Oven-roasted Baby Carrots and Green Beans (Serves 8)
- 2 dozen baby carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 2 pounds green beans, topped and tailed
- 1 large red onion, sliced in ¼-inch strips
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
- 1½ teaspoons cumin (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven and a large sheet pan to 325 degrees.
Prep the vegetables with help from the kids.
Toss all ingredients in a large bowl until nicely coated with oil and spices.
Pour veggies onto sheet pan and bake for about an hour until lightly browned.
Savory Holiday Stuffing (Serves 8)
• 10 cups rustically torn, day-old Levain bread
• 6 ounces button mushrooms (optional), sliced thin
• 4 cups peeled and roughly chopped carrots
• 2½ cups roughly chopped yellow onions
• 1 cup roughly chopped celery
• 8 slices applewood-smoked bacon (optional)
• ½ bunch parsley, minced
• 1/2 bunch thyme, minced
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, minced
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 32-ounce box low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
Ideally, prep the bread the night before – kids can do this part – and let it sit out uncovered in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bacon into ¼-inch pieces and brown on medium-high heat in a large sauté pan.
Add carrots and sauté about five minutes until they start to brown.
Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
Add celery and simmer a few more minutes.
Toss in mushrooms and sauté until they soften, followed by minced herbs. Stir well.
Combine cooked veggies with bread in a large bowl and gently mix together until fully combined.
Pour stock over veggie and bread mix, so that bread absorbs the stock.
Grease a 9-inch by 14-inch oven-safe glass, rectangular dish, or something roughly that size, with a tablespoon of soft butter. Add mix to dish, pressing down firmly.
Bake for about 75 minutes, until golden on top.
Orange-scented Cranberry Compote (Serves 8)
- 1¼ pounds fresh, organic cranberries
- 2/3 cups raw, evaporated sugar cane juice
- 2/3 cups water
- Zest of a large, organic orange
- Juice from the orange
Carefully wash cranberries in a strainer and have the kids pick out the blemished or squishy ones.
Combine cranberries, sugar, water, zest and juice in a medium pot.
Bring to a boil until cranberries start popping.
Turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until a sauce forms.
Cool and serve or preferably refrigerate for a few days.