Ali Shapiro

Simplify the Holidays in a Healthy Way (recipes as seen on NBC 10! Show)

The time and energy crunch of the holidays are upon us. This usually means more stress and more sugar to keep us going. Below are three quick, simple no-sugar, holiday recipes that you can also use as gift ideas for family and friends. They are the perfect guilt and stress free solution!

To get more information on these recipes and the health benefits, check out my NBC segment under Media. It will be posted as soon as it is available. I also highlight decadent naturally sugar-free fudge. That recipe is posted on a separate blog entry. It's just as scandously delicious!

The first two recipes are courtesy of ecoliciouslife.blogspot.com.

Chocolate-Dipped Monogrammed Apricots

1 lb.  dried apricots

1 1/4 C. gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2  gluten-free white chocolate chips (only if monograming)

Pastry bag or press with writing tip (only if monograming)

Innocent Indulgence: Naturally Sugar Free Fudge

Holiday stress escalates as time decreases and sugar intake increases. Here's a miracle solution: fast, sugar-free fudge. Baking doesn't have to mean hours in front of your stove or guilt.

Cooking and food should be fun and nourishing...all year round! If you want more time, better tasting food and improved health, I'll be leading a 10-week group program that conquers the time-crunch of our everyday lives with hundreds of easy recipes and cooking strategies just like the one below.

Steam-Baked Vidalia Onions

During this holiday season, it’s important to get sweetness from naturally occurring sweet foods like onions. This will help decrease your desire for those over-sugary desserts lurking in office kitchens and grocery stores.Ingredients2 Tablespoons butter3 Garlic cloves, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press2 medium Vidalia onions, peeled, ends removed, and cut in half across the middle2 Tablespoons water Yields4 servingsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees

Walnut-Date Clusters

You love chocolate. And you should. The dark stuff is good for you. This recipe will help when you need the fix or a healthy dessert to bring to a holiday party.

1 ½ cups coarsely chopped pitted dates
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts
4 oz 100% dark baking chocolate
¼ cup of honey (may need to add slightly more depending on taste preference)

Makes about 4 dozen

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place miniature candy cups onto the parchment or waxed paper.

In a bowl, mix together the dates and walnuts. Set aside

Lemon Mint Salad Dressing Recipe

It’s salad season, which means it’s time for dressing up! This recipe tastes great over some arugula mixed with spring mix. Check this Wednesday’s post for more info on arugula.

I recently had this amazing Lemon Mint dressing in Lancaster, PA. If you are ever there, go to Prince’s Cafe. They have great local food. I believe it is the local yogurt that is the secret ingredient in this dressing.

I loved the dressing so much I asked for the recipe and being the friendly place Lancaster is, they gave it to me.

Gluten-Free Granola

This is delicious and great to add to trail-mix or as a breakfast with some ground flax seed and almond or rice milk. A great friend provided the basics for the ingredients and then I added my own little twist.

Gluten-Free Granola

4 T butter

2 T Grade B Maple Syrup

6 cups of Gluten-free Oats

3/4 cup of dried coconut (make sure to get sugar free)

1 T vanilla extract

1/4 c. almonds

1/4 c. walnuts

3/4 c. pecans

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter

Add 2 tablespoons of Grade B Maple Syrup

mix in:

The Ultimate Smoothie

Now Carlos tells me making smoothies is no big deal. But I find it is because you want them to be SMOOTHie not a RUNnie which can happen to me when I make them. The secret is adding in a banana at the end. So simple, so wonderful!

Smoothie Recipe (this is for multiple servings)

1. Put a tray of ice cubes in the bottom of your Vita-Mixer or blender

2. Add in rice or almond milk (enough so it blends the ice)

3. Add in whatever fruits you choose (we buy frozen strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries ) and blend.

Sneak In Your Greens Smoothie

So by now, you know greens are important. Especially during Spring! Here’s a quick and easy recipe to help you get them in on the fly.

Sneak In Your Greens Smoothie

Yield: 6 servings

1 granny smith apple, washed, cored but with skin

1/2 pear, washed, with skin

4 stalks celery, ends & tips removed, use leaves

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1/2 large Haas avocado

1/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed

3-4 cups filtered water

One Bean Guacamole

This recipe is so wonderfully quick, simple and delicious. I adapted it from a Moosewood Cookbook. I ate it with a Sunshine burger and some broccoli for a very filling spring time lunch.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

One ripe avocado

1 can of kidney beans (15 ounces)

1/2 cup of salsa

1/4 cup of cilantro

sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Slice avocado in half. Scoop out each half and set in dish.

2. Rinse kidney beans and smash together with fork. Mix salsa, cilantro, sea salt and pepper to taste

Apple and Berry Crisp

Here’s another delicious recipe from the Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Cookbook by Susan O’Brien. I made this last weekend and plan on whenever I’m craving something sweet with some crunch. It is delicious! And to make this recipe easy, use whatever fruit you have in the house. That’s what I did. It all worked out!

Ingredients:

Fruit

4 cups apples, peeled,cored and slice

5 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

3 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 T arrowroot (you can use cornstarch too)