Seasonal and Holiday Favorites

Now is about the time I start to think of holiday meal planning and I’m often swapping recipes and ideas with friends and family. Here’s a list of a few of my seasonal and holiday favorites from the archives. Happy Holidays! Much love, peace and happiness to you. ~ Martine

SAVORY
Walnut and Mushroom Pâté – For holiday entertaining, I love serving a flavorful pâté for guests to nibble on while they mingle before the main meal. This one is simple to make and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Exotic Mushroom Pâté – Similar to the pâté above, this is also a crowd pleaser, it’s just not as easy to make. Both mushroom pâtés can be served with sliced apples, pears, endive leaves or gougères (recipe linked below).

Coconut Red Lentil Terrine – Coconut and curry are warm and comforting flavors that meld together beautifully here.

Gougères – These make an elegant alternative to dinner rolls and are also light enough to serve as an appetizer. They’re great to serve alone with champagne or with any of the pâtés listed above.

Sweet Potato Galettes – Spicy, sweet and flavorful, these can be served as a starter to almost anything.

Adzuki Butternut Squash Soup – Adzuki beans are a nutritional powerhouse and they pair nicely with butternut squash for this stew-like soup.

Black-Eyed Peas with Greens – Spiced with Indian flavors, this is a global twist on a Southern US tradition. In the South, eating black-eyed peas with greens and cornbread on New Years Day is said to bring lots of luck and wealth in the new year. For an Ethiopian twist, try this version of Spicy Black-Eyed Peas with Greens.

Liberation Soup (Haitian Soup Joumou) – This traditional savory soup is usually served on the first off January. Its an energetic combination of a lot of vegetables.

Rustic Parsnip Soup – Creamy, earthy and Indian-spiced, this soup is made with parsnips and sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes).

Golden Lentil Soup – A family favorite this time of year. Golden in color, warming, curry-spiced coconut broth thickened with golden lentils, yellow split peas and garbanzo beans, this soup is full of fabulous flavor and texture. We never tire of it.

Kale and Kabocha Squash Salad with Farro and Apple – A delicious and simple salad full of flavor and nutritious ingredients. Feel free to swap out the farro with another grain you might have on hand.

Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes – A definite holiday and seasonal favorite in my home! Sweet potatoes are mashed (puréed) with a deliciously warm and zesty addition of vanilla and orange zest. The original recipe uses heavy cream, I’ve adapted it to use plant milk for a vegan option.

Hazelnut Mashed Potatoes – A twist on traditional mashed potatoes.

SWEET
Christmas Morning Porridge – Nutty and nutrient dense farro slow-cooked in coconut milk that’s infused with star anise, cardamom pods, a hint of maple syrup, and an orange peel.

Creamy Farro with Honey Roasted Grapes – A comforting breakfast of chilly mornings.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake – Rich, elegant and decadent.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Buckwheat Tart – Here the crust is made from toasted buckwheat (kasha), ground nuts (hazelnuts and almonds), almond butter, and a hint of cocoa butter to help keep it all together. It’s heavenly.

Cranberry Orange Granola-Chocolate Bark – Easy to make and you can easily tailor it to your taste and texture preferences.

Raw Chocolate Orange Cardamom Torte – Super easy to make, delicious, vegan and gluten free.

Pumpkin and White Chocolate Cream Puffs – A little more labor intensive, these decadent little puffs are filled with a seasonably flavored and delicate sweet cream, and can be served with a small dollop of ice cream for dessert or with a warm cup of tea.