I had an overwhelmingly awesome response from you guys when I shared my Thanksgiving Menu with you, so I figured I’d invite you back into my kitchen for my Christmas Menu!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I LOVE FOOD. I love food that makes you feel good, and nourishes you from the inside out. That’s why I love having two food-based holidays so close together :).
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Here’s what I’ll be cookin’ in my kitchen this Christmas:
Stuffed Crown Roast
Grain Free Cornbread with Sausage
Arugula Delicata Squash Salad with Orange-Ginger Dressing
Sweet Potato Souffle
Pumpkin Cake Bars with Cinnamon Icing
Salted Pecan Pie
Spiced Bone Broth Latte
If you’d like the recipes, keep reading!
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary, plus whole sprigs, for roasting the pork
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 12-bone organic, pastured pork rack (you could also use a lamb rack or bison rack in place of the pork), chine bone removed
Fresh sage sprigs, for roasting the pork
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grain-Free Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing (see recipe below)
Mix the garlic and rosemary with the mustard and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the pork with the mixture and marinate overnight. Prepare the grain-free cornbread, bake, and let sit overnight to dry out. The next day, rub the excess marinade off the pork. Tie both ends of the rack together by the bones to create a circle or “crown.” Put the rosemary and sage sprigs on a sheet tray, and place the pork crown on top of the herbs. Preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare the grain-free cornbread stuffing (recipe below). Season the rack with salt and pepper. Stuff the stuffing into the center until the filling comes to the point of the meat meeting the bone. Roast until caramelized, 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and cook until the center of the pork registers 155F, another 2 hours. Set the meat aside to rest for at least 10 minutes, and spoon the stuffing into a bowl. Slice the meat and serve.
1 pound pork sausage (pastured and organic preferred)
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 apple, cored and diced (optional)
2 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, chopped
¼ teaspoon rosemary
½ teaspoon Sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe grain-free cornbread, cut into cubes and left uncovered overnight to dry
1 cup chicken stock (homemade preferred)
3 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350F and adjust rack to middle position. Cook pork over medium heat in a large skillet, using back of a wooden spoon to break the pork into small pieces. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a large bowl. Melt butter along with any leftover fat from the ground pork in the skillet. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently until onions are just turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into the bowl with the pork. Add dried and cubed cornbread to onion and pork mixture. Whisk chicken stock and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour over cornbread mixture and gently toss until all ingredients are wet but not mushy. Stuff the stuffing into the center of the pork rack.
2 cups blanched almond flour
3 tablespoons coconut flour
3 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
½ teaspoon Sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or 1 teaspoon raw honey)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup maple syrup
5 tablespoons butter or ghee, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup plain, whole coconut yogurt OR dairy-free buttermilk (1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of coconut milk, let sit for 10 min)
Preheat oven to 375F and adjust rack to middle position of oven. Put butter/ghee in cast iron skillet. Place in the oven while you prepare the batter. Whisk almond flour, coconut flour baking powder, sea salt, baking soda and coconut sugar together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, and coconut yogurt/buttermilk. Remove the skillet from the oven, make sure the entire bottom and sides are coated with oil and then pour the remaining oil in the batter. Pour wet mixture into flour mixture and gently fold all ingredients together. Pour cornbread batter into the baking dish and spread out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
For the Squash
2 tablespoons grass-fed ghee
1 delicata squash, sliced in ½-inch-thick rounds and seeds removed
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon turmeric
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ginger powder
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon coconut sugar
For the Salad
½ cup whole hazelnuts
6 cups baby kale, spinach, and arugula
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup pomegranate, arils removed
1 seedless cucumber, sliced
Preheat the oven to 400F Line a baking sheet with silicone baking liner or parchment paper. De-seed and cut the squash into slices about ¼ inch thick. Combine all the dry ingredients. Toss the squash slices in this until coated thoroughly. Spread the slices in a single layer on the baking sheet, and drizzle them with the oil. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn over, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle more of the leftover seasoning, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Place the hazelnuts in a single layer in an oven-safe pan. Toast in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant, their skins darken, and some skins begin to split a bit. Remove from the oven and place skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter and a pinch of salt; stir to coat nuts. Add the arugula, kale, and spinach to a large bowl with the avocado, pomegranate arils, hazelnuts, and squash pieces. Cover in the orange-ginger dressing.
For the Dressing
¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
The juice from 1 orange (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon minced ginger
¼ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon salt
Combine orange juice, vinegar, ginger, honey, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Stream in the olive oil while constantly whisking the dressing until it emulsifies, and then drizzle on salad.
3 whole, large sweet potatoes (garnet or jewel yam)
2 whole eggs
½ cup grass-fed butter or ghee
¼ cup coconut milk
½ cup maple sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sea salt
Peel the sweet potatoes, and chop them into 2-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, place the sweet potato pieces, and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook until the sweet potatoes are fork tender (about 30-35 minutes). Remove the sweet potatoes from the heat, and drain the water. Preheat your oven to 350F. Place the boiled sweet potatoes into a high speed blender or food processor. Add the eggs, butter, coconut milk, maple sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and process the mixture until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large souffle dish, and bake for 45-60 minutes. The souffle will be done when you can gently shake the dish, and the soufflé is firm but jiggles slightly.
For the Pumpkin Cake
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup almond butter
½ cup raw honey
2 eggs
1½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a medium sized bowl, combine all the cake ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Pour into an 8×8 oven safe baking dish (I suspect you could squeeze 12 cupcakes out of this recipe if you use a muffin tin). Bake until completely cooked through, about 30 minutes.
For the Cinnamon Icing
¼ cup coconut butter
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup raw honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and use either your mixing blade attachment or a whisk to beat the ingredients until fluffy. Once the pumpkin cake has cooled, cut it into 9 squares and remove from the pan. If the cake isn’t completely cool you should not proceed! The icing will just slide right off into a pile of goopiness and all will be wasted. Use a small offset spatula or a spoon and drizzle the frosting over the top. Store the Pumpkin Cake Bars you haven’t immediately consumed in the fridge. The icing will harden in the fridge, let it come to room temp if you’d like it soft.
For the Crust
1 cup of cashews, soaked for 3 hours, rinsed, and strained
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup shredded coconut
For the Filling
1 packed cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked for 3 hours in 1 cup of water (save the soaking water)
¼ cup coconut oil or ghee
1 tablespoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon Sea salt
To Fold In
2 cups salted roasted pecans, plus more to garnish
Set the oven to 400F. Puree the cashews, oil, honey, and vanilla crust ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade for about 1 minute. Add the shredded coconut and puree to form a ball. Using wet hands press the crust into a greased 9-inch glass pie dish. Do NOT pre-bake the crust. Add all of the filling ingredients, including the soaking water, to the blender and puree until smooth. Fold in the pecans, then add the filling to the unbaked crust. Garnish the pie with more pecans. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F, and bake for 10 minutes more. Allow to cool on the counter, then refrigerate to set. Serve with Whipped Coconut Cream.
1½ ounces organic coconut milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons coconut oil or butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon maple syrup
12 ounces homemade chicken bone broth
Mix all ingredients, except for broth, together in a small bowl. Pour mixture into the bottom of your favorite cup. Add 12 ounces of hot chicken broth. Buzz with mini handheld frother to combine. Top with a dusting of cocoa powder. Sip, savor, enjoy.
Set the oven to 400F. Puree the cashews, oil, honey, and vanilla crust ingredients in a food processor fitted with the S blade for about 1 minute. Add the shredded coconut and puree to form a ball. Using wet hands press the crust into a greased 9-inch glass pie dish. Do NOT pre-bake the crust. Add all of the filling ingredients, including the soaking water, to the blender and puree until smooth. Fold in the pecans, then add the filling to the unbaked crust. Garnish the pie with more pecans. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F, and bake for 10 minutes more. Allow to cool on the counter, then refrigerate to set. Serve with Whipped Coconut Cream.
What are YOUR favorite Christmas recipes? Are there any go-to family recipes that you want to share?
