Happy Holidays from us to you! We hope these GEM inspired holiday recipes help nourish and satisfy you. Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season filled with delicious food and lasting memories.

Energizing & Awakening Breakfast

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Cacao Mint Coffee Smoothie:

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana or 1 frozen zucchini (must slice and steam zucchini prior to freezing)
• 1 cacao Daily Essential GEM bite
• 1 tbsp cacao powder (optional)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• ¾ cup of dairy-free milk (almond, oat, or hemp)
• ½ cup cold-brewed coffee (or 1 spoonful instant coffee)
• Handful of fresh mint
• Handful of frozen spinach (or any green)
• Protein powder of choice – preferred chocolate vegan protein powder
• Top with fresh mint and 1 tsp of cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add more milk or more sweetness as needed to get to your desired taste.
3. Garnish with fresh mint and cacao nibs.

Suggestions:

• Steamed frozen zucchini or frozen banana help to create a nice thick texture. If you’re looking to skip the sweetness, opt for zucchini instead of banana. If you’re looking to add more healthy fats, swap zucchini or banana for half of an avocado.

• If you opt for no banana and your protein powder has zero sweeteners, add a medjool date!

Anti-Inflammatory Lunch

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Crispy Turmeric Chickpea Kale Salad

Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

Servings: 3

Keeps for 2-3 days

Ingredients:

Salad

1 large bundle of lacinato kale (loosely chopped or torn)

1 15oz can chickpeas (rinsed, drained and thoroughly dried)

1.5 tbsp olive oil

1 healthy pinch of salt and pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp ground ginger or freshly grated ginger

 

Dressing

2-3 cloves of garlic (smashed & peeled)

⅓ cup tahini

2 tablespoons of olive oil + more for massaging kale

¼ cup lemon juice (~ 2 small lemons) + more for massaging kale

1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

1 healthy pinch of salt + pepper

Hot water (to thin)

 

Directions:

Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add drained chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 1 healthy pinch of salt, 1 tsp of ground turmeric and 1 tsp ground ginger or fresh grated ginger.
3. Spread chickpeas out evenly on a sheet pan and roast until slightly crispy and golden brown in spots, shaking the pan occasionally (~ 20-25 minutes).
4. Remove from the oven and set aside (the chickpeas will get more crispy as they cool). 

Tahini Garlic Lemon Dressing:

1. In a blender, add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil.
2. Add salt & pepper and adjust seasonings as desired (i.e. more tahini for richness, more lemon for zest, more maple syrup for sweetness, or water to thin).

Salad: 

1. Add kale to a large mixing bowl. Before adding dressing, add 1 tbsp each of lemon juice and olive oil and massage with hands to soften the texture (the more you massage, the easier to digest and eat!).
2. Next, add as much dressing as desired (some may be leftovers) and mix with salad tongs. 
3. Top with the crispy turmeric chickpeas and enjoy!

Revitalizing & Cleansing Snack

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Lemon Coconut Spirulina Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of pitted chopped dates
• 1 cup of seeds & nuts (mix of walnuts & pumpkin seeds)
• 2 lemon Daily Essential GEM bites
• ½ cup unsweetened raw coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (squeezed from 1 small lemon)
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 tbsp spirulina

Directions:

1. Put nuts, pitted dates, and GEM bites in a food processor and pulse until they are broken down into small pieces.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth (may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. The mixture will be thick and sticky).
3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two.
4. Using a small spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop about 1 tablespoon and roll into a ball with your hands.
5. These will keep in the fridge for about a week or the freezer for much longer!

Suggestions:

• Add a scoop of collagen powder for an added boost.
• Roll the finished balls in shredded coconut, cacao powder, or freeze dried raspberry powder.
• Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over balls. 

Brain Power Dinner

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Lion’s Mane & Fresh Mushroom Stew

Adapted from NYTimes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lb of cultivated fresh brown mushrooms (i.e. portobello, shiitake, or cremini)
• ½ lb of wild mushroom (i.e. lion’s mane, chanterelle, or oyster)
• ½ tbsp of olive oil
• ½ large white onion
• 1 large shallot
• Salt & pepper
• 3-4 tsp of a combination of 2-3 herbs (i.e. lemon thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne
• 1 cup of baby tomatoes (sliced in half) or 3 small ripe tomatoes chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional or just add more fresh tomatoes!)
• 1 tbsp GF flour
• 2 cups of broth (Mushroom or Vegetable)
• 1-2 tsp of ghee
• 3 garlic cloves
• Chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms and trim stems. Slice ⅛ inch thick.
2. In a wide skillet, warm olive oil over high heat and add onion. Season with salt & pepper, stirring until onion has browned (~10 minutes). Then set aside.
3. Add more olive oil to the pan and on high heat add fresh brown mushrooms of your choice until nicely colored (~3 minutes)
4. Lower heat and add in your herbs of choice – the more the merrier – and red pepper or cayenne.
5. Add in as many tomatoes as you please and the tomato paste, if using.
6. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour and stir to incorporate. Cook for 1 minute more.
7. Stir in reserved onions.
8. Add in 1 cup of broth and stir until thickened. Gradually add in 1 more cup of broth and cook for 2 minutes. The sauce should be a gravy-like consistency. Adjust seasoning, add more herbs.
9. Place a couple of tsp of ghee into a separate pan on medium-high heat and add your wild mushrooms. Season with salt & pepper and stir for ~ 2 minutes.
10. Add chopped garlic and parsley to the wild mushroom mixture.
11. Transfer the brown mushroom mixture to a serving bowl and top with the wild mushroom mixture. Top this with fresh parsley.

Suggestions: To bulk this up, serve it over a base of your choice – polenta, pasta, or rice.

Satiating Peppermint Dessert

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Vegan Peppermint Black Bean Brownies

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Makes 12 brownies

Ingredients:

2 batches flax eggs ( 2 heaping tbsp flaxseed meal + 6 tbsp water)

1 15-oz. can unsalted black beans (well rinsed & drained)

3 tbsp coconut oil (melted, or sub other oil of choice)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 heaping cup raw coconut sugar 

2 peppermint GEM Daily Essential bites

 

Extras

1/4 scant teaspoon peppermint extract

1/4 cup cacao nibs or semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp finely crushed candy canes

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan.
2. Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple of times and then let rest for a few minutes.
3. Add remaining ingredients (besides the extras section above) and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
4. If the batter appears too thick, add 1-2 Tbsp water or almond milk and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
5. Add in peppermint extract a little at a time, pulse, sample, and adjust until it's to your liking. Then stir in chocolate chips.
6. Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin or loaf pan and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
7. Bake for 21-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a butter knife or fork. The insides are meant to be very fudge-like, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist. 
9. Dust with crushed candy cane and serve immediately. Store in an airtight container on the counter for a few days or longer in the fridge. 

Suggestions:

• Top them with coconut whipped cream!
• You can also bake in an 8x8 pan, just extend the baking time to 25-30 mins.