Christmas Recipe Round Up

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s also the time of year where we are a little more stressed, are exposed to less sunlight, and consume LOTS of treats. All of this makes us more susceptible to getting run down and catching colds and extra germs. One of the easiest ways we can support our health through the winter or “cold and flu” months is with nutrient dense foods. That may seem challenging with all of the holiday get-togethers, but I’m here to make it a little easier for you with this healthy recipe round up. 

It can be super easy to enjoy our favorite Christmas dishes and treats when we swap in nutrient-dense ingredients. 

Nutrient-dense ingredient swaps:

• Bone broth for bouillon cubes 

• Non-dairy milk for milk or cream - coconut milk and cream top my list

• Kefir for buttermilk (if you tolerate dairy)

• Ghee, grass-fed butter, or coconut oil for shortening or vegetable oils 

• Grain-free or gluten-free flour for white or bread flour

• 100% pure maple syrup or coconut sugar for white and/or brown sugar

• Fresh herbs 

A hot tip for a sneaky place that gluten likes to hide is in seasoning packets! Make sure you check the ingredients list so that it contains only spices that you know of (garlic, onion power, oregano, salt, pepper, etc.). 

There are many Christmas dishes that are naturally gluten free such as cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato soufflé, fresh green beans and brussel sprouts, and salads. If you are at a holiday party or attending a Christmas dinner, it’s a safe bet that you can enjoy these without any reactions of being glutened. 

If you are hosting or tasked with bringing a dish to a holiday gathering, check out the round up of recipes below! 

Appetizers:

• Sileo Celery Salad (The Defined Dish)

• Chorizo Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates (The Defined Dish)

• Deviled Eggs (The Defined Dish) 

• Sauteed Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Lemon (Deliciously Organic)

• Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus (Ambitious Kitchen)

• Scallion Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Mushrooms (Ambitious Kitchen)

Salads:

• Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash (The Defined Dish)

• Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Maple Pecan Salad (Deliciously Organic)

• Asparagus and Tomato Caprese Salad (The Defined Dish)

• Brussel Sprout, Kale, Honeycrisp Salad with Maple Cider Dressing (Ambitious Kitchen)

Side dishes:

• Apple Cider Roasted Root Vegetables (The Defined Dish)

• Brussel Sprouts Au Gratin (The Defined Dish)

• Slow Cooked Greens with Garlic (Deliciously Organic)

• Creamy Garlic Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes (Ambitious Kitchen)

Main dishes:

• Bottle of Wine Braised Brisket (The Defined Dish)

• Cast Iron Roast Chicken with Potatoes (Deliciously Organic)

• Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Against All Grain)

• Paleo Glazed Pork Tenderloin (Against All Grain)

Dessert:

• Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Deliciously Organic)

• Gluten-free Marshmallows (Against All Grain)

• Dairy-free Rum Raisin Ice Cream (Deliciously Organic)

• Pecan Oat Streusel Sweet Potato Casserole (Ambitious Kitchen)

• Chocolate Truffles (Nom Nom Paleo)

• Baked Apples (Nom Nom Paleo)

SPECIAL CATEGORY - CHRISTMAS COOKIES!

• Grain-free Snowball Cookies (Ambitious Kitchen)

• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Snickerdoodles (Ambitious Kitchen)

• Thumbprint Cookies (Nom Nom Paleo)

• Paleo Gingerbread Cookies (Paleo Running Momma)

• Perfect Cut-out Sugar Cookies and Icing (Paleo Running Momma)

• Snickerdoodles (Bakerita)

Happy holiday baking and cooking!