Healthy holidays

It's hard to eat healthy at this time of year.

First, there's all the holiday food - high in fat and sugar.

Then there's the cold weather, perfect for soups and stews, but not so good for salad.

I'd been puzzling how to get us eating more raw vegetables and less cheese and crackers, when I came across this walnut and roasted red pepper dip.

I am not generally a fan of veggies and dip - dips are often dairy-based and runny enough to make the trip from bowl to mouth precarious.

But this one is firm enough to stand up on a celery stick, and it's vegan. I found the recipe in Seasons and Celebrations, a book published by Relish magazine.

The sun-dried tomatoes make it a pretty red color, the roasted red pepper gives it sweetness, and the walnuts form the solid base and add a ton of heart-healthy nutrition.

Best of all, it whirls up quickly in the food processor. I served it with raw kohlrabi, radishes, carrots, cauliflower and celery. It was good as munchies before the meal, and it went well with a bowl of soup.

The recipe makes a lot. It stores well in the fridge for a few days, and then I stirred the last of it into a casserole of rice and lentils.

Put this dip on your holiday table, and you will find your family eating many more raw vegetables.

Roasted Walnut and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
1 1/2 cups (3 oz) sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers (I pulled a frozen red pepper from my freezer - you could use a bottled one)
1 clove garlic
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Pour boiling water over dried tomatoes. Soak 1 hour.

Toast walnuts in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you can smell them, about 5 minutes.

Drain tomatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving the soaking liquid.

Place walnuts, tomatoes and 1/2 cup soaking liquid in the food processor. Add remaining ingredients. Pulse a few times, then process until fairly smooth. Add more soaking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get the texture you like.

Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.