh has been integrating medicinal herbs into natural foods cuisine for more than twenty years.