Nourishing, and Delicious, Holiday Food part 3

Dessert

I would gladly skip the main dish, eat a couple of salads and go right to dessert! I have a sweet tooth but my body doesn't handle white sugar, processed sugars/ sweeteners and refined flour well at all. The way I feel after eating these things doesn't even make the seconds of enjoyment worth it. But with a few simple substitutes desserts can become less unhealthy, maybe even some what nutritious and just as flavorful.

Traditional Pumpkin Pie (healthier) adapted from Nourishing Traditions

Pie Crust: makes: two 8-inch pie tart shells, one 9 inch pie shell plus extras

1 1/3 whole wheat pastry flour

pinch of sea salt

pinch of stevia powder

1 stick butter, cut into 16 pieces and frozen

2 egg yolks, beaten briefly

3 rounded TBSP cold water

Sift flour, sea salt and stevia powder into a food processor. Add butter over flour, (distribute evenly) and pulse food processor several times until butter is broken into pea sized pieces and is well distributed. Dribble lightly beaten egg yolks over flour and butter mixture and pulse once or twice. Turn on food processor- add water immediately- stop food processor. (butter still should be visible as pea/seed sized pieces) Turn crust onto waxed paper, wrap up and form into a ball. Refrigerate for several hours. (divide if making more than one pie) Roll out crust using extra flour to keep from sticking. Lay crust over pan, press dough firmly into sides and remove excess. Prick dough several times with a fork.

Don't pre-bake if making this pumpkin pie recipe. But to bake: Place in a cool oven and turn on the heat. bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes for a partially baked crust and 25 minutes for a fully baked crust.

Filling:

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree

3 eggs

3/4 cup sucanat

1 TBSP grated ginger (fresh) or 1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup organic cream

Cream eggs with sucanat. Gradually blend in other ingredients. Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Top with Homemade whipped cream: Beat 2 cups good quality heavy cream with a whisk or electric beater. When cream makes soft folds, beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of stevia powder.

Baked Apples

This is a great treat to serve to a smaller crowd. I like to use small to medium sized apples so everyone gets one, but if you use bigger apples you could slice and serve.

6 large baking apples, 8-10 small apples

6 TBSP Butter

1/2 cup sucanat

juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds

Core apples from stem side through the center but not entirely through. Cream butter and sucanat. Stir in remaining ingredients and place a spoonful in each apple. Place in a buttered baking pan with a little water. Bake at 325 degrees: 2 hours for large apples, 1-1.5 hours small to medium apples, or until apples are tender.

Pumpkin Apple Pie adapted from wholefoods.com

My mom always makes the pumpkin pie and my aunt makes the apple pie. they are both amazing traditions in our family and I can never decide which I like better or want to eat first. With this recipe I get the best of both worlds!

2/3 cup sucanat, divided
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or non-GMO cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
2 Granny Smith or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 egg
3/4 cup fresh or canned pumpkin purée
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup organic heavy cream or coconut milk
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell (in pie pan)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Put 1/3 cup sucanat, arrowroot powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, water and butter into a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Add apples and cook, tossing to coat in sucanat mixture, 3 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg, 1/3 cup sucanat, pumpkin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, ginger and cream until well combined.

Pour apple mixture into pie shell and spoon pumpkin mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375°F and bake until filling is just set in the middle, about 40 minutes more. Set aside on a wire rack to let cool completely before cutting into slices.

Baked Brown Rice Pudding

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1/4 cup sucanat
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup dried chopped apricots
1/4 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a (9-inch) baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together eggs, coconut milk, sucanat, rice, vanilla, zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, apricots, cherries and raisins. Spread mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, stir, and continue baking, uncovered, until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is very tender, about 30 minutes more. Set aside to let cool for 10 minutes, then top with almonds and serve.

Snacks

If your family is like mine, we love to put our snacks between the HUGE meals. Are they really necessary, no. But if everyone insists here are some simple ideas that are nutritious and full of enzymes to help digestion.

Raw nut and dried fruit trail mix

Seasoned Nuts (recipe coming Monday)

Raw veggies and Hummus

Stove Popped Popcorn

Apples Slice, variety of kinds

Fruit and Nut Balls (shape this recipe into balls)

Leftovers

Last year I purposely bought and cooked a turkey that was about twice the size that we were going to eat on Thanksgiving. I shredded the turkey and froze the leftovers in 2 cup portions and it was great to pull out for quick meals over the two months. Quick meals include: wraps, quesadillas, soup, salads, tacos, etc... substitute in any chicken recipe.