Holiday Recipes

Old Fashion Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables

1. Place chicken in a soup pot and cover with cold water.
2. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer.
3. Skim the scum off the top and add mirepoix.
4. Let simmer on a low temperature for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
5. Strain broth and keep chicken breast for garnish.
6. You may use dark meat if you like or save it for chicken salad.
7. Place all the garnish vegetables in chicken broth and cook at a low temperature for 15 minutes.
8. Optional: add diced chicken breast meat.
9. Season to taste with sea salt, pepper and fresh dill.

Whitefish with Tomato Basil

1. Place white fish fillets on a sheet pan sprayed with olive oil spray.
2. Lightly spray fish with olive oil spray.
3. Season each fillet with sea salt, black pepper and paprika.
4. Place under a broiler and broil until golden and slightly crusty.
5. Serve with tomato basil (see below).

Tomato Basil

1. Mix all ingredients together.

Lemon Garlic Soy Roasted Chicken

1. Slice 12 slits in the chicken and stuff with garlic slivers.
2. Rub chicken with olive oil.
3. Rub chicken with soy sauce.
4. Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from ½ the lemon over chicken.
5. Drizzle with honey.
6. Slice garlic clove in half.
7. Place chicken in a roasting pan and stuff with the 1/2 lemon.
8. Place the remaining half of lemon in pan along with the garlic cloves.
9. Bake in a 350 oven for about 1 ½ hours or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
10. Baste chicken about 3 times during cooking process.
11. When chicken is finished, put juice through strainer and reduce in a pot.
12. Glaze chicken with reduced sauce.

Potato Carrot Zucchini Pancakes with Applesauce

1. Work quickly so that prepped potatoes do not turn dark.
2. Either grate potatoes, carrots, zucchini and onion in a food processor or by hand.
3. Place in a bowl and add egg whites, flour, baking powder, sea salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Spray a griddle or a large sauté pan with cooking spray. (If using a pan, keep the flame low.)
5. Add mix as you would for pancakes. You can make them large or small -- your choice.
6. Let them get golden on 1 side and flip over. Then place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Finish pancakes in a 350 oven. Cook about 20 minutes.
8. Serve warm with applesauce. You can purchase an organic applesauce with no sugar or make your own (see below).

Applesauce

1. Place peeled apples, water or juice, and all other ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. If using a vanilla bean, cut it in half lengthwise and place in pot.
3. Place over medium high heat.
4. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
5. Cover pan and simmer until apples are soft (about 15 minutes.)
6. Remove vanilla bean and transfer everything else to a food processor or food mill and puree.
7. Serve warm or chilled with potato pancakes.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Kugel

1. Steam broccoli for 2 minutes.
2. Steam cauliflower for 4 minutes.
3. Sauté onions in olive oil until carmelized (about 5 minutes).
4. Puree broccoli, cauliflower and onions in a food processor. Add eggs and wheat germ or flax seed meal.
5. Season with sea salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to a 9x9 casserole dish sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
7. Sprinkle with cornflake crumbs.
8. Bake in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes.

Fig Tart with a Cinnamon Walnut Streusel

Crust

1. Place flour, sugar, sea salt and orange zest in a food processor.
2. Drizzle in olive oil, vanilla extract and egg whites.
3. Pulse into a ball.
4. Mold into a disc by hand.
5. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
6. You can freeze this dough if you like for use in the future.

Fig Filling

1. Place all ingredients in a pot.
2. Simmer until figs are soft and water or rose juice is reduced by 1/3.
3. Remove vanilla bean.
4. Place figs mixture in a food processor and pulse until lemon and orange zest are pulverized.
5. Place in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. This filling will stay 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

Walnut Streusel

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and crumble.

To make tart:

1. Roll dough on a floured surface with a well floured rolling pin.
2. Place in a 10” tart shell. (You can use one with a removable bottom if you like.)
3. Place a piece of wax paper or bakers paper on top.
4. Fill with bean or rice and par-bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
5. Let chill at room temperature.
6. Fill with fig filling.
7. Place streusel on top and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until walnuts are golden.
8. Let chill.

Crab Cakes
You can serve this with homemade or store bought fresh salsa or avocado remoulade (see below).

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Dredge in cornmeal.
3. Sauté on low flame.
4. Serve with salsa or avocado remoulade (see below).

Avocado Remoulade Sauce

1. Pulverize avocados.
2. Add yogurt or mayo and lemon juice.
3. Fold in all remaining ingredients.
4. Season to taste with sea salt and hot sauce.

Roasted Turkey with 3 Herb Gravy

1. Place bird in a roasted pan (after brining).
2. Place slivered shallots in bird.
3. Rub with olive oil and spices.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour, basting at least 3 times.
5. Turn oven down to 350 and continue roasting until internal temperature is 165 degrees; about 3- 31/2 hours. Baste frequently.
6. When internal temperature is 165, remove turkey from oven and let sit about 15 minutes before carving.

Turkey Brine

1. Mix all ingredients in a large container.
2. Clean turkey, remove giblets and neck, and rinse thoroughly.
3. Place turkey in brine, cover and let marinate for 24 hours.
4. Rinse bird again thoroughly.

3 Herb Gravy

1. Make a slurry with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Set aside.
2. Place olive oil in a sauce pan.
3. Sauté shallots until clear, about 3 minutes.
4. Deglaze with Madeira. Let cook down about 2 minutes.
5. Add chicken stock and herbs.
6. Add slurry and whisk until there are no more lumps.
7. Bring up to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
8. Stir occassionally so gravy does not stick on the bottom of the pan and create a burnt flavor. (If the bottom does start to burn, simply place gravy in a new pan and continue.)
9. Cook for about 1 hour on low heat.
10. Season with sea salt and pepper.
11. You can add turkey drippings to gravy as well.

Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce

1. Place all ingredients in a pot.
2. Bring to a boil.
3. Turn down to a simmer.
4. Cook for about 25-30 minutes.
5. Chill. This will keep for 1 month.

Herb Seared Wild Salmon with Vegetable Ribbons

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and coat fish.
2. Let sit at least 10 mintes.
3. Lightly coat a sauté pan with olive oil cooking spray.
4. On a low heat, sear salmon about 5 minutes on each side.
5. Place in a 350 oven and finish cooking about 5 additional minutes or until white juice seeps out of the fish.
6. Serve with vegetable ribbons (see below).

Vegetable Ribbons

1. Place olive oil in a sauté pan on a low heat.
2. Add leeks and sauté 1 minute. Add carrots, celery and fennel.
3. Sauté 2 minutes until just soft.
4. Season to taste.
5. Serve over fish.

Asparagus with Caramelized Shallots and Orange Essence

1. Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. Rinse in cold water.
3. Place olive oil in a sauté pan.
4. Add shallots. Sauté until clear and golden, about 3 minutes.
5. Add asparagus, orange juice and zest.
6. Sauté until asparagus is warm, about 30 seconds.
7. Season with sea salt.
8. This dish can also be served chilled with segments of oranges over the top.

Roasted New Potatoes with Rosemary

1. Toss all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Spray a cookie sheet with olive spray.
3. Place potatoes on cookie sheet.
4. Bake in a 350 oven until golden about 45 minutes-1 hour.

Chocolate Walnut Torte

1. Sift flour, sugar and cocoa powder.
2. Grind walnuts and add to flour mixture.
3. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
4. Mix water with vanilla and egg substitute.
5. Add water mixture to the dry ingredients.
6. Add melted chocolate.
7. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites on high speed.
8. Slowly add sugar and cream of tartar. Whip until stiff peaks form.
9. Gently fold egg whites into cake mixture by hand, folding slowly so as not to deflate.
10. Pour into a prepared 9" cake pan.
12. Bake at 350 until toothpick comes out clean (about 35-35 minutes.)
13. Let chill.

Smoked Salmon (serves 4)
Great easy elegant appetizers. Goes nice with a bottle of champagne or a pomegranate mint-tini.

1. You can whip cream cheese in an electric mixer and add herbs or simply fold chopped herbs into cream cheese and incorporate with a wooden spoon. This can be served immediately or remain in the refrigerator until ready to use. (Same method for goat cheese.)
2. Place smoked salmon on your favorite serving platter.
3. Place goat cheese or cream cheese in free form on side of the platter.
4. Place capers by cheese.
5. Spread crackers on side.

Creamy Spinach and Lemon Soup

1. Place broth, rice and lemon zest in a soup pot on a low flame.
2. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until rice is soft (about 25 minutes).
3. Cool.
4. In a blender or a food processor, puree soup with lemon juice.
5. Slowly add in egg whites while blending.
6. Place back in soup pot. Bring to a simmer and heat.
7. Add chopped fresh spinach, stir and heat about 3 minutes.
8. Season with sea salt and white pepper.

Nicoise Salad with Lobster or Fresh Fish (serves 4-5)

1. Wash potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Coat with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper.
2. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until soft and golden (about 30 minutes).
3. Marinate fish or lobster with basil, parsley, and remaining olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
4. Place lettuce on plate.
5. Place fish in a sauté pan and sear on both sides. Finish cooking in a 350 oven. If using lobster, when cooled, remove from shell.
6. Place lettuce on plate; arrange pototoes, green beans, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes in various sections on plate to make a nice presentation.
7. Place egg white quarters around lettuce to look like a star.
8. Place fish or lobster in center, sprinkle with olives and drizzle with a good quality balsamic vinegar or your favorite vinaigrette.

Raspberry Chocolate Walnut Groovy Blondie

1. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda and sea salt.
2. Add oats to sifted dry ingredients.
3. Mix olive oil, vanilla and egg substitute and set aside.
4. Place dry ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer.
5. Slowly add wet ingredients. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes.
6. Scrape down sides).
7. Add chocolate chips, orange zest and walnuts. Mix for 30 seconds.
8. Fold in raspberries by hand.
9. Bake at 350 degrees in a 9X9 square pan for 25-30 minutes.
10. Let cool.
11. Cut into squares.
12. Serve with your favorite chocolate sauce or fat free frozen yogurt, berries and a sprig of fresh mint.