Healthy recipes for holiday favorites
CHICAGO -- What if you could enjoy your favorite holiday foods without all the guilt?
Sarah Baker, creator of Balanced Babe, joined Windy City LIVE with recipes for egg nog, gingerbread, pot pie and sweet potato casserole that are healthy as well as tasty.
To find out more, visit balancedbabe.com.
EGGLESS EGGNOG
Ingredients:
2 cups cashew or other non-dairy milk of your choice
1/2 cup full fat coconut cream
1/4 cup raw cashews
5-7 Medjool dates
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp pumpkin pie seasoning
A handful of ice cubes
2-3 tbsp coconut syrup
A pinch of sea salt
Cinnamon stick for garnish
1/4 cup bourbon or rum optional
Directions:
Add all ingredients in a high speed blender.
Blend until creamy and smooth.
Serve chilled.
HEALTHIER GINGERBREAD COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups oat flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup vegan butter
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
A pinch of nutmeg and clove
1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup fancy molasses (blackstrap is not recommended)
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl combine all dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, spices. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil, vanilla and the sugar. Beat for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is nice and light.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed sugar mixture, beating to combine.
Let the dough sit in your kitchen at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a cookie sheet or line one with parchment paper. Roll out your dough. The thinner you make the cookies, the crunchier they will be.
Use a cookie cutter or create simple circle cookies and place on the sheet.
Bake the cookies for around 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Remove the cookies and let them cool before eating.
VEGAN POT PIE
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 small white onion, chopped
1 10oz bag frozen mixed veggies: corn, peas, carrots
2 cups celery, finely chopped
1 8oz box shitake mushrooms diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 stalks fresh thyme
1 tsp sage
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 cup oat flour
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup almond milk
2 sage leaves
2 store bought vegan (or of your choosing) pie crusts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Add 2 tbsp butter to a large pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the flour, stir with a spoon, then add the broth while stirring.
Add the almond milk, white wine, bay leaves and seasonings and cook at a simmer until your mixture starts to thicken.
Add all of the vegetables and cook for another 5-6 minutes. You can taste test this mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.
Open your pie crust packaging, remove the bay leaves, and pour the mixture in the pie baking dish. Top the pie with the second pie crust.
Bake until the top is a golden brown (about 15 minutes). Let cool before you serve.
SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
2 lb frozen mashed sweet potato
3 tbsp coconut oil melted
3 tbsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 cup chopped pecans
1 banana, peeled and mashed
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Defrost sweet potatoes and in a blender, mix together the sweet potato and banana.
Add the spices and coconut oil to the blender and continue blending.
Place the mixture in an 8x8 mixing dish and add the pecans on top.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes begin to lightly bubble and the pecan crust is starting to brown.
Let cool before serving.
