Alison Brushaber

Christmas is the time of year to gather with your loved ones and share a meal. This Raw Cranberry Sauce is a perfect complement for your holiday gatherings. Simple to prepare and it will keep for weeks in your refrigerator.  Tones of red pepper, apricots, orange and lime bring out the refreshing cranberry flavor and the Hail Merry Lemon Thyme Pecans add a beautiful spice and complexity. Feed Your Body Royally!

Raw Cranberry Sauce

1 cup              Fresh cranberries

¼ cup             Raw Agave syrup

½ each           Organic Fresh Red bell pepper, seeds removed

10 each         Organic apricots

1 each            Orange; zest the rind and juice

½ each           zest of lime

¼ cup             Hail Merry Lemon Thyme Pecans

In a food processor, add cranberries, agave syrup, Red bell pepper and apricots.

Zest the rind of one orange and then juice. Add to the cranberry mix. Zest ½ lime and add to the cranberry mix. Add Hail Merry Lemon Thyme pecans. Whirl in a food processor for about 1 minute until fine dice but not a puree. Refrigerate and Enjoy up to 3 weeks.

Christmas is right around the corner and if you have voted to just say ‘no’ to sugar cookies try these Vegan and Gluten Free cookies made with no refined sugar. These whimsical treats  are no-bake, delicious and make a nice presentation. Plus, the gluten-free, dairy-free Hail Merry Choco Macaroons are made with Fair Trade dark cocoa and organic virgin coconut oil to keep your body energized and spirits high. Feed Your Body Royally all holiday long!

2-3 3.5 oz bags Hail Merry Choco Macaroons
2-3 pints Fresh Strawberries; de-stemmed
½ tub Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese
1 Tablespoon Raw Agave
2-3 teaspoon water

Mix Vegan Cream Cheese with Agave and water. Stir until about the thickness of frosting. Put this into a pastry tube and dispense about 1 teaspoon onto the top of a Hail Merry Choco macaroon. Top with a fresh strawberry that is about the same diameter as the macaroon. Top the tip of the strawberry with more vegan cream cheese mix to form the tassel of Santa’s hat. Serve at room temperature.

This year I decided to do an easy to make, no-bake pumpkin pie. It is a perfect compliment for a gluten free and vegan Thanksgiving. Make ahead and enjoy.

Coconut Bliss Pumpkin Pie

3 bags (3.5 oz)         Hail Merry Blonde Macaroons

2 pints                        Organic Coconut Bliss Non Dairy Frozen dessert-Naked coconut

1 can (15 oz)             Organic pumpkin puree

2 ½ teaspoon           Cinnamon

½ teaspoon              Nutmeg

1 teaspoon               Ginger, ground

½ teaspoon              Cloves, ground

Soften Coconut Bliss non dairy frozen dessert by leaving out at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes. Prepare the crust while you wait. Break up Hail Merry Blonde Macaroons. In a deep dish, 10” pie pan, press macaroons to make a crust.

Mix softened Coconut Bliss with pumpkin puree and spices. Stir. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Place in the freezer until served. Serve frozen.

Watercress is another "green"superfood and when made into an alkalizing and refreshing raw and vegan no oil added salad, created by Chef Ali Brushaber, it contains more calcium than the average glass of milk. Whole Foods Markets has an aggregate nutrient density  index, called the ANDI. The ANDI is a score based on a scale of 1 to 1000 that measures many nutrients in a food product including:  Calcium, Carotenoids: Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X 2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of foods). Watercress is right up there with Kale with an ANDI  score of 1000. Watercress has a peppery flavor that pairs well with the sweet notes of the watermelon and other fruits in this raw and vegan salad. Toss in some Hail Merry Salt N Pepper Sunflower Seeds and you will truly being Feeding Your Body Royally!

Watermelon Watercress Salad       yield: 4 servings

2 head              Watercress

2 cup               Sugar snap peas, cut into ¼” pieces

1 cup               heirloom yellow ‘cherry’ tomatoes, halved

1 each              Granny Smith green apple, cut into ¼” pieces

4 cup               Watermelon, cut into 1” cubes

1 each              Lemon, juiced

1/2 bag (4 oz)  Hail Merry Sunflower Seeds

½ teaspoon     Himalayan sea salt

1. Remove stems from the watercress; rinse and towel dry. Place into a bowl and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the watercress. Place onto a plate to serve as a base for the rest of the salad.

2. Mix sugar snap peas, tomatoes, apples, and watermelon and sunflower seeds. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss gently.

3. Mound the salad over the base of watercress.  Serve immediately.

Timesaver Tips: Mix the base salad ahead of time and refrigerate for up to one day. Toss the watercress right when you need it and assemble the salad.