3-Course Whole Food Plant-Based Holiday Menu

Inspire your holiday season with Whole Harvest's three-course Whole Food Plant-Based Holiday Menu!

• Course 1 - a vibrant Autumn Salad with Lemon & Hemp Seed, where each ingredient is chosen for its nutritional prowess and flavor profile.
  
  
• Follow this with our show-stopping Course 2 - a Roasted Sweet Potato Steak with Walnut, Barley, Parsnip, and Kale, a dish that's as hearty as it is healthy.
  
  
• Finally, indulge in our Course 3 - a delectable Vanilla Silken Yogurt with Maple, Lemon, and Pomegranates for a sweet end to your festive feast.

As the festive time of year approaches, we understand the challenges of menu planning for special occasions. To ease this process, we've carefully created a three-course plant-based menu perfect for Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations. Our recipes are crafted with health, flavor, and the spirit of the holidays in mind, ensuring your festive meals are both delightful and nourishing.

With our easy-to-follow three-course menu, you can enjoy a holiday-inspired starter, main, and dessert that aligns with your dietary preferences and lifestyle.

Each dish is a culinary adventure, embodying the Whole Harvest promise of 100% fresh, oil-free, and plant-based ingredients.

Course 1 (Salad) - Autumn Salad with Lemon & Hemp Seed

The huge amount of b6 vitamin in the chickpea allows the body to properly absorb the robust amount of magnesium that's in a beet. Apples and Avocados are packed with nutrients and vitamins, improve your digestion and help fight cancers and high blood pressure. Avocados increase the body’s absorption of nutrients, fight cardiovascular disease and improve cognitive function. Pomegranates are rich in fiber and antioxidants. Hemp hearts have soluble and insoluble fiber both of which provide your body with valuable nutrients for a healthy gut bacteria. They reduce blood sugar spikes, regulate cholesterol and reduce unwanted toxins in your gut. Lemon juice may aid in weight loss, reduce the risk of kidney stones, flush the liver, aid with digestive issues and cancers. They also make everything taste better! Squeeze away!

Ingredients

• Organic canned chickpea, cooked, rinsed, drained 2 cups
• 1 Large organic beet, boiled until tender, diced 1.5 cup
• Large organic honey crisp apple, diced 1 each
• Large ripe Hass Avocado, diced 1 each
• Pickled Red Onions 2 Tblsp.
• Pomegranate seeds, picked ¼ cup
• Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice 1 Tblsp
• Hemp Seed 1 Tblsp.
• Sea Salt (optional) ⅛ tsp.
• Cracked Pepper a few cracks on the mill

Pickled Red Onion
Slice a small red onion as thin as possible. Toss in a bowl with a little salt, apple cider vinegar and about a tablespoon of maple syrup. Let sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes or so.

Method
Place everything together in a bowl, squeeze lemon juice, sprinkle in salt. Taste, add more lemon if needed. Divide onto plates and serve how you wish.

Course 2 (Entree)  - Roasted Sweet Potato Steak with Walnut, Barley, Parsnip and Kale

The Why
Sweet potatoes can boost your intake of important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Also, sweet potatoes may help with inflammation, blood sugar spikes, and blood pressure. Parsnips diversify your gut microbiome and have a huge amount of vitamin C boosting your immune system. Barley is high in fiber and helps aid with regulating metabolism. Walnuts deliver healthy fats, lowering blood pressure and improving brain function, while improving heart health and suppressing cancer growth.

Kale supports immunity, improving bone health, protecting against cancers. It also has a ton of vitamin C. Squeeze lemon, drizzle maple on potato to bring out more flavor if desired.

Ingredients

• Medium sized sweet potatoes 2 each
• Medium sized parsnips 2-3 each
• Organic, Soy Milk or milk of choice 1 cup
• Organic lacinato, kale 1-2 bunch
• Organic hulled or pearled barley 1 cup dry
• Organic Raw Walnuts ½ cup
• Fresh thyme 1 Tblspn
• Sea Salt (optional) ⅛ tsp.
• Chili flake 1/8 tsp
• Garlic, thyme, and rosemary for roasted sweet potatoes

Method

Using a fork, prick holes in the sweet potatoes. Place them on a sheet of foil, add 4 cloves of crushed garlic, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Wrap it all up, then roast in the oven at 400 deg until tender. About an hour. Meanwhile, peel the parsnip and cut into chunks. Place into cold water and bring it to a boil until tender. Drain the water, save half for the plate up and with the other half mash them with soy milk and a touch of salt, Until smooth. Add barley to cold water pot. Boil until tender. Drain. Wash kale, then chop into ribbons, add to a nonstick saute pan with a touch of salt and a tiny bit of chili flake and about an inch of water.. Cook while stirring until the kale becomes more tender while still being bright.


The plate up

1. When potatoes are tender, remove from foil, slice into a steak down the middle. Sprinkle walnuts and thyme on one side and set aside.
2. Spoon parsnip puree on the plate
3. Spoon Barley on top of the Puree
4. Place a pile of kale on the plate
5. Place the boiled parsnips on the plate
6. Place the sweet potato steak on top of the barley
7. Serve and enjoy

Course 3 (Dessert) - Vanilla Silken Yogurt with Maple, Lemon and Pomegranates

The Why:
Tofu is a complete protein, loaded with protective plant compounds or isoflavones. It supports heart health, bone health and blood sugar management. It has the power to lower cancer risk and build muscle. The Lemon juice & maple make it taste good providing balance. The Pomegranates provide texture and a heavy dose of antioxidants. Enjoy! Add cocoa nibs for a more complex flavor if desired

Ingredients

• 1 Block of organic silken tofu about 1 LB.
• lemon, zested and squeezed 1 each
• Pure Maple Syrup 1.5 Tblsp.

Method

1. Remove tofu from the package and place the block onto a plate
2. Place another plate on top of the tofu with a weight like a potato
3. Allow the tofu to press for a few hours or overnight in the fridge
4. Place pressed tofu block into a food processor. Add all the ingredients except pom seeds.
5. When its smooth plate it up with pom seeds and a nice drizzle of maple syrup
6. enjoy !!

Each dish serves 4, making them perfect for a cozy family dinner or a small gathering of friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!