Healthy Holiday Recipes: Spiced Kumquat and Ginger Chutney

The perfect spiced chutney pairing for your holiday spread!

As an Amazon Associate, Breathe Together Yoga earns from qualifying purchases.

A small bowl is filled with whole kumquats. Next to the bowl, is a knife with more whole kumquats and one cut kumquat.

Are you looking forward to holiday gatherings with your family and loved ones? Maybe you are feeling depleted from a hectic schedule and looking for a reason to decline invitations. No matter which camp you are in, there are some tips that may help you get through the holiday season. Since what we eat plays such an enormous role in how we feel, physically and emotionally, let’s incorporate some healthy food habits into this year’s holiday feasts.

As a lifelong chef and herbalist, I have a deep appreciation for the flavorful impact of herbs and spices and the healthy benefits they offer. You probably already use herbs in your holiday cooking so why not try them in some new ways this winter? From the first sips of hibiscus ginger apple cider to the last bites of pear pink pepper pie, you’ll get digestive support, immune boosting, and calming for your nerves.

Before we get into the recipes, let’s cover a few basic healthy digestion tips from Ayurveda, India’s traditional medical system.

  • Get some exercise every day. Something you enjoy and just enough, not to exhaustion. This boosts your metabolism, helps to boost circulation and immunity, and has enormous mental health benefits. Extra points if you get outside in nature.
  • Sip hot water with lemon or hot herbal tea throughout the day. This aids digestion of fats, helps you stay hydrated, and helps to calm the nervous system.
  • Try to only eat when you are hungry and pay attention to your food, eating until you are content but not “full.” Leave room for digestion. When the stomach is overfilled, digestion is more sluggish and needs more of our energy, hence the food coma.
  • Lastly, try taking a short walk after eating your meal, or laying down on your left side for five to ten minutes. Both of these habits improve digestion and assimilation.

Try these delicious, herb-infused recipes for your next holiday gathering. They are simple, packed with nutrients, and help to keep your immune and digestive systems functioning well through the winter.

Spiced Kumquat and Ginger Chutney

Ingredients

  • 2 cups kumquats, quartered lengthwise, seeded
  • 1/2 cup cane sugar or coconut palm sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange or tangelo juice
  • ½ cup dried cranberries or currants
  • 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground star anise
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

  1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. 
  2. Bring mixture to boil. Boil until kumquat skins are tender and mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15-30 minutes. 
  3. Transfer chutney to bowl and cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator. 
  4. Makes 2 cups but can be doubled or tripled easily.
Picture of Jana Kilgore

Jana Kilgore

Jana Kilgore is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga teacher, private chef, and guide living in Hawaii after many years of practice and teaching in Michigan and the Bay Area. Since her teens, she has been using food, plants, and meditation as medicine, and has dedicated her life to empowering people to take back their health and happiness through the gifts of yoga, Ayurveda, and nature. She specializes in digestive issues, autoimmune disorders, hormonal health, mental health, trauma and recovery, and recently added postpartum support to her practice. Jana teaches Ayurveda for yoga teachers in various trainings and also yoga teacher trainings in Yosemite with Balanced Rock Foundation. When she isn't teaching, cooking, or working with clients, she is working on a book, slowly learning to surf, or out on a trail!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shine Your Way to Firefly | Izumi Sato

We aim to improve the flexibility of hamstrings and shoulders, as well as the strength in the arms, thigh adductors, and the core. Variations are offered to develop the sense of balance on the arms. It is an exploration of your own expression in Firefly, whatever stage of life you’re in.

Introduction to the Buddhist Mudras | Izumi Sato

Mudras are highly stylized and symbolized as non-verbal communication. In this introduction to the Buddhist mudras, we will learn five Buddhist mudras and the mudras of the five wisdoms, or five Buddhas. After learning the forms and meanings of the mudras, it’s fun to observe the arts such as Buddha sculptures and paintings.

Chanting Gayatri Mantra With Mudras | Izumi Sato

In this mantra, the 24 Mudras are practiced while chanting the Gayatri Mantra which has 24 syllables. Gayatri Mantra is dedicated to Savitri, a Vedic sun deity. Among various translations of the mantra, I introduce the first line by Tias Little and the rest of the lines by Swami Vivekananda.

How Mindfulness Can Help You Navigate Social Media

Now that social media has become an extension of our own communities, a lot of negative perspectives and habits have made their way from the digital world to our real one. By becoming aware of your emotions and actions, you can get past the bad side of social media and enjoy the company of your social circle.

Escaneo Corporal | Marcela Christjansen

Esta es una meditación donde vamos a hacer un escaneo del cuerpo completo, desde la punta de los deditos de tus pies hasta la coronilla de la cabeza. Esta meditación está enfocada a la relajación mental y física. ¡Disfrutala!