Kale Salad with Goat Cheese and Red Onions

Thinly slice and then caramelize one red onion. Add 1 t. chili flakes to the pan a few minutes before onions are finished. Turn off heat and mix in 1 bunch of kale, thinly shredded, a few T. goat cheese, plus salt and balsamic vinaigrette to taste.

Again I have to thank one of my nutrition school classmates for this dish, which I make a LOT. It is one of the only ways I am willing to eat raw cruciferous veggies (which are goitrogenic, i.e., inhibit the thyroid). Screw it. This stuff is delish. Thanks, Ellen F.!

Marinated Green Bean Salad with Dill (vegan)

Cut 1 lb. green beans into 1-inch sections and steam lightly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then mix in 1/4 cup dijon or balsamic vinaigrette dressing. To serve, mix in 1–2 c. small-chopped tomato with seeds removed, 1/4 c. fresh chopped dill, shredded lettuce, and minced red onion if desired.

Naughty: Brandied Cherry Christmas Brownies

Overnight, soak 1 c. dried cherries in 1 c. brandy or rum and 2 t. cinnamon. Then melt 5 oz. baking chocolate with 8 T. butter; cool. Mix in 2 eggs, 1 1/4 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 3/4 c. flour, cherries w/brandy, and 1 c. chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 20–25 minutes. Cool, cut, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Serve.

I invented this recipe. I was so proud of myself that I ate like a LOT of them on Christmas and then paid the price with an epic hypoglycemic blood sugar/mood swing that lasted well into the next day. Yet I provide this recipe for the baking public. Why? Because maybe some of you out there are wiser than I am, and anyway isn't Christmas really about driving onesself to extremes of self-indulgence, regretting it, and encouraging loved ones to do the same? Needless to say I recommend enjoying these on a full stomach, one at a time... if you're not allergic to all the ingredients.

Holiday Noodle Kugel

Combine 1 c. cottage cheese, 1 c. sour cream or yogurt, 1/4 c. sweetener, 1/4 c. golden raisins, and 2 t. cinnamon in a bowl. (Note; Use more cottage cheese or add 1/4 c. cream cheese for a richer kugel.) Add 1 lb. cooked egg or other flat noodles and 1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan and bake at 350° for 30–40 minutes.

Spicy Ratatouille with Garbanzos (vegan)

Saute 1 sliced onion with 2 stalks chopped celery in olive oil. Add cubed eggplant, squash, other desired veggies (4–6 c. total), and salt and cook until veggies begin to soften. Add 1 large can stewed tomatoes (or several diced fresh), 1 can garbanzos (or 1 1/2 c. cooked fresh), chopped fresh chili to taste, 1 T. turmeric, and 1 t. cinnamon and a dash of wine. Simmer until everything is soft.

Thanks to the garbanzos, this works as an entree. It's very tasty with polenta and grated cheese (if you go for that sort of thing).

Lucy's Asparagus Soup (vegan)

Heat 1 onion, diced, in oil until soft. Add 1-2 lbs. chopped asparagus and cook over low heat until asparagus is bright green. Add stock plus salt to taste. Simmer until the asparagus is very tender. Remove from heat, cool, and puree. Serve hot or cold.

This is a quickie version of a recipe from my old nutrition school classmate Lucy. If you're out there, Lucy: YOUR SOUP IS SO GOOD and so simple, I always think of you when I make it... which is constantly, when asparagus is available.