Appetiser: Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This is everyone’s favourite part of cooking in winter because a warm, creamy soup in winter feels like a heartfelt hug. If you are a soup lover, this soup will feel like a hug in a bowl filled with warmth and contentment! 

Check the ingredients and instructions for prep before delving into the actual blending. This prep gives your soup that extra flavour you don’t want to miss!

Ingredients:

1. For Roasting The Butternut Squash

• 1 Large Butternut Squash
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper Powder

2. For The Vegetable Broth

• Veggies/ Vegetable Scraps Of Your Choice
• 1- 2 Inches Ginger
• 2-3 Garlic Cloves
• 4-5 Black Peppercorns
• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric

Tip: Avoid cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli for your broth, as they can add bitterness.

3. For The Final Step

• 1 Cup Coconut Milk
• Pinch Of Cinnamon

Preparation Steps:

1. Roast The Butternut Squash

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Peel the squash, scoop out the seeds and dice into small cubes of equal size.

Tip: Warm the squash slightly if it is too hard to scoop the seeds.

• Spread the cubes on a baking sheet evenly and drizzle with olive oil, salt and a pinch of black pepper powder.
• Roast it for 30-35 minutes for a golden brown caramelised squash.

2. Make The Vegetable Broth:

• While the squash is roasting, prepare your broth by simmering vegetable scraps or diced vegetables of your choice ( shape doesn’t matter!), ginger, garlic, black pepper, and a pinch of turmeric in 10-12 cups of water for 30 minutes. Once the vegetables are nicely cooked, strain the broth.

3. Final Steps:

• Blend the squash with the vegetable broth until it becomes smooth.
• Add coconut milk to the mix and heat gently (boiling will destroy the creamy texture)
• Switch off the flame and add a pinch of cinnamon.
• Cover the soup with a lid for 10 minutes before serving.

What Science Says

• Butternut squash is high in fibre and beta-carotene, supporting gut health and immune function. Ginger, turmeric, coconut milk, and cinnamon are antioxidants, so they help you fight diseases.

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

• The spices we added to the soup, like ginger, garlic and turmeric, are all warming spices according to Ayurveda and aid digestion. These spices are also immunity boosters, so no more cold and flu this winter!

Salad: Festive Kale And Pomegranate Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Brighten your holidays with the vibrant colours of your salad.

Ingredients:

• Kale Leaves
• Dash Of Lemon Juice
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Sliced Apples
• Walnuts
• For The Vinaigrette- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil, 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tablespoon Honey

Preparation:

1. Massage The Kale

• Worried that Kale will make the salad bitter? Let’s make it soft and tasty. Rub, scrunch, and knead the Kale leaves with a sprinkle of olive oil and lemon juice until they turn darker, tender, and softer. Your Kale is now delicious and easy to chew and digest.

2. Make The Vinaigrette

• Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and honey; your vinaigrette will be ready!

3. Assemble The Salad

• Toss together the Kale, pomegranate seeds, sliced apples, walnuts and the vinaigrette. 

Your easy, tasty Kale and pomegranate salad is ready!

What Science Says

Kale is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and pomegranate seeds are high in antioxidants, which support immune health and reduce inflammation- so get ready to say bye to aches and pains this holiday season! Apples and honey are antioxidants, and walnuts are good for your brain’s health. This salad is excellent for your brain and body!

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

This salad balances all three doshas (bio-energies that govern the functioning of the mind and body). The pomegranate is cooling, and Kale provides the grounding energies, keeping you in touch with natural healing. Kale also aids digestion and flushes out toxins. 

Main Dish: Herb-Crusted Baked Salmon With Lemon And Dill

Get ready with a healthy and indulgent main dish to steal the show!

Ingredients

• Fresh Salmon Fillets 
• Fresh Dill 
• Garlic, Minced
• Lemon Zest 
• Olive Oil
• Black Pepper Powder

The key to this dish is timing the salmon's seasoning correctly.

Season the salmon just before popping it into the oven to prevent the moisture from seeping out.

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Season the salmon evenly with olive oil, finely chopped dill, black pepper powder and minced garlic.
• Cut the lemon zest into thin pieces and arrange them evenly on a parchment.
• Place the seasoned salmon over the lemon zest and fold the parchment into a packet.
• This way, the flavours will seep in, and cleanup will be easier!
• Bake for 25 minutes.

Your main dish for the day is ready!

Easy to cook and easy to clean up!

What Science Says

Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids and supports heart health. So this is indeed a “hearty” meal!

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

Dill aids digestion and prevents bloating. Lemons are refreshing and alkalising, thus helping to cleanse the system after digestion.

Side Dish 1: Roasted Root Vegetables With Rosemary And Thyme

Root vegetables are essential in winter to ward off excess cold. So our first dish will be with roots.

Ingredients

• Carrots, Parsnips, Sweet Potatoes
• Fresh Rosemary
• Thyme,
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

Preparation

Roasting The Vegetables:

Roasting these roots brings out their sweetness and intensifies their flavour.

Tips to get perfectly caramelised roots:

• Cut the roots into smaller and equal sizes.
• Rub with salt- salt removes extra moisture and enhances caramelisation.
• Toss the roots with a drizzle of olive oil and salt.
• Spread it evenly on the sheet pan and roast at 400°F for 30 minutes. Then, add the herbs and roast for an additional 10 minutes.
• This helps to prevent herbs from burning.
• Your first side dish is ready. 

What Science Says

These vegetables are high in fibre and provide complex carbohydrates; hence, they offer you slow-releasing energy and support your metabolic health.

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

Root vegetables are grounding, which helps balance Vata (bio-energy that drives all the functions in your body), especially during the cold, dry winter season.

Side-Dish 2:Turmeric Quinoa Pilaf With Fresh Herbs

Let us make the second nutrient-rich side dish.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Quinoa
• 1 Pinch Of Turmeric 
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds 
• Fresh Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Vegetable Broth.

Preparation

1. Cook The Quinoa:

• Take 1 cup of vegetable broth and bring it to a boil.
• Add 1/2 cup of quinoa to the broth, simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Tempering For The Dish:

• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat; add cumin seeds and turmeric.
• Stir in 1/4th cup of vegetable broth.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

3. Final Step:

• Transfer the contents of the pan to the quinoa pot and stir it.
• Switch off the flame and wait for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

What Science Says

Quinoa is a complete protein, high in fibre and essential amino acids, and packed with nutrients like protein, zinc, fibre, folate, and antioxidants. Thus, it supports metabolism and muscle health.

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

Turmeric and cumin are anti-inflammatory and, by their warm properties, aid digestion, enhancing Agni (digestive fire) and thus dispelling the stagnation in your circulation during the cold winter months.

Dessert: Spiced Apple And Chia Seed Pudding

It’s time you earned some tasty dessert for all your efforts!

Ingredients

• Apples
• Chia Seeds
• Almond Milk ( Or Any Milk Of Your Choice!)
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Maple Syrup.

Preparation

• Soak chia seeds in almond milk overnight.
• Cook the apples in a pot with a pinch of cinnamon until the apple becomes soft.
• Drizzle and coat the apple with maple syrup.
• Layer the spiced apple with chia pudding in serving glasses.
• Top it off with nutmeg to give that extra crunch.

Tip: For those with a sweet tooth, add 1 tablespoon of honey to the pudding for extra sweetness. It will melt in your mouth!

What Science Says

Chia seeds are high in fibre and omega-3 fatty acids, which support gut health, reduce inflammation and help stabilise blood sugar levels. So you can indulge in your dessert without worrying about increasing your blood sugar levels!

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

Apples and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are warm in nature and hence pacify Kapha dosha, thus preventing stagnation in circulation. Further, they make this dessert light and easy to digest.

Beverage: Warm Ginger And Cinnamon Tea

Now that you are all fed and happy, make a beverage to soothe your stomach and aid digestion. 

Ingredients

• Fresh Ginger
• Cinnamon Sticks
• Water
• Honey

Preparation

• Add all the ingredients (except honey) to water, boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. 
• Switch off the flame, add a dash of honey to the pot, and keep the lid closed for 5 minutes.
• Serve while the drink is still warm!

What Science Says

Ginger and cinnamon have anti-inflammatory properties, support immune health, and help regulate blood sugar levels. Ginger and cinnamon are good for your heart and reduce cholesterol levels.

Spiced Up With Ayurveda

Ginger and cinnamon are powerful digestive aids; this tea will enhance your Agni ( digestive power) and reduce bloating, leaving you light and refreshed after a hearty meal.

So you literally have a reason to drink to your heart’s content!

This was a holiday special food tour specially for you. Did you like the idea of healthy holiday meals? Want to discover more healthy choices you can have this holiday? Follow our Nirva blogs for more healthy holiday recipes. Remember to ask for your favourite recipes, and we will provide a healthy plan for you!

Ayurvedic Tips For A Healthy Holiday Season

To ensure that you have healthy and vibrant holidays ahead, here are some additional Ayurvedic tips for you.

Practise Mindful Eating:

• While you might be overwhelmed with all the food around you, take a moment to chew and savour each dish. It helps you enjoy your food and aids your digestive system. That means there will be no more bloating after the meal!

Portion Control:

• Even portion control has two benefits. If you take small portions of all the dishes, you get to taste all the dishes at the table. And your digestive system will also thank you for it!

Incorporate Digestive Spices:

• Make spices your best friends during this season. They will enhance the flavour of your dishes and help you maintain your immunity and gut health.

Conclusion:

Why compromise on health when you can get health and happiness from the same bowl? We have given you a list of holiday recipes, from appetisers to beverages, to woo your family and guests this holiday season. And what’s best is that your body will thank you for this! So, get ready for a happy, healthy and hearty holiday season.