It’s the Holidays!

Below are some festive foods from around the globe! Try one of these healthy, comfort food dishes on your next snow day.

Kwanzaa

Moroccan-Rubbed Grilled Steak & Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound strip steak, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 4 portions
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, (about 1 pound total), peeled and very thinly sliced
• 1 medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Go here for prep and cook time!

Fun Fact: Most sweet potatoes in the United States are grown in North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana!

Boxing Day

Boxing Day Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 medium potatoes, about 350g/12oz total weight, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 tbsp curry paste
• 1.2l vegetable stock, made from a stock cube
• 550g leftover roasted or boiled vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips and squash, roughly chopped
• natural yogurt or crème fraîche, to serve

Go here for prep and cook time!

Fun fact: There are certain varieties of sunflowers used for their seeds and other varieties used for sunflower oil!

Shab-e Yalda

Fesenjan

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (6 to 8 pieces) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups shelled walnuts (about 1 pound)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 cups pomegranate molasses, or as needed
• ½ cup grated butternut squash
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon saffron, dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
• 1 to 2 cups chicken broth or water
• 2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
• Persian steamed white rice, for serving.

Go here for prep and cook time!

Fun fact: The pomegranate tree is native from Iran to the Himalayas in Northern India, but was introduced to California by Spanish settlers in 1769.

 Makar Sankranti/ Pongal

Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw rice 
• 2-3 tblsp moong dal/pasi paruppu
• 1/2 cup heaped jaggery
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 tblsp ghee
• pinch of salt
• 5-6 cashews
• 1-2 tblsp raisins
• 1 elachi
• 1 clove
• 1 pinch nutmeg powder
• tiny pinch edible camphor

 Go here for prep and cook time!

Fun Fact: When cashews are harvested, they are taken from the bottom of the “cashew apple.” These nuts are not sold in the shell like most other nut varieties, as the casing that they are in is toxic.