Healthy Holiday Recipes from I Imagine and Lifeway Foods

The temperature is dropping, but your immune system does not have to! In light of the holiday season, I Imagine Studio would like to share with you a few healthy recipes, developed by Lifeway Foods and featuring probiotic and nutrient-filled kefir. Delicious, these recipes are sure to keep you warm, full, healthy, and happy all winter long. Enjoy!

Healthy Holiday Recipes from I Imagine Studio and Lifeway Foods:

1. Apple Pancakes with Burnt Sugar Sauce

Ingredients:
For pancakes:
2 1/2 cups wheat flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir
10 tsp sugar
2 apples, peeled
Vegetable Oil

For sauce:
6 tbsp sugar
90 ml boiling water
100ml milk
1 tsp starch

Directions:
For pancakes:
Make batter of eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, flour, and Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir, adding flour and Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir gradually. Stir until well-blended. Cook pancakes on a low to medium heat with vegetable oil.

For sauce:
Take a small saucepan of stainless steel or any other material resistant to burning sugar. Heat the sugar until medium brown (or light brown if you don’t like it strong). Add boiling water and keep boiling gently until all lumps have melted. Dissolve starch in approximately a tablespoon cold water and pour it into the burnt sugar syrup while stirring vigorously. Finally, add milk and simmer for 5 minutes. Chill the sauce before serving.

2. Hot Cross Kefir Buns

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir at room temperature
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine, melted
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 (16 once) container prepared vanilla frosting

Directions:
Measure the water into a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let stand about 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Stir in Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and margarine. Mix in 1 cup of flour until well blended, then stir in the raisins. Gradually mix in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff enough to take out of the bowl and knead on a floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat and cover with a towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 18 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise again until your finger leaves an impression when you poke the dough gently, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the towel from the buns. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Spoon the frosting into a small sandwich bag or pastry bag. Snip off the corner and squeeze out frosting to make a cross on top of the buns when cool.

3. Spicy Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, minced
6 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup minced, fresh
cilantro for garnish
1/4 cup Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir
2 tsp minced jalapeño
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

Directions:
Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a big pot over medium heat.

Add everything else except the Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir and cilantro and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender. (When combined, the broth should cover the other ingredients by at least a couple of inches. If not, add a bit more broth.)

Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour the pumpkin soup back into the pot and heat through, stirring in the Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir. Divide between serving bowls, then garnish with the cilantro.

4. Classic Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup canned diced chilies
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir

Directions:
In large nonstick skillet, cook turkey and garlic over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up meat, until browned; drain. Add chili powder and cumin; stir to combine.

Combine tomatoes, beans, onion, chilies, and tomato paste in a large pot. Stir in beef mixture. Cover and simmer for about an hour, until the flavors are blended.

(Our suggestion) Top with Lifeway Nonfat Plain Kefir and sprinkle with diced avocado.

5. Kefir Egg Nog

Ingredients:
6 eggs
4 cups (1 32 oz bottle) Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt, if desired

Directions:
In a large saucepan, beat together eggs, sugar and salt, if desired. Stir in 2 cups of Lifeway Lowfat Plain Kefir.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir in an additional 2 cups of kefir and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight. Just before serving, pour into a pitcher. Garnish with cinnamon sticks or a sprinkling of ground nutmeg and serve immediately.