Healthy with Jodi

Holiday Desserts! Eat clean, reduces sugars, enjoy!

    Holiday Desserts!  We had such a fun time creating new recipes and adapting old recipes to better quality ingredients.  Reducing the sugar “coma” feeling is huge during the holidays.  Remember it’s an indulgence, not an everyday treat.  When you can learn to appreciate dessert or good food, you know there be more and you don’t need to be the “starving child” and scarf down what’s in front of you.  Learning how to have a healthy relationship is part of what I teach in “cooking class”.  You shouldn’t be alarmed because it’s not always “cooking”, we learn preparation methods, tips on saving time and energy.  Come to the next class-step out of your comfort zone and see how good you feel after realizing “cooking” isn’t so bad!

    Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
    Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo
    Happily serves 8
    ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

    Crust
    1/2 Cup soaked dates
    2 TBSP Coconut Oil
    1 Cup Ground Nut Flour
    1/8 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

    Soak Dates 1-4 hours. Remove seeds, discard water.
    Add the nuts to the food processor and blend until they are like a rough flower then add the dates, coconut oil and sea salt.
    Pulse together until it becomes a lumpy ball and then press into the bottom of a pie dish and refrigerate.

    Filling
    4 Cups Fresh Pumpkin (or 2 Cans Pumpkin purée)
    8 oz Vegan Cream Cheese
    1/3 cup Maple syrup (can sub coconut nectar) OR 1/4 tsp maple extract & 1/4 tsp stevia or Lohan Sweetener
    2 TBSP Pumpkin pie spice

    To make the filling
    Add pumpkin and other ingredients and process until smooth.
    Blend on the highest setting until It is smooth like the cooked version of pumpkin pie.
    Transfer the filling to your pie crust and let refrigerate for a few hours.

     

    Quinoa Brittle
    Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
    Happily Serves 10

    ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

    3/4 Cup Tricolor uncooked quinoa
    3/4 cup Pecans and/or macadamia nuts
    2 TBSP Coconut sugar
    1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie or Allspice
    2 TBSP Coconut oil
    1/4 cup Blackstrap molasses
    Dash of cinnamon
    Pinch of Himalayan Sea salt
    Stevia if you desire it sweeter

    Preheat oven to 325.
    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Cover all edges)

    Combine quinoa, macadamia nuts/pecans, coconut sugar, salt, and cinnamon/spices in a bowl and set aside.

    Over low to medium heat, add the coconut oil and black strap molasses (and optional Stevia). Stir until there is no visible separation. Pour over the dry ingredients, combine and coat evenly, spread on a parchment lined baking sheet with a metal spoon.

    Try to get it as even as possible or the edges will burn in the center won’t crisp up.

    Bake for 15 minutes and turn the pan around to ensure even baking and Browning. Back 5 to 10 minutes more and watch carefully so it does not burn. The edges will get crisp and caramelized, and the color will be uniformly deep golden brown in color.

    Let it cool completely before breaking it into serving pieces.
    You can store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for up to one month.

    Canadian Butter Tarts
    Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Dairy Free option
    Happily Serves 24
    ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

    Crust
    1 Cup Soaked Dates
    1 Cup Ground Nut Flour
    1/8 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

    Soak Dates for 1-4 hours. Remove seeds.
    Combine Dates, Nut Flour and Sea Salt in the Food Processor and blend well. Press into mini muffin tin and refrigerate.

    Filling
    1⁄4 Cup soft butter, or vegan butter
    1⁄4 Cup packed Coconut brown sugar
    1/8 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt
    1⁄2 Cup maple syrup or 1/4 tsp maple extract and 1/4 tsp Powder Stevia
    1 egg, lightly beaten or 1 flax/chia egg replacement
    1⁄2 tsp Vanilla

    Mix all ingredients together.
    Add a bit of chopped marischino cherries in mini muffin tin on the crust and fill the tart with the filling.
    Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

    Optional to top with crushed pecans.

    Egg substitute:
    1 TBSP Ground flax or Ground Chia seed added to 3 TBSP water.
    Mix and let sit/jell together about 5 minutes.

    Jamaican Cornmeal Fritters

      JAMAICAN CORNMEAL FRITTERS

      Vegan, GF

      Happily serves 10

      All ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

      1½ cup corn flour 

      ½ cup GF flour

      2 tbsp Coconut sugar

      2 tsp baking powder

      ½ tsp Himalayan sea salt

      1½ cup room temperature water

      2 tbsp coconut or avocado oil

      Coconut Oil for frying

      Heat a cast iron skillet with about ½ cup oil on medium heat.

      While its heating, mix all ingredients into a bowl (will take on a thick pancake consistency).

      Once oil is hot in pan, add several large dollops of cornmeal mixture into pan.

      Fry 5 minutes or so on each side until golden yellow.

      Remove fritters when evenly golden yellow on both sides, and place on paper towel to clean excess oil.

      Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

        Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

        Refined Sugar Free, GF

        Happily serves 16

        All Organic Ingredients:

        1/4 Cup Lime juice

        1/2 cup chopped cilantro

        1/4 Cup Coconut vinegar

        5 crushed garlic cloves

        1/2 tsp Sea Salt

        2 TBSP Coconut sugar (I use less and usually use stevia)

        1 Cup Avocado Oil

        Mix or blend well.  Shake before use.

        More Vinaigrette Recipes

        Quinoa Brittle

          Quinoa Brittle

          Vegan, Gluten free, Refined Sugar Free
          Happily Serves 10

          ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS 

          3/4 Cup Tricolor uncooked quinoa

          3/4 cup Pecans

          2 TBSP Coconut sugar

          1/2 tsp Pumpkin pie or allspice

          2 TBSP Coconut oil

          1/4 cup Blackstrap Molasses

          1/4 cinnamon

          Pinch of Himalayan sea salt

          Stevia, if you desire it sweeter

           

          Preheat oven to 325.

          Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Cover all edges)

          Combine quinoa, pecans, coconut sugar, salt, and cinnamon/spices in a bowl and set aside.

          Over low to medium heat, add the coconut oil and black strap molasses (and optional Stevia). Stir until there is no visible separation.  Pour over the dry ingredients, combine and coat evenly,  spread on a parchment lined baking sheet with a metal spoon.

          Try to get it as even as possible or the edges will burn in the center won’t crisp up.

          Bake for 15 minutes and turn the pan around to ensure even baking and Browning. Back 5 to 10 minutes more and watch carefully so it does not burn. The edges will get crisp and caramelized, and the color will be uniformly deep golden brown in color.

          Let it cool completely before breaking it into serving pieces.   You can store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for up to one month.

          Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

            Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein

            GF, Vegan, Paleo

            Happily Serves 6-8

            ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

            1 Spaghetti squash
            1/4 cup Coconut Aminos
            3 Garlic cloves, minced
            1 TBSP Coconut sugar
            2 tsp freshly grated ginger
            1/4 tsp white or black pepper
            2 TBSP Avocado oil
            1 Diced yellow onion
            3 Celery stalks
            2 Cups cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage, broccoli, and or carrots)

            Cut spaghetti squash in half length wise and carefully scoop out seeds. Lay skin side up in a glass dish, place 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan.
            Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until flesh is very tender. Shred flesh with a fork so it breaks apart into strings, set aside.
            In a small bowl, whisk together Coconut aminos, garlic, coconut sugar, ginger, and pepper.
            Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
            Add onion, celery, stirring often, steam for no more than 3 mins.
            Stir in cabbage until heated.  This should take no more than 7 mins total.
            Stir in spaghetti squash and “soy” sauce mixture until well combined.