We’re in the thick of holiday time. One thing that can feel a bit high demand is the task of finding holiday recipes for your family table that not only will nourish you and your loved ones but also taste amazing. Most of us like to indulge a bit during this time of year, but it’s nice to have some options that will keep you (and your stomach) feeling great.
We tapped zivaTEACHER Kelsey Mathes for some of her favorite holiday recipes that you can bring to your holiday table. All of her recipes are gluten-free and inspired by Ayurveda so you can spend the holidays spreading some cheer — and not fetal on the couch.
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes (GF)
Step 1:
Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Cut sweet potatoes (you can make 2 or 3 at a time) lengthwise. Place next to each other and bake at 350 until cooked through – you’ll know they’re cooked through when you can easily get a butter knife into the thickest part of the meat of the potato. Likely you’ll also see caramelized sugar around the edges of the potatoes too. Cook time is about an hour or so depending on the size of the sweet potatoes.
Step 2:
While they’re cooking, you can prep what you’d like to mix into the sweet potato later. Combine your preferences into a bowl.
Base Veggies Kelsey likes:
Diced Red/Orange Sweet Pepper
Chopped Crimini Mushrooms
Baby Spinach Leaves (these cook themselves on bake #2)
Optional Add-Ons based on Dietary Needs/Preferences:
Shredded Roast Chicken
Feta or Shredded Asiago Cheese
Avocado (best to use a semi-firm avocado, cubed)
Spices:
Salt & Pepper to taste
Turmeric (about 1/2 tsp per whole potato)
Step 3:
Once the potatoes are done cooking, let them cool until you can touch them (maybe 20 minutes or so). Using a spoon, carve out the middle of the potato and add to the mix you’ve created of other veggies, etc. Be careful not to puncture the potato skin. Feel free to leave a layer of potato in the skin.
Mix all the ingredients together and then stuff your potato skins. Throw them back in the oven for about 15 minutes until they’re warm all the way through. Enjoy!
Pear & Apple Crisp (Vegan, GF)
Filling:
2 medium apples, peeled and sliced* (Kelsey loves HONEY CRISP for this recipe)
2 medium pears, peeled and sliced*
*Peeling is optional
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 Tbsp real maple syrup
1 Tbsp almond flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 Tbsp water
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until the sugar is dissolved and the apples/pears are coated. There should be some liquid left in the bottom. Place in an 8×8 baking sheet that has been greased with coconut oil. Preheat Oven to 350.
Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp maple syrup
Mix all in a bowl, using a fork to create crumbles. Evenly spread over the top of the filling with a spoon to keep the crumbles intact. Yum!
Bake time is about 45-50 minutes.
*Adapted from Beaming Baker