Tis the season of celebration, and with that comes a little more indulgence in sweet treats. When it comes to food, I hate deprivation, but I am a huge fan of making sure that when I indulge, I choose the best possible ingredients that will satisfy my sweet tooth and have some level of nutrition.
SIMPLE SWAPS
• Swap refined table sugar for honey, maple syrup, date sugar, or coconut sugar, these have way more minerals but still have the sweet taste you’re looking for.
• Instead of margin, look for grass-fed butter, because it is packed with vitamins and minerals.
• Choose a quality chocolate like cacao powder instead of coco powder, because it’s higher in minerals and vitamins.
• Look for chocolate bars that don’t have added refined sugar. I like the brands Hu and Theo.
• When a recipe calls for vegetable or canola oil, always swap it for avocado oil so you won’t expose yourself to inflammatory seed oils.
High Protein Cheesecake
This is a play on cheesecake made with cottage cheese to give it a much higher protein content, which will keep you full longer and help you meet your protein needs for the day, but it still has the best flavor.
4½ cups cottage cheese
4 eggs
5 tablespoons butter
½ cup honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
½ lemon juiced
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a buttered 9½-inch round springform pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown along the edges and slightly jiggly in center. Let it cool completely then place in refrigerater overnight. Top with favorite fruit or cacao powder.
Yield: 8 to 12 servings
Healthy Candy Bar Bites
12 to 16 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup cashew butter
¼ cup butter
¾ cup roasted pecans
½ cup dried cranberries, plus a little more for garnish
2 dark chocolate bars. preferably Hu brand
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Flaked sea salt for garnish
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
In a 9.5 x 5-inch loaf pan, lay parchment paper to cover bottom and longer sides with a bit of spillover. Smash pitted dates on bottom of prepared pan to cover pan in a single layer. Melt cashew butter and butter in a small saucepan, and pour mixture over dates. Sprinkle roasted pecans and then cranberries on top. In a double boiler or in microwave, melt chocolate bars and coconut oil. Once combined, pour over bars. Top with sea salt, a few additional dried cranberries, and sesame seeds. Place in freezer for at least 5 hours or until set and hardened. Remove using paper on the sides. Cut into serving pieces.
Yield: 12 bars
Gut Loving Homemade Marshmallows
Yes, you can make your own marshmallows, and not only is it so easy, but the gelatin in them is great for gut health as well as your hair, skin, and nails, and you get to control the sugar, which means no high fructose corn syrup.
Coconut oil spray
Arrowroot for dusting
3 tablespoons bovine gelatin
1 cup water, divided use
¾ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla
Spray an 8-inch square pan with coconut oil, dust with arrowroot, and set aside. In a mixing bowl, place gelatin and ½ cup water; set aside to bloom. In a pot over medium heat, add remaining water and maple syrup and bring to a boil, about 10 minutes or until mixture reaches 235 degrees. With mixer on low, break up gelatin mixture, then slowly add sweetened water, turning mixer to highest setting. Whip for about 10 mins. Add vanilla and mix to incorporate. Pour into prepared dish (do this quickly, because it sets up very quickly) Let sit for about 30 minutes, then cut and serve. Dust with additional arrowroot to keep them from sticking together. Great for roasting after they have dried out over a few days. Will last in the fridge for about 3 weeks.
Yield: 12 marshmallows
