Christmas Recipes to Enjoy With Family & Friends

By Liana Werner-Gray Nutritionist, Natural Food Chef, and author of www.Theearthdiet.com 

Well, with Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to start working on the delicious and healthy recipes you would like to include in your get-together.

Ignite your Christmas night with these sweet & spicy options (gluten-free +vegan)shared by Liana Werner-Gray Nutritionist, Natural Food Chef.

Simple 3-Ingredient Lasagana 

*Gluten-free + vegan

Serves: 6-8

Total time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 1 box Explore Cuisine green lentil lasagna no-boil noodles 
• 1 bag cheese either vegan or dairy 
• 1 32-ounce jar of Carbone pasta sauce 
• A 9 x 13 baking tray works best 

Direction:

1. Create the bottom layer: 

• 1 cup sauce at the bottom 
• 4 lasagna sheets 
• 1/3 cup plus one tablespoon more sauce
• 2/3 cup cheese 

2. Second layer:

• 4 more lasagna sheets
• 2/3 cup sauce 
• 1/3 cup cheese 

3. Final layer 

• 4 sheets 
• 2/3 cup sauce 
• 1/3 cup cheese 

Cook for 35-40 mins at 400F until noodles are cooked through to your desire. Use a knife to cut through and see. 

Tip: The key to this recipe is the sauce, the lasagna sheets are not boiled so you need plenty of sauce to cook in. If they don’t have enough sauce it will come out crunchy and dry. Use my measurements to make it perfect! 

Vegan Gingerbread Tart

Serves: 16
Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1-1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Flour
• 1-1/2 Tbsp Cacao Powder
• 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger or more if desired
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 Tbsp. vegan butter
• 1/4 cup Milkadamia Macadamia Nut Milk cold

Filling:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice approximately 1 large lemon
• 1-1/2 cups cashews soaked in water for 4 hours to soften
• 6 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 6 Tbsp. Refined Coconut Oil
• 1/4 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. SunButter Sunflower Butter
• 3 Tbsp. Cacao Powder

Decorations:

• Gingerbread cookies of choice
• Fresh rosemary
• Organic Pecans
• Fresh cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add all crust ingredients and combine with your hands until well mixed.
3. In a 9-inch pie pan, press and flatten the dough. Work dough up sides to form a rim.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes. (Note: The crust should be slightly darker than golden and crunchy.)
5. In a blender, combine filling ingredients and process until smooth and creamy. (Note: A more
   powerful blender will create a creamier texture.)
6. Pour filling into crust and refrigerate overnight to set. (Note: Place in freezer to accelerate setting,
   but remove before frozen and store in the refrigerator.)
7. Decorate as desired prior to serving.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour Bob’s Red Mill paleo flour
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 2 tablespoons SunButter Sunflower Butter
• 1 tablespoon buttery coconut oil
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 Teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped (you can also use frozen berries)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Cut in butter until the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
4. In a separate bowl, combine orange juice, orange rind, lemon juice, lemon rind, Sunbutter, and egg.
5. Pour into dry ingredients, mixing just enough to dampen.
6. Fold in the nuts & cranberries.
7. Spoon into a lightly oiled 9′′ loaf pan.
8. Bake for 55 mins. A knife or toothpick should come out of the center cleanly.

Gluten-Free Lasagna

Serves: 10
Ingredients:
Meat Sauce:

• 1 lb Wild Pastures Grass-Fed Beef
• 1-1/2 cups (2.5 oz.) shiitake or baby portobello mushrooms shredded
• 2 carrots peeled and shredded
• 1 small yellow onion peeled and shredded
• 3 tsp. garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  Lasagna:
• 1 box Explore Cuisine Organic Green Lentil Lasagna
• 1 bag of Vegan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 jar (32 oz.) Carbone Homemade Marinara Sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
   2.. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add avocado oil. Add the beef and cook until lightly
   brown. Add the cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, onion, garlic, and salt, until moisture has evaporated and the vegetables are cooked for about 7 minutes, and then turn to a simmer.
2. On the bottom of the baking tray, place 8 tablespoons of sauce. Lay lasagna sheets over sauce in a single layer; top with 5 tablespoons of sauce so noodles are completely covered in a layer of sauce. Sprinkle on
   the meat. Next, add about 1/2 cup of cheese and some cherry tomatoes. Repeat the step to create the second layer.
3. For the third layer, include only sauce, cheese, and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle fresh basil over top.
   Bake for 35 minutes, until lasagna is cooked through.

Baked Cod with Chickpea Spaghetti

(Gluten-free, Dairy free) 

Total time: 40 minutes 

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

• 1 box Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti 
• 4 pieces of wild cod 
• 1/2 teaspoon sea Salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper 
• 2 Lemons 
• 2 tablespoons Nutiva Buttery oil (or use butter of choice) 
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I use a vegan one) 
• 1 cup cherry Tomatoes, cut in half 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 small Yellow onion, sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 cup spinach 
• 2 tablespoons Capers 
• Fresh parsley to serve 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 
2. Cook the pasta as per box instructions but for 8 minutes so it’s more el dente. Drain. 
3. Meanwhile, dry and season the cod with salt and pepper. Squeeze one of the lemons juice over the top.
4. Arrange the noodles in the baking dish. Add the buttery coconut oil over the pasta and parmesan cheese and mix well to combine. 
5. Place the cod around the noodles. Cut the other lemon into slices and place that over the top of the cod. 
6. Saute the tomatoes for 5 minutes in olive oil with the spinach, onion, garlic, and capers. Add to the baking dish with the cod.
7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cod is cooked through. 
8. Serve with fresh parsley. 

Tip: You know the cod is done when it flakes easily with a fork at the thickest part. You can also use a thermometer to check the temperature of the fish when it reaches 145 degrees F it’s done. 

Merry Christmas!