This holiday season, don’t stress yourself out wondering how you’re going to balance your diet and still enjoy all that the season has to offer. Making better choices for your health doesn’t mean sacrificing a little indulgence! We’ve teamed up with Kasia Fraser, vegan food blogger, to share five of her favourite recipes for the holidays. From truffles to pasta to pie, these dishes will satisfy every appetite and keep your body happy, healthy, and energized.
Classic Christmas Chocolate Truffles
‘Tis the season to be jolly, but also the season where we tend to eat unhealthily.
These amazingly healthy chocolate truffles are the perfect Christmas candy treats to make and share with your family. Made with healthy nuts and maple syrup, you can enjoy these treats without having to worry about putting processed food in your body.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup of walnuts or almonds
- ½ cup of maple syrup
- ½ cup of raw cacao powder
- 1 tbsp. of raw vanilla extract
Preparation:
- Take all the ingredients and mix together in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Take the soft dough like mixture and shape into small round truffles on a tray or flat surface.
- Serve as is, if smooth texture is desired. For a crunchier texture, you can dip the truffles into extra chopped walnuts or chopped almonds.
- Serve at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate any remaining truffles.
These holidays, or otherwise, feast on these sweet delights that are super-healthy and take only ten minutes to make. You can also add other healthy ingredients (such as dried fruit, whole grain oats etc.) to make energy bars to snack on. These truffles are bound to give you a boost when your energy is low or bring a smile to your face.
These treats are very easy to make and can be a great gifting option too.
Vegan Mung Bean Fettuccine Recipe
Fettuccine is one of the most delectable of Italian dishes. However, store bought wheat fettuccine can be fattening, filled with sodium, and often leaves one feeling bloated. Try this organic mung bean fettuccine that is really light and tasty.
Ingredients:
- Organic mung bean fettuccine - can be found at Asian markets or grocery stores in the gourmet or Asian section
- 6 baby portobello mushrooms
- 1 organic carrot
- ½ an organic green zucchini
- A small piece of organic ginger - grated
- 2 tbsp of tahini
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp of black or regular salt
- Juice of ½ a lime
- Finely chopped fresh organic cilantro to garnish
Preparation:
- Add a pinch of salt to boiling water and cook the fettuccine ( instructions are on the packet depending on the brand that you buy). Rinse with cold water and add a tsp of olive oil to keep fettucine soft and separated.
- Chop mushrooms, carrots, and zucchini into half inch cubes.
- In a separate pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Wait for them to splutter.
- Next add the finely grated fresh ginger and cook until golden.
- Add the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, and some water.
- Let all ingredients cook for 5 minutes.
- One the vegetables become soft, add some tahini, and give it a nice stir.
- Turn off heat and add rinsed fettuccine and lime juice.
- Garnish with the freshly chopped organic cilantro.
Benefits:
- Gluten free
- These noodles are high in protein and fiber, and low in carbohydrates.
Awesome Protein Shake
Mornings tend to be one of the busiest times of the day, and this is especially the case during the holiday season. But instead of heading to the drive-through for a high-fat, low-nutrition breakfast sandwich made with frozen ingredients and packed with preservatives, try this quick, invigorating, and healthy shake instead! It’s high in protein, which will help keep you going until lunchtime, and the addition of dark chocolate makes it a yummy, indulgent way to start your day.
Ingredients:
- Handful of cashews
- 8-10 dried apricots
- 1 apple
- 3 tbsp hemp seeds
- Small bar of dark chocolate
- 1 cup almond milk
- Water or ice (optional)
Preparation:
- Mix all ingredients together in a blender for 30 to 1 minute. Once the mixture is smooth, garnish with hemp seeds and a few shavings of dark chocolate.
Raw Cherry Pie
For health-conscious food lovers, this time of year can be difficult to balance. You’re surrounded by sweets and treats everywhere you look -- Christmas cookies in the kitchen, chocolates and candies in the office, and parties with trays of desserts. But you can still nourish your body without missing out on the fun! This raw, sugar-free cherry cheesecake is incredibly easy, and you can make it in 10 minutes (and with only three ingredients!)
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1 cup of walnuts
- 6 organic medjool dates
Cherry filling:
- 2 cups of organic cherries, pitted
- 3 organic medjool dates
Preparation:
- Using a food processor, pulse the walnuts and 6 dates together until they form a paste. Form a crust with your hands, or by using a baking form. Muffin tins work great for individual servings! Leave a hollow in the middle for your cherry filling.
- Cut pitted cherries in half, keeping a few to decorate the top of the pie. In a food processor, blend the rest of the cherries with 3 dates. Spoon the filling into the crust, and top with decorative cherries.
- Keep in the fridge, or serve immediately!
These pies make a perfect dish to bring to a holiday party. People won’t believe how healthy, simple, and delicious it is!
Raw Zucchini Pasta
This raw zucchini pasta is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and raw, so it makes a wonderful dish to bring to any dinner party with guests who have dietary restrictions. The raw cashew ‘cheese’ makes this light, fresh dish feel indulgent, too!
Ingredients:
Pasta:
- 1 zucchini (that’s it!)
Mushroom & tomato sauce:
- 1 tomato
- 5 mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small piece of fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- Handful of fresh basil
- Celtic sea salt
Tomato garnish:
- 1 tomato, chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper
Cashew ‘cheese’:
- ½ cup cashews
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Celtic sea salt
- ⅓ cup of water
Preparation:
Pasta:
- Use a spiral slicer to create ‘noodles’ from the pasta, or slice as thinly as possible.
Sauce:
- Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Cashew ‘cheese’:
- Soak cashews for at least 20 minutes, and then drain the water. Blend cashews, olive oil, lemon juice, hemp seeds, and salt together in the food processor or blender. When the mixture is smooth, add water and mix for a few more minutes, until creamy.
Put it all together!
- Arrange zucchini noodles on a plates. For an extra green boost, you can place them on a bed of arugula or romaine lettuce.
- Cover with the mushroom & tomato sauce, and top with the seasoned tomato and cashew ‘cheese’. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Recipes by Kasia Fraser, originally written for Hello Delicious. Edited by Aratrika Rath and Paige Leigh Reist.
