No doubt, Christmas dinner has to be special. A time to pull out the china and make some fancy dishes.

The menu below is what I made last year for Christmas. I haven’t finalized my menu this year. 

The soup was a request from my husband and well worth the time. The salad was a recommendation from a client and prefect for the season. The fish was something we had done before and just love it. The Brussel sprouts were the first use of my new Instant Pot with a combo air fryer and came out so tasty. Finally, the pie was a first-time make and a decidiant but light way to end the meal. 

All this came together beautifully. Very fresh. Lots of variety in foods, textures, and flavors. 

I’d like to hear what you traditionally make for Christmas dinner. So comment below and let me know.

To a healthy and enjoyable holiday season,

Jen

Jen’s Christmas Dinner Menu

Soup Course:

• Kharcho - Stewed beef and rice in a tomato broth

Salad Course:

• Mixed Green Salad with Pomegranate Seeds, Feta and Pecans

Main Course:

• Whole Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Onions - Half or quarter the potatoes 
• Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Balsamic, and Soy

Dessert Course:

• French Silk Pie with a chocolate cookie crust and fresh whipped cream

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I am hosting a holiday party and you are invited! 

I wish I could invite you all. I love to host gatherings. Unfortunately, I haven’t hosted as many as I usually would in this COVID world. But if I were to host one this holiday season, you would be invited, and below is what I would serve you. 

It has all the right things - fresh, healthy, and super tasty. A balance of good quality proteins, veggies, carbs, and fats. Ingredients that are minimally processed, not artificial, and mostly real food. Savory and sweet that you can feel good about eating.

Jen’s Holiday Party Appetizers Picks

• Crudite with Hummus - raw veggie slices with a favorite store-bought hummus drizzled with a bit of olive oil on top
• Goat Cheese Appetizer with Honey, Fig, & Pistachios - served with almond flour crackers
• Blistered Green Olives - tastes good warm or cold
• Shrimp Cocktail - thawed, frozen cooked large shrimp and good quality cocktail sauce
• Sweet Potato Bruschetta - a combo of simple and bold flavors
• Maple Rosemary Roasted Nuts - made with almonds, cashews, and pecans
• Fudgy Chocolate Tarts - the bite-size, mini ones

What healthy ones would you add to this? Comment below and let me know. 

I wish you a healthy and enjoyable holiday season!

Jen

I LOVE Thanksgiving food. The combo of sweet and savory. It is a meal when I enjoy the canned cranberry sauce, grocery store sweet rolls, and decadent dessert. Because I rarely eat such indulgent food, I am able to enjoy the splurge l for Thanksgiving and other main holidays without guilt. Plus, the years of training my body to really want the healthy, I tend not to overdo it on these occasions. I find I am fully satisfied with my small tastes. 

This menu is what I traditionally make for Thanksgiving. So check out it for any ideas you might want to use for your own feast. I provide you with all the details below. 

Jen’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

• Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
• Creamy Mashed potatoes
• Easy Stuffing 
• Fresh Green Beans
• Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts with Pecans 
• Cranberry Sauce
• Dinner Rolls
• Dessert - S’mores Pumpkin Pie

Let me know if you try any of these dishes. I would also love to hear what you like to make for Thanksgiving dinner. 

To a great Thanksgiving,

Jen

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

• A simple recipe from Food Network with fresh herbs and white wine.
• Note: The recipe calls for pouring 1 cup of white wine in the bottom of the pan. 1 cup isn’t enough. For the total baking time needed, I recommended a whole bottle. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• A Thanksgiving requirement
• Ingredient amounts are really based on how many people you need to feed and taste preferences. 
• Key to making creamy mashed potatoes is using an immersion blender.

Ingredients:

• Russet potatoes, cubed, removing skin optional 
• Real butter, amount to preference
• Whole milk or heavy cream, amount to preference
• Salt, amount to preference 
• Pepper, amount to preference

Directions:

• Place cubed potatoes in a large pot. 
• Cover with water about 1 inch over the potatoes. 
• Boil until cooked through. Drain. 
• Return potatoes to the pot or other bowl. 
• Break up cubes with a potato masher. 
• Add butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste. 
• Mash more. Then use a hand mixer or for even more creaminess, an immersion blender to whip potatoes. 
• Taste and add extra butter, milk, salt, and pepper for desired taste. 

Easy Stuffing

• Yep! Stuffing from a bag, made a little fancier with some fresh veggies. 
• If not making your own stuffing from scratch, choose good quality stuffing.

Ingredients:

• Quality stuffing mix, I used Whole Foods brand
• Chicken or veggie broth, package may call for water, I like to use broth for extra flavor
• Onion, chopped, amount to preference
• Celery, thin sliced, amount to preference
• Butter, to sauté the vegetables and extra may be needed for package dressing

Directions:

• In a large pot, sauté onion and celery in butter over medium heat until tender. 
• Add to broth and butter, if noted on stuffing package, and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add stuffing mix, stirring until combined. 
• Let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Fresh Green Beans

• Must have greens! 

Ingredients:

• Fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• Butter, amount to preference
• Salt and pepper, amount to preference

Directions:

• Steam green beans in a steamer basket until tender
• In a bowl, toss green beans in butter, salt, and pepper to taste. 

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

• Always more veggies. 2 veggies in one dish.
• A little crunch with the pecans.
• A little sweet with the savory.

Click here for the full recipe with an option to print.

Cranberry Sauce

• Totally from the can. I am not making my own. 
• I am the only one who eats it in my family.
• Get good quality.

Dinner Rolls

• From the store. Easy peasy 
• Again, get good quality. 
• Enjoy butter with it if you want.
• Wrap in foil and warm in the turned-off oven after everything is baked and you are setting the table.

Dessert - S’mores Pumpkin Pie

I have such a sweet tooth. So, in some ways, I eat dinner so I can have dessert. Last year I discovered a recipe I had not heard of before - S’mores Pumpkin Pie. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! 

For the pie base: 

• I used the pumpkin pie and chocolate base from Love and Olive Oil’s S’more Pumpkin Pie recipe. 
• Their topping requires making your own marshmallow topping and that fits in the category of “more complicated than I wanted,” since I was already making the main part of the pie from scratch. 

For the marshmallow topping:

• After the pie had cooled, I topped the pie with a generous layer of mini marshmallows and then placed dark chocolate chips randomly on top of the marshmallows. 
• Broiled the pie on high until the marshmallows were a nice toasted color. 
• Allow the pie to cool some before cutting. 

My gluten sensitivity makes satisfying my sweet tooth hard. Which can be a good thing, because I am not as tempted to eat as much dessert and other goodies. But there are times I would like a sweet treat, especially for a holiday event.

The night before July 4th, I decided I would like a gluten-free dessert for independence day. I didn’t have time to go to the store so I challenged myself to make something with only what I had at home. It was a fun challenge for me to come up with a dessert that fit the occasion from what I had on hand. 

My main ingredients of choice: frozen mixed berries and coconut flour. Surely, I could find a recipe for berry bars using coconut flour?

I searched for recipes online but couldn’t find one that fit exactly what I was looking for. So I combined parts and ideas from three different recipes and came up with this one. 

I am notorious for trying new recipes when I host or attend a gathering. Usually, they come out pretty tasty. And thankfully this one turned out well and was enjoyed by those that tried it. 

In addition to being gluten-free, these bars are also dairy and egg free.

I serve it with homemade vanilla ice cream. You could also top it with dairy-free ice cream or homemade whipped cream or coconut cream. 

If you give this dessert a try, let me know what you think in the comments below.

To a successful, busy, AND healthy lifestyle,

Jen

Gluten-free, Vegan Berry Bars

Serves: 12

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup coconut flour
• ⅓ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp pure maple syrup
• ½ cup coconut oil, solid

For the filling:

• 3 cups fresh or frozen berries of choice
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp tapioca flour
• Pinch of salt

For the topping:

• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• ½ cup gluten-free old fashioned or thick-cut oats
• ¼ cup reserved crust mixture

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil.
2. For the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together coconut flour and salt. Stir in syrup and coconut oil forming a soft ball. Reserve ¼ cup for the topping. Press remaining dough evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.
3. For the filling: While the crust bakes, combine all the filling ingredients in a saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir and reduce heat to medium. Mash up the fruit and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Pour over the baked crust.
4. For the topping: In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients of coconut sugar, oats, and reserved crust mixture. Sprinkle on top of the filling.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until topping is golden. 
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. Cut into bars and place the baking dish in the fridge to harden the bars. If not serving the same day, cover with plastic wrap or store bars in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 2 to 3 days of making.