Spice up your holiday menu with these fun, organic winter recipes!
Snacks and Appetizers
Amy’s Snacks
Organic Valley’s Lemon Spiked Smoked Trout Pâté
Earthbound Farm’s Oysters Rockefeller
Annie’s Homegrown Savory Snack Mix
Sides
Stonyfield’s Yogurt Biscuits
Earthbound Farm’s Candied Butternut Squash and Baby Kale Stuffing
Nature’s Path’s Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Earthbound Farm’s Cranberry Chutney
Annie’s Homegrown Cheesy Butternut Squash and Ham Bake
Desserts
Rudi’s Organic Chocolate Almond Butter Bread Pudding
Stonyfield’s Poached Pears Stuffed with Creamy Gorgonzola
Nature’s Path’s Heritage Apple Cake
SNACKS AND APPETIZERS
Here are some of our favorite festive snack and appetizer recipes to tide you over before dinner. 
If you’re looking for an easy, but still delicious starter try Amy’s snack pouches. They’re quick and the kids are sure to love ‘em!
Organic Valley’s Lemon Spiked Smoked Trout Pâté
Ingredients
1 cup Organic Valley Cottage Cheese (low fat or regular)
½ pound smoked trout
4 ounces Organic Valley Cream Cheese, softened
2 tablespoons lemon vodka
1 lemon, Finely zested
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced green onions (or chives)
pepper to taste
Directions
Place cottage cheese in a fine-mesh strainer; let it drain 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, remove skin and bones from fish. Shred the flesh coarsely with a fork or your fingertips.
Place two-thirds of the shredded fish in a food processor or blender. Add drained cottage cheese, cream cheese, vodka, horseradish, lemon juice and mustard. Process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Fold in remaining fish and green onions or chives. Season to taste with pepper. Place the mixture in an attractive shallow dish and keep it chilled until a half-hour before serving time. Makes about 2 cups.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh dill or thyme and serve with rye crackers and crisp celery sticks.
Earthbound Farm’s Oysters Rockefeller
Ingredients
10 ounces Earthbound Farm Organic Baby Spinach
1 bunch scallions (sliced)
1 cup (lightly packed) fresh flat leaf parsley (leaves only)
3 anchovies (mashed)
1 tablespoon Pernod or Sambuca (optional)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup panko (Japanese style) bread crumbs
pinch sea salt and freshly ground pepper
pinch rock salt
12 fresh oysters in the shell
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Place the spinach and 1 tablespoon of water in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the spinach wilts. Set aside to cool. When it’s cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the excess moisture.
Transfer the spinach to a food processor and add the scallions, parsley, and anchovies. Process until the greens are roughly chopped. Add the melted butter and process until the mixture forms a smooth purée, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and stir in the Pernod, Worcestershire sauce, and panko crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you’re making the filling ahead of time, you can cover and refrigerate it at this point for up to 2 days. Let the mixture return to room temperature before you open the oysters.
Place a layer of rock salt in a rimmed baking sheet to form a stable bed for the oysters. If you don’t have rock salt, improvise by making small foil balls or using a bed of dried beans into which you can nestle the oysters to keep them from tipping.
Open the oysters and discard the flat-sided shell (usually the top half). Reserve any oyster liquor that collects in the bottom shell and add it to the spinach mixture. Arrange the oysters on the rock salt as you open them.
Place the oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler and preheat it on high. Place the oysters under the broiler for 2 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and spoon a generous dollop of the spinach mixture onto each oyster. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and place the oysters under the broiler again until the spinach is hot and the cheese browns, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Annie’s Homegrown Savory Snack Mix
Ingredients
2 cups Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons BBQ seasoning (or savory seasoning of choice)
Directions
Combine all ingredients and boom: Savory Cheddar Trail Mix for the week! Feel free to play with the ingredients, like adding almonds or hazelnuts instead of peanuts. Any dried fruit will work in place of the golden raisins as well. Crunchy granola clusters make a delicious addition, too!
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SIDES
Spice up your holiday dinner with these creative side dishes!
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add oil and yogurt and mix well. Place dough on a board and knead until smooth. Roll out to an inch thickness and cut in to 12 round biscuits using a cookie cutter. Or make 12 round balls about 2 inches in diameter, place on a baking sheet and flatten. Place biscuits on greased baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve hot.
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Earthbound Farm’s Candied Butternut Squash and Baby Kale Stuffing
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
1 butternut squash (about 2-1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes)
¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs
5 ounces Earthbound Farm Organic Kale (1 package)
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, spices, salt and pepper. Add the squash and melted butter, stirring well to coat evenly.
Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the squash cubes are crispy on the outside and tender in the center.
Remove the squash from the oven and place in a mixing bowl. Toss with bread crumbs, kales, remaining butter (melted) and broth.
Place the mixture into an oven-proof casserole and return it to the oven for 15-20 minutes, till golden brown and heated through.
Nature’s Path’s Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (each about 1 lb), halved lengthwise
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopper sage
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Season sweet potato with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until fork tender.
Meanwhile, heat butter in small skillet set over medium low heat. Add shallot, garlic, sage and allspice. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is soft.
Scoop out flesh from sweet potato halves into a bowl, leaving about ½-inch layer inside skins. Set skins aside. Mash sweet potatoes with garlic mixture, maple syrup, remaining salt and cayenne pepper, if using. Top each evenly with Parmesan cheese and granola. Back for 15 to 18 minutes or until warmed through.
Earthbound Farm’s Cranberry Chutney
Ingredients
½ cup white or cider vinegar
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2 ½ cups sugar
1 cup water
10 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon salt
2 tart Earthbound Farm Organic Apples (peeled)
1 small Earthbound Farm Organic Yellow Onion
½ cup Earthbound Farm Organic Raisins
1 piece fresh ginger root (about 2 inches long)
grated zest of 1 orange
Directions
Combine the vinegar, cranberries, sugar, water, and spices in a medium pan and bring to a boil over moderate heat.
Cut the apples, pears, and onion into 1/4-inch dice and add to the pan, along with the raisins.
Peel and grate the ginger. Add the ginger and orange zest to the chutney.
Cook over low heat until chutney thickens, about 30 minutes. Cool and transfer to a clean container, cover, and refrigerate.
Annie’s Homegrown Cheesy Butternut Squash and Ham Bake
Ingredients
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 boxes Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar
8 ounce package cream cheeses
¾ cup milk
8 ounce ham steak, cubed
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, crushed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
Combine the butternut squash, onion, coconut oil and garlic in a 9 x13 inch baking dish. Bake 40 minutes or until the squash is tender. Halfway through cook time, stir mixture.
While the vegetables bake, cook the pasta according to the box directions. Drain and return to the pot. Stir in the cream cheese until it’s completely melted. Add the cheese packets to the pasta and milk. Stir until well blended. Lastly, stir in the ham.
Add the pasta mixture to the vegetables, stirring to combine.
Top with the shredded cheese and crushed Cheddar Bunnies, then bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through.
DESSERT
Finish off your meal with one of these delicious organic desserts, sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Rudi’s Organic Chocolate Almond Butter Bread Pudding
Ingredients
1 loaf Rudi’s Honey Sweet Wheat Bread
½ cup chocolate almond butter
½ cup egg whites
¼ cup honey or agave
1 ¼ cup almond milk
½ cup raspberries
1 tablespoon dried cranberries
1 mint leaf for garnish (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bread into cubes and place on a baking sheet. Toast 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine Chocolate Almond Butter, egg whites, honey and milk. Stir in toasted bread and let soak for 10 minutes. Fold in raspberries.
Transfer mixture into 6 ramekins or an 8” x 8” baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Cook 25-30 minutes. Using a sifter, dust bread pudding with powdered sugar, mint leaf and dried cranberries. Serve warm.
Stonyfield’s Poached Pears Stuffed with Creamy Gorgonzola
Ingredients
6 bosc pears (peeled and cored, stems left intact)
2 cinnamon sticks
15 cloves
3 cups ruby red port wine
3 cups water
2 3-inch strips of orange peel
½ cup sugar
6 cups Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt (to yield 2 cups yogurt cheese*)
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons Gorgonzola (crumbled)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
*For Yogurt Cheese: Using a yogurt cheese maker or layered cheese cloth, strain the whey from yogurt for 3-6 hours in the refrigerator. This should yield 2 cups of yogurt cheese. Reserve.
Combine port, water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and orange peel strips in a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add pears and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and simmer until pears are tender, turning pears occasionally, about 40 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pears to platter and chill.
Over high-heat, boil liquid in pot until it reduces to 1 1/2 cups, about 20-25 minutes. Reserve the resulting syrup.
While syrup is reducing, combine yogurt cheese, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice and crumbled gorgonzola, mixing gently. Slice the tops off of the chilled pears and fill each pear with the yogurt cheese and gorgonzola mixture. Divide the pears among 6 shallow bowls, top with reduced syrup and toasted almonds, and serve chilled.
Nature’s Path’s Heritage Apple Cake
Ingredients
2 cups Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes
1 ½ cups vanilla yogurt
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour, plus 2 teaspoons additional for flouring pan
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon additional for garnish
1/8 teaspoon salt
Egg replacer equivalent to 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 1 teaspoon butter for preparing pan
¾ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Set rack in center and preheat oven to 375F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and dust with flour. (For easier removal, cut a piece of baking parchment to size and set it on bottom.)
Set Heritage® Flakes in a large bowl. Coarsely crush flakes by pressing down firmly under bottom of a cup or drinking glass. Stir in yogurt and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and salt.
Blend egg replacer and melted butter into the yogurt-cereal mixture. Stir in dry ingredients and walnuts.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Even off with spatula. Decoratively arrange apple slices on top.
In a small bowl, combine sugar and remaining 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake 20 minutes. Rotate pan and continue baking until edges are browned and pull away from sides of pan and a cake tester inserted in center comes out dry, 18 to 20 minutes more.
Cool on a rack. Serve slices from pan or run knife along edges and gently unmold by turning over onto a platter. Carefully flip over so apples are on top.
