Fit Fresh Cuisine
An apple-cinnamon protein parfait from Fit Fresh Cuisine.
Sarah Berndt, registered dietician and owner of Fit Fresh Cuisine in Madison, says you can cook low-calorie holiday dishes that all people at your holiday table will love. She creates recipes from scratch, and offers meal delivery, casual dining, and cleanses that use whole foods. “It’s so easy to overdo it at the holidays,” says Berndt. “Especially if you go to a party already hungry.” That doesn’t mean you always have to skip the desserts – ‘tis the season, after all. Her advice for hosts is to offer snacks and dishes with a protein kick to keep hunger at bay.
This year, Berndt will be serving one of her favorites: apple cinnamon protein parfaits. “Our vanilla protein whip is a healthy way to boost protein,” she says. “You can use it as a dip, as cake frosting, to top pancakes, or even layered into a parfait.”
Apple-cinnamon protein parfait
- 1 1/2 cups 2 percent cottage cheese
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons milk of your choice (almond, soy, or traditional)
- 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 1/2 cups low fat vanilla yogurt
Combine all ingredients until smooth. Alternate layers of fresh apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon, dollops of vanilla protein whip, and your favorite granola. Serve chilled.
Surya Cafe
The Fall harvest salad with maple-mustard dressing from Surya Cafe.
Lauren Montelbano, head chef at Surya Cafe, has a passion for vegan cooking. Located inside the Perennial Yoga studio in Fitchburg, the cafe serves food that is entirely gluten-free and vegan. Her recipes offer a wide range of flavors and textures, including granola with coconut yogurt and roasted brussels sprouts with shiitake bacon. “I’m a vegan myself, and I wanted to cook healthy, delicious vegan food. Not making meat substitutions like “vegan turkey” or “vegan chicken nuggets” but using real, whole foods,” she says.
She’ll be serving her signature salad at the holiday table this year. “This is a healthy, bright, and colorful dish that is bound to impress,” says Montelbano.
Fall harvest salad with maple-mustard dressing
- 1-2 bunches of kale
- 1 butternut squash, cubed and roasted
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved and roasted
- Seeds from one small pomegranate
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Maple-mustard dressing
- 1/2 shallot, chopped
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Cube and peel the squash, scooping out the middles. Coat in oil, salt and pepper, and place on baking sheet. Cut off the stem ends of brussels sprouts and halve. Coat in oil, salt and pepper. Place the sprouts on a separate baking sheet, then put both in the oven to roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the dressing. Place the shallot, maple syrup, Dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender or whisk by hand; set aside. Remove stems from kale and chop into bite-sized pieces. Massage the kale with the amount of dressing you desire. The acid and salt in the dressing will help to break down the fibers of the kale and make it more tender.
Mix the pumpkin seeds, oil, maple, and spices in a bowl. Place seeds on a lined baking sheet and roast at same temperature for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Assemble the salad by adding the butternut squash, brussels sprouts, pomegranate seeds, and half of the roasted pumpkin seeds to the pre-dressed kale. Add more dressing and mix well. Reserve some of the pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds to garnish the top of your salad. You can save the other half-cup of pumpkin seeds for snacking.
Jamie Acocks and Patrick Schroeder are the people behind the hot bar at the Willy Street Co-op. After years of trying out existing recipes that use vegan substitutions to please their customers, they decided to start from scratch. “Our approach now is to build a great vegan recipe from the start,” says Acocks. “We want make a great brownie that’s also vegan, not take a great brownie and take things out of it to make it vegan.” A classic at the holidays is green-bean casserole — and now you don’t have to skip it if you’re vegan.
Kick Ass Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- ¼ pounds frozen green beans
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 cup button mushrooms
- 2 cups cauliflower pieces
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra fine sea salt
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 tablespoons vegan Earth Balance spread
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free all-purpose flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
- Canned fried onions for topping
Wash and chop cauliflower; steam until cooked through, set aside. Dice onions to about 1/2 inch. Saute sliced mushrooms, garlic, and onions with the Earth Balance spread over medium heat until liquid evaporates. Add the yeast, salt, and pepper. In the same pan, make the roux by adding the gluten-free flour mix and whisking over medium-low heat until it just turns golden. Whisk in the vegetable stock, half a cup at a time, until you get a smooth, thick texture. Transfer the cauliflower and your roux to a large pot and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Mix with the green beans and pour into casserole pan. Heat at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until it bubbles around the edges (about 25 minutes). Top with your favorite fried onions and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the onions. Served 4 people.
