Tis the season friends …well, almost!

I know its only November, but with how early the stores start playing Christmas music and putting up holiday decorations, no matter how annoying it may be to some…you cant help but start thinking festive a little in advance.

With that in mind, I love Christmas and almost equally, I love Christmas oranges (aka.Mandarin/Tangerine oranges). They are delicious and much easier to peel and eat on the go compared to the regular orange varieties, however, it is unlike me to leave well enough alone, so I decided to create a tasty winter salad with them and top it off with a dairy free creamy coconut milk dressing…yum!

Salad may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of wintry foods, but after all those heavy and starchy comfort foods…it may be just what your body needs to de-puff and boost immunity in the season of people getting sick.

Christmas oranges pack a big punch of vitamin C, fiber, vitamin A and several times the amount of flavonoid anti-oxidants compared to regular oranges. So stay regular, and well with these delicious tangerine spheres of goodness!

P.S. This recipe is also excellent topped with baked chicken

Christmas Orange Salad with Coconut Cream Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 Bunch Romain lettuce
• 1/2 Cucumber sliced and quartered
• 1/4 Cup organic walnuts
• 1/2 Pomegranate of aerials
• 1 Christmas (Mandarin) orange peeled

Dressing:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk (if you are dairy friendly and want easy…use organic plain yogurt)
• 1 Tbsp Raw honey
• Fresh grated lemon zest

Directions:

Place your can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight so the creamy thick part rises to the top, leaving the water below. Scoop the coconut cream off the top of the can and add it to a large bowl, leaving the coconut water within the can or add in a small amount to make your dressing thinner (you can use the leftover in smoothies). Add in your room temperature honey and lemon zest and whisk. Place your dressing in the fridge to set for 30 mins. If using yogurt, just add the honey and lemon to 1 cup of yogurt, mix and use desired amount. Wash and prepare veggies and fruit, top with dressing and walnuts and eat up!!

Dalyce – Your Holistic Lifestylist XO