Have yourself a merry green Christmas

You’re probably counting the days to Christmas. As for me, I’m already counting the calories of Christmas! ’Tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry (but be wary of the unwanted weight gain, too — hoho horrible)!

Of course, back when we were young with a 21-inch waistline, the bottom line was the Christmas table must be groaning with food, glorious holiday food until we were left moaning. What’s Christmas without a big fat leg of glazed ham? Lola, bless her soul, whipped up her simply divine, immortal embotido, a recipe she handed down to her daughter who handed it down to her own daughter, etc. Going to dawn Mass meant going straight for the ubiquitous puto bumbong deliciously steaming in bamboo tubes (of course now, we can have it every day at Via Mare or Mangan or Benny’s, for instance). Whether we were naughty or nice, there were assorted sweet treats for us.

Now that we’re older and wiser, we know that we’d better watch out for those calories that last for only a minute on the lips but stay for a lifetime on the hips.  Well, now we have sisters Jertie and Jaclyn Abergas of Jertie’s Kitchen who have a mouthful to say about the healthy food choices we should make for the holidays. Jertie’s Kitchen is a specialty home-based business with a sincere desire to encourage people to live healthier lives. And one way they do that is by holding health and wellness workshops.

The sisters explain, “We conduct health talks and cooking workshops. Our health talks are focused on helping people to transition to a healthier plant-based lifestyle, while our cooking workshops are focused on showing what people can cook and add to their current diet to make it healthier.”

The “green-minded” sisters point out, “We only use plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains) during our workshops because we believe they’re the healthiest and most underutilized food items we have available.”

You may think that plant-based dishes are too expensive or too hard to make (think vegan pizza or roasted potatoes and asparagus). “Not!” Jertie and Jaclyn passionately assert. “We’re here to show you that plant-based dishes can be easily made on any budget, no matter how much (or how little) experience a person has in the kitchen. And our dishes can be easily made with just a rice cooker, a toaster oven, a blender or even just with one’s hands.”

So, what should we have for our noche buena? “When we mention noche buena, we usually think of lechon, ham, and all kinds of meat-based dishes,” the sisters note. “Rarely do we think of adding fruit and veggie dishes to our noche buena table. In our workshop, we teach you plant-based dishes you can add to your usual menu — they’re so full of flavor they will have you wanting more!”

At their workshop, Jertie and Jaclyn teach participants such easy recipes as  Easy Paella, Lentil Neat-Loaf, fruit salad with cashew cream, Really Raw Fruitcake, and Chickpea Sopas. There are winning bonus recipes, too, like baked fruitcake and vegan chili.

The sisters stress, “All our dishes are easy and affordable to make. Ingredients can be easily sourced from Sugarleaf Makati, health shops or your local grocery or palengke. We try to use locally sourced ingredients as much as possible.”

They urge everyone “to add more than one plant-based dish to their dinner table and to eat it first. Once you’ve filled up on fruits and vegetables, there is a smaller chance you will overeat on meat, seafood, and other highly fattening foods that can lead to unwanted weight gain and higher chances of suffering from digestive problems.”

Once more, with feeling, the sisters remind everyone, “The holidays are not an excuse to have a two-weeklong cheat day. Nonetheless, if that happens, eating your fruits and vegetables first will help you take control of your cheat days.”

After succumbing to the temptation to binge, you can always atone for your sins at the detox workshop set in January at Sugarleaf Makati. “This workshop is designed to help you lose that unwanted weight gain and remove the excess toxins of your holiday eating from your body,” the sisters are happy to announce. “It’s a workshop that you can actually use not just during the holidays, but everytime your cheat days get the better of you.”

All workshops are at P1,500 per participant with an early bird rate of P1,300. There are group, senior, and student rates. (For more info, text Angelo Songco of Sugarleaf Makati at 09178039055 or call Sugarleaf Makati at 812-7323.)

To one and all, good tidings for Christmas and happy, healthy new eats!

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Jertie’s Kitchen’s products can be ordered and bought through its website at www.jertieskitchen.com, or at its partner stores: Sugarleaf Organic Market, Paseo de Roxas corner Buendia Ave, Makati; Edgy Veggy Vegetarian Food, Kapitolyo, Pasig; Healthy Ave., Brgy. Ususan, Taguig; Sugarleaf, Wilson St., San Juan; and at The Good Shelf, V. Luna Ext., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. Those interested to learn more about Jertie’s Kitchen’s workshops and health coaching can contact Jertie and Jaclyn Abergas at info@jertieskitchen.com.

Chickpea sopas

400g elbow macaroni (or any pasta noodle you prefer)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup carrots, julienned or in small cubes

1/2 cup cabbage, shredded or julienned

1 cup water or vegetable broth

2-3 cups coconut milk

1 can chickpeas, mashed

1/2 tsp. black pepper

pinch of sea salt, to taste

In a pot, boil the pasta, according to package directions. Remove pasta once tender. Drain and rinse, and set aside.

In a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onions in water or vegetable broth. Add water or broth. Mix and simmer for three minutes over medium heat.

Add carrots and celery. Stir. Let it simmer until it boils. Add milk, cabbage, and chickpeas. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and serve. Serves four.