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Dinner on Christmas night featured a variety of appetizers and took an unplanned, healthy turn. We intended to leave town for the holiday weekend but when the forecasts turned dicey, we made a late night trip to the grocery store and gathered the things that sounded good – with no eye to tradition or whether one dish would compliment another.

The result was perfect harmony. Gone were the heavy, beige, dairy-laden meals of yore. Here was a plate with green vegetables (!) and a beautiful mix of colors and textures. The Menu:

Stuffed Mushrooms
Roasted Green Beans
Roasted Asparagus
Squash Blue Cheese Dip
Fresh Bread
Blue Cheese Aioli

This mixchta was created for my dad, who enjoys tacos and chili but needs to avoid sodium.  It’s become a family staple and makes lovely little holiday gifts.

The amount below makes enough for 7 half-pint bell jars, or a nice big supply for you and yours to enjoy with beef, chicken, fish or herbivore or carnivore chili.  Buy your ground spices in bulk*, not it the expensive packages.

4 c chili powder
1.5 c cumin
1 c coriander
1 c Mexican oregano
1 c garlic powder
.25 c cayenne
.25 c paprika
.25 pepper
salt optional

Mix it up and store in an air tight container.

*If your grocery store doesn’t carry bulk spices, order then online from a retailer like World Spice Merchants in Seattle or Penzey’s Spices.

A little creation using collard greens from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in Southern MN, Featherstone Farms. The parmesan rind adds a nice tang and you’ve got a healthy and fiber-filled dinner inside of an hour.

1 c dried chickpeas
1 c dried great northern beans
1 c dried kidney beans
2 med onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 lg carrots, chopped
4-6 c collard greens, chopped

2-3 T tomato paste
1/2 c red wine
2 t honey, preserves or other sweetener
2 qts broth

1 parmesan rind
2 T dried roasted red Coug peppers*
4 sage leaves, crumbled
1 T oregano
3 bay leaves
2 dried hot peppers
2-3 t grated parmesan for each bowl

Bring 2 pots of water to boil, one for the whites, the other for the reds. Add beans, bring to boil, then simmer for an hour or so. Once soft, drain beans and set aside.

Saute onions, garlic and carrots for 5 min. Add tomato paste, stir, then add wine. Reduce until wine is no longer visible and puree mixture in a food processor. Add sweetener, parm rind, herbs and bay leaves. Saute for a jif, then add 1 c of broth. Simmer mixture for a few minutes. Add cooked beans and remaining broth and simmer for 45 min. Add hot peppers**, kale and cook for another 20 minutes. Top with parmesan and serve.

*For those of you without access to Coug peppers, substitute a mild red pepper mix. Or chopped red pepper. It would work without too.

**Remove the hot peppers after an hour or so unless you want a HOT dish.

Big girl testing from phone. Weee!

C came up with a clever gift idea this year: workhorse relish

We had fun testing it out and the results: it is tasty!

From the styled out card he made for each one, here are some suggestions for use along with the ingredients:

Hi.
This tangy-sweet relish has been made from scratch for you : )
It is yummy served at room temp on a bed of greens with a favorite
grilled fish or meat, is delicious used as a chutney with curries, and
also goes well with breads and cheeses as a simple tapenade.
Ingredients:
Daikon Radish
Rutabaga
Parsnip
Beet
Horseradish
Cranberries
Red Onion
Leek
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
and Secret Spices!