Winter is the time to nourish and strengthen the body through warm and hearty foods like animal protein or legumes, nuts, lots of warming spices, root vegetables, and dark leafy greens.
Many of my clients love salads, and I do too, but I encourage them to eat their greens a different way than just cold salads. One way is adding warm root vegetables to a salad; another is adding dark greens to warm soups.
During the winter months, it is important to stay warm from the inside out and eat as many warm foods as you can. This keeps the digestive fire consistent and the immune system strong. The way we eat and drink in winter prepares us to be strong and healthy as we go into spring.
Charlotte Hardwick assembles a warm winter vegetable salad with miso vinaigrette in her kitchen.
Lemon Lentil Soup with Leeks and Kale
Serves 6
This is a very simple soup that is easy to digest and high in protein. I love that it uses winter citrus and gives a great immune boost. You could also add chickpeas or shredded chicken for more protein.
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
2 cups sliced leeks, white parts (rinse and save the green for broths/stocks)
1 cup sliced and peeled carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
2 teaspoons coriander
8 cups water or broth
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Saute leeks, carrots, and celery in 4 tablespoons of olive oil until soft. Add rinsed lentils, coriander, and salt/pepper. Stir until well coated. Add water or broth. Bring to a boil. Then simmer until for 20-30 minutes until lentils are tender.
Stir in parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed. You can finish with a drizzle of olive oil and any fresh herbs you like. I also love it with chopped chives and avocado. of cayenne, then toss everything together with your hands to coat.
Vegan Orange Cacao Truffles
Yield: 65 small truffles
This recipe makes a lot of truffles because I like to freeze them and pull some out when I have people over. They are delicious and easy to make. I use them with my clients as the perfect treat to crowd out the sweets that they are reaching for in the afternoons that are leaving them tired and wanting more sugar.
These truffles are loaded with magnesium and healthy fats and are super high in antioxidants. Raw cacao is not cocoa like you would use to make hot chocolate. It is raw unprocessed chocolate and is bitter. The dates sweeten these truffles naturally and give the truffles a wonderful consistency. It is citrus season, so I had to add oranges!
2 cups raw almonds (or you can use almond meal)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
12 dates
1 ½ cup raw cacao powder
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup cacao nibs
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon of vanilla
pinch of sea salt
Blend ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth like cookie dough. If your dough isn’t sticking together, you can add an extra date or a little more cacao. If it seems too dry, add a little more coconut milk or orange juice.
Refrigerate, then roll into balls. I use a small melon ball scooper but you can use a spoon.
Roll into cacao powder, crushed nuts, or shredded coconut and refrigerate. You can refrigerate for a week or freeze.
Cover and chill for 2 hours or until firm. Scatter the coconut, crushed nuts, or cacao on a large plate. Scoop up approximately 1 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture and roll it into a smooth ball between your palms, then roll to coat. Repeat with the remaining mixture, then place the truffles in an airtight container and chill before serving.
This is a delicious and hearty winter salad that can be great for those wanting to eat less meat in the New Year. This salad is inspired by winter vegetables that are here to nourish and keep us well during the colder months.
Some of my favorites are butternut squash, beets, and sweet potatoes. It is amazing to me to think that when we want to get more grounded and nourished, we look under the earth and to the beautiful vegetables that drink in the nutrients from the dark rich soil. They are packed with phytonutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. The sweetness of these root vegetables can also satisfy a sweet tooth.
Fall Salad with Miso Vinaigrette
Serves 6
¾ lb. brussels sprouts
¾ lb. cauliflower or broccoli florets
3 cups butternut squash, or sweet potato, cubed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
pinch of cayenne
1 cup cooked beans (I like white beans or chickpeas)
½ cup pomegranate seeds (if you can find; they are so pretty)
2 cups arugula or shredded kale
Dressing:
1 tablespoon miso (I used chickpea miso)
2 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
handful of fresh parsley (or add any favorite herbs)
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Cut the brussels sprouts in half and cut the cauliflower or broccoli into similar size pieces. Add both of these and the squash to a large, rimmed baking tray.
Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a few pinches of cayenne, then toss everything together with your hands to coat.
Roast for 35 minutes or until edges are browned.
While the vegetables roast, make the dressing. Blend the miso, garlic, shallot, maple, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until well combined.
As soon as the vegetables are out of the oven, add the beans onto the tray and toss everything together. Allow them to cool while you make the green salad.
Add arugula and/or kale to your salad bowl and lightly coat your greens by drizzling dressing over. Add roasted vegetables and beans over greens.
Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and parsley or herbs of choice. You could also sprinkle a little feta or goat cheese on top.
Be creative and play with this. You can use any squash or root vegetable you like. It is delicious with delicata squash, acorn squash, and beets. Add as many colors as you can; they are loaded with antioxidants to clear and boost the body.
If I have extra brussels sprouts that I am not roasting, I will finely chop or shred them to add to the arugula.
I love thinking about the greens that we eat absorbing sunlight as they grow and then filling our bodies
with that light. They bathe our cells with chlorophyll and oxygenate our bodies. In turn, they lift our moods and give us energy.
The fiber in greens also supports gut micro biome, contains amino acids for protein, supports detoxification, digestion, cleanses the blood, and strengthens our lungs.
Olive Oil Granola
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup unsweetened coconut chips
1 cup raw pecans or walnuts, whole or chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut chips, nuts, and salt. Stir to mix.
Add the olive oil and maple syrup and stir until well combined. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan.
Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and toasted, about 45 minutes.
Remove the granola from the oven, and season with more salt to taste. Cool completely on a wire rack.
If you’d like, stir in some dried cherries. Store in an airtight container. Add any dried fruit and nuts or seeds you like. Here are a few of my favorites: pistachio and dried figs, pecans and dried cherries, walnuts and dried cranberries, almonds and chocolate chips.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Charlotte Hardwick offers a proven practice built upon her studies with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition in New York. She has a degree in holistic health and teaches cooking and yoga classes. She teaches grace and awareness around health by inspiring her clients to slow down and simply begin where they are. Her restorative and fluid approach makes cooking and yoga accessible to everyone and she recently finished a workbook to inspire people to find practices they love by weaving moments of movement, cooking, breath, peace and joy into their days. You can learn more about Charlotte at her website, www.flowandnourish.com.
