Everyone puts on some pounds over the holidays. We’re not suddenly gluttons, it’s the constant accessibility! I just got back from the dry cleaners and inexplicably had brownie crumbs on my shirt. I don’t remember eating a brownie. WHY DID THEY PUT OUT BROWNIES IT’S A DRY CLEANER?!? A friend left me a tin of cookies on our front stoop before running off to vacation. I just ate half a tin of cookies.
If they’re in the house, we will consume them — that’s human nature. The same can be said for healthier alternatives. If you stock up on the good stuff you’re more likely to change up your eating habits for the better. Let’s start off the New Year with smug self-awareness and trimmer waistlines. I’m not asking you to give up dessert, just make healthier ones.
Here are a few to start with.
Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate
Ok, stay with me here. There’s something super festive about dipping things in chocolate. Have a fondue pot? Well break that puppy out from under the pile of blankets, tool box and old tax returns. Just stick with fruit and omit the cubes of pound cake. Go with a high-quality dark chocolate. If you try to melt chips, depending on the quality, you could just end up with a greasy seized-up mess. Go for some Valrhona or Cocoa Bary. If it does go grainy on you, stir in some heavy cream until it’s smooth enough to dip. Don’t trust your guests with bowls of molten chocolate? Melt your chocolate in a microwave in 15-second intervals stirring in between. Dip and then chill for a few minutes before serving. Strawberries are loaded with Vitamin C!
With the addition of dark chocolate this is quite the delicious antioxidant powerhouse.
Brown Rice Pudding
Brown rice is just white rice with the side hulls and brans left intact. This keeps the grain rich in proteins, thiamine, calcium, magnesium, fiber and potassium – things that get stripped away when it’s refined into white rice. It helps you fill up faster with a lower glycemic index. Just one cup of brown rice will give you 80 percent of your daily manganese intake. Manganese helps to synthesize body fats. A body fat synthesizer isn’t as cool as a body fat keytar…but it’s close.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 cups skim, coconut or almond milk
- 1/2 cup short-grain brown rice
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup muscovado or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped dates or dried cranberries (optional)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
DIRECTIONS:
- Simmer the skim, coconut or almond milk, rice and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Cover and continue to simmer on low until the rice is very tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Stir it occasionally (about every 15 minutes).
- Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon to blend in a separate bowl. Mix in dried fruit of choice. Slowly stream the egg mixture into rice mixture. Stir over low heat until mixture is just thickened, 5-10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and stir in molasses. Cool. Refrigerate until well chilled.
Grilled Pineapple
It’s winter somewhere. Here on the East Coast, not so much. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a grill or a fancy schmancy grill pan, go get a pineapple. It has a wealth of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, beta carotene, thiamin, B6, and folate, as well as soluble and insoluble fiber. That’s plenty to justify this sweet treat. We’re talking immune support, arthritis management, cancer prevention and it even aids in digestion.
Dredge the slices in brown sugar and cinnamon and grill on high for about 2 minutes per side (until you get some nice dark marks). Feel free to customize your dredge by adding cayenne or chili powder. Serve with a spoon of mascarpone or vanilla frozen yogurt.
Baked Apple
This is just a super simple dessert we should all have in our arsenal. Use a melon baller to core the apple from above (don’t go all the way through) leaving a well for goodies. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and some raisins and chopped walnuts if you like raisins and walnuts. Too much sugar? Swap out one of the tablespoons of the sweet stuff with chopped dates. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the apples are tender.
Point being: You don’t have to deprive yourself this holiday season — you can just make (marginally) healthier treats!
