Golden Lentil Stew with Sweet Potatoes & Kale

This cozy lentil stew warms you from the inside out. The sweet potato, ginger, and spices make it feel like a gentle holiday hug in a bowl. It’s bright, healing, and so easy to make on busy winter nights.

Pro Tip: Add the lemon juice right at the end — it brings the whole pot to life. Make some extra to freeze!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
A tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 cups vegetable broth
1½ cups red lentils
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
Fresh black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cups chopped lacinato, Curly kale or baby spinach
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro or parsley

Instructions:

Warm the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until soft. Stir in the garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and spices and cook for a moment to deepen their flavor.

Pour in the vegetable broth and add the lentils and diced sweet potato. Let everything simmer gently until the lentils are soft and the sweet potato is tender.

If you’d like you can use an immersion blender (or place 1/4 soup in a blender and carefully pulse for a brief moment) to smooth it out a touch, but keep most of it with texture. Red lentils tend to puree themselves while cooking.

Turn off the heat.

Stir in the lemon juice and greens until they wilt. Season with salt and black pepper , add some chopped parsley or cilantro and serve warm.

Gingerbread Nutmeg Morssels

Delicious grounding spices with a light sweetness and a tingle of ginger that makes your tastebuds dance! A great treat to have on hand at the holidays!

Ingredients:

3/4 - 1 cup of pitted soft dates ( soak in warm water for 5 minutes if they are a touch hard)

1/2 cup of raw almonds

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

1/4 cup of raw cashews

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Sugar Nutmeg topping:

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons coconut sugar

1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Mix together in a small bowl

Instructions:

In a food processor with an S-shaped blade, add almonds, cashews, dates, cranberries, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves.

Process until the nut mixture are chopped and a dough starts to form. Scrape sides a few times as needed.

Once combined use a small cookie scoop or your hands and form a small firm ball.

Roll each ball in the Sugar Nutmeg topping until completely coated.

Place balls in a sealed container in the refrigerator and chill or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Holiday Healthy Peppermint Bark

This Holiday Healthy Peppermint Bark is the perfect balance with a mix of crunchy pumpkin seeds, sweet dried cranberries, and a touch of peppermint, it's a treat that brings joy and health. It's the perfect bite-sized way to add a little magic to your holiday season or anytime.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

• 3/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds and/or chopped almonds

• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

• 2 12-ounce bags of dark chocolate chips

• Natural crushed candy cane pieces in top (optional) or mint extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, spread coconut and pumpkin seeds.

2. Bake for approximately 3 minutes or until coconut is lightly golden and fragrant ( keep an eye on this).

3. Add cranberries to parchment lined baking sheet and mix with coconut and seeds. Set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat ( or a double boiler) warm chocolate chips, stirring until chocolate is mostly melted. Remove from heat and keep stirring until chocolate is completely melted.

5. Pour chocolate over coconut, seeds, and cranberries. Using a silicone spatula, spread out into a smooth layer covering the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top of chocolate mixture if desired . Let cool in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until completely cool and solid. Once chilled, remove, break bark into pieces, and serve.

6. You may freeze for a later date …if its lasts that long!

   Note: If you choose not to use candy cane, you can add a few drops of mint extract to the chocolate.