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Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

Enjoy an All Organic Christmas Feast this year, and make less of an impact on the environment, leaving a smaller footprint on the Earth while still having a glorious celebration!

It’s much easier to buy it ready made, and you’ll find it in most Greek shops, delis and some supermarkets

Flatten 4 boneless, skinless organic chicken breasts between two plastic bags, using a rolling pin, until each is twice its original width and length.

To make a tropical celebration stuffing – put a layer of wilted spinach leaves and top with slices of mango and a squeeze of orange juice. Place in chicken and make parcels in layers of pastry, decorate with pastry stars, bake, serve hot or cold.

An alternative tradional Christmas red and green stuffing –

Green Stuffing – chop 1 large onion + 1 cup parsley + 1 teaspoon fresh sage.
Cook in coconut oil, until onion is transparent. Add ½ cup pinenuts and brown very lightly.
Wash and chop 6 spinach leaves. Cook briefly, until wilted, drain and stir into the onion mixture.

To make the red layer – Use 12 – 15 pieces of sun-dried tomatoes, soak chopped tomatoes in a little boiling water for approx. 15 minutes.

Divide stack of filo into 2 piles, butter one sheet. Place another sheet on top. Place 2 of the flattened chicken breasts side by side, patting into oval shape spread mixture evenly on top. Place remaning chicken on top. Continue with pastry, fold under ends.

 Brush with melted butter/ coconut oil. Decorate with pastry, use Christmas cookie cutters (stars etc) Bake at 200C for 60 minutes, cover loosely if the top browns too fast.
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with seasonal organic salad and vegetables.

Festive Vegetarian Loaf

2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup cooked chick peas
1 cup ground cashew nuts
½ cup ground almonds
Celtic salt to season
½ cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons fresh sage
1 teaspoon tamari + 2 teaspoons miso
1/3 cup of best quality organic vegetable stock

Whiz the chick peas with the stock until quite fine. Mix together all the ingredients until well combined, season to taste. Pack into well oiled baking tin or loaf tin and cover with foil.
Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for further 15 minutes until golden and firm.Serve hot with your favourite sauce and seasonal organic vegetables.

Cranberry Sauce

Organic coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 oz (30g) organic flour (fine cornmeal / millet meal/ coconut flour)
¼ pint (140 ml) water
¼ pint (140 ml) orange juice
4 oz (115g) fresh or frozen cranberries

1. Fry the onion briefly,in coconut oil, then cover the pan and cook gently for 10 minutes more.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for just one minute before adding the water and orange juice, and bringing to the boil.
3. Continue stirring and simmer gently until the sauce thickens. Add the cranberries and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the cranberries are tender.
4. If desired you can season the sauce with celtic salt and pepper.

Baked Red Cabbage and Apple

Organic coconut oil
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
1 large organic red cabbage
1 medium cooking apple
1-2 pints (½-1litre)organic apple juice
organic maple syrup/ rapadura sugar - optional

1. Fry the onions in the oil until soft. Finely shred the cabbage and core and chop the apple. Add to the pan and fry for a few minutes.
2. Add the apple juice. Don’t cover the cabbage, put enough to cover quarter to half of it, otherwise you get too much juice. Add more later if necessary.
3. Cook until the cabbage is tender, stirring every few minutes. This will take about an hour. If necessary, sweeten to taste with maple syrup or rapadura sugar.

Golden Swede and Carrot

swede and carrot, equal amounts
organic coconut oil – optional
rosemary / lavender – optional

1. Prepare then cut the swede and carrot into 1 cm thick batons. Steam or boil until just tender. Drain and serve immediately.
2. Toss in a little organic coconut oil and rosemary if desired.

Broccoli with Toasted Almonds
 
4 tbsps flaked almonds
8 oz (225g) broccoli florets
2 teaspoons organic cocont oil
celtic salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Toast the almonds under the grill until they are lightly browned.
2. Steam the broccoli for a few minutes. It should remain bright green in colour, and be very slightly crunchy. Add the oil, with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and serve with the almonds sprinkled on the top.

Special Roast Potatoes

2 lb (900g) organic potatoes, chopped to size
2 teaspoons mustard
4 tablespoons organic coconut oil
1½ tablespoons organic tamari (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/Gas 6.
2. Boil enough water in a pan to cover the potatoes and boil them for ten minutes. Drain out the water then place the lid on the pan and shake up and down a few times - this will make the potatoes more fluffy. Roll potatoes in a tea towel and run a fork all-  over potatoes.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients together and place in a suitable sized baking tray. Put the baking tray in the preheated oven for a few minutes to get the oil hot.
4. Remove and add the potatoes, basting them in the oil. Place back in the oven until cooked, brown and crispy, around 45-60 minutes. Serves 4-6

Dessert  Frozen Festive Christmas Pudding
500mls organic cream
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and ground cloves
Mixed spice, to taste
½ cup orange juice
Gurgle of sherry, brandy or rum, if desired
3 cups organic dried fruit / nuts, eg –
Raisins / sultanas / muscatels/ currants / figs/ almonds / apricots / dates/mixed peel / sunflower seeds.
Chop up the fruit where necessary and soak overnight in the juice and grog (if using).
Next day, add the spices and nuts etc.
Beat the cream and stir through gently.
Pour into a mould and freeze.
For a carob pudding, dissolve 2 tablespoons carob powder in a little water and stir through the mixture before adding the cream.
Decorate with nuts, flowers, candles, fresh organic stone fruit (cherries)
This is very rich, so you will only need very small servings.

Festive No-Fuss Dessert

Blend fresh organic pineapple + bananas
Serve as a dip, scoop into pineapple shell and surround with fresh seasonal sliced fruit.
Decorate with flowers, candles etc, remember its Christmas!

 Fruit Jelly

1 banana, sliced
1 small bottle organic pineapple chunks (fresh seasonal organic fruit of choice - mango / pineapple chunks)
9 fl oz (250 ml) pineapple juice
9 fl oz (250 ml) orange juice
1 rounded tsp agar agar powder

1. Bring the fruit juice to the boil in a pan and sprinkle the agar agar powder on top. Stir in and boil for 2-3 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place the pineapple chunks and banana in a bowl. Cover with the fruit juice and leave aside to cool and set.

Wheat-Free ‘Eggless’ Celebration Cake
1 cup organic raisins, chopped
1 cup organic muscatels
½ cup organic sultanas
1 cup organic dates, chopped
8 organic dried apricots, chopped
Grated ginger
1/3 cup hulled millet
1 cup orange juice
Orange rind
¼ cup millet meal
¾ cup organic coconut flour
½ cup buckwheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup organic coconut milk
Nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice
Soak overnight fruit, hulled millet, ginger, orange rind with the cup of orange juice
Next day, sift flours with the baking powder, at least 3 times. Mix flours + coconut milk and spices, gradually add soaked fruit.
Cook 30 minutes 200C reduce 180C for 45 minutes 150C 30 minutes
Decorate with organic nuts/ sesame seeds.

 Drink and be merry Getting into the Greener Christmas spirit.

Indulge guilt-free with the huge range of organic wine, beers and spirits available, which are kinder to the planet and kinder to you. Organic wine is produced using a natural system of farming and limits the use of sulphur to control fungus. Organic regulations also limit sulphur dioxide which is added to wine as a preservative. On average organic producers use just one quarter of the legal maximum of sulphur dioxide allowed for non-organic wines, which may even lessen the chances of a hangover.

Organic beer is made from organic malt and hops. The average non-organic farmer is estimated to spray hops up to 14 times each year with an average of 15 pesticides.

Organic spirits are available through specialist suppliers and some supermarkets. The main difference lies in the use of organic raw materials, non-organic vodka is made from grain produced in systems usually reliant upon multiple applications of pesticides and artificial fertilisers.

Cheers, chin chin ....have a happy Organic Christmas.