The end-of-the-year holiday season is a struggle for most of us to stay on track to nourish our bodies with nutrient-dense foods, especially when it comes to entertaining. The abundance of tantalizing cookies, cakes and other empty calories temptations surrounds us at every step. Sure they are tasty and satisfying for a moment, but a little later, we may regret our choice of overindulgence physically and emotionally.
We want to share a couple of very simple and easy sweet and savory recipes we have modified from the popular celebratory classic recipes to dump refined sugars and fatty meats and keep the deliciousness.
Give it a try, and let us know. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Happy Holidays from us here at
Chip and Kale
Sweet Affairs
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
This is a simplified version of an American classic.
- 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 c maple syrup
- 1/4 c coconut oil
- 3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 1/2 c quick cooking oats
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and heat, stirring continuously until melted and well combined. Stir in next 2 ingredients, stir till smooth. Fold in oats and mix well.
Drop a tablespoon of mixture onto the baking sheet, repeat with the rest.
Flatten with a tablespoon. Chill in the fridge till hardened. Enjoy.
Store in the refrigerator up to a week.
Royal Date
This little sweet tasty bites are always wonderful to have in your fridge whenever you need to satisfy your sweet tooth carvings.
- 20 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 c peanut butter or your favorite nut or seed butter
- 1/2 c of chopped almonds, pistachios, walnuts or nuts of your choice
- 1 cup of chocolate chips (we like Bake Believe or Enjoy Life brands)
Using a butter knife stuff the inside of each date with peanut butter and close the date. Place on the baking sheet.
In a small sauce pan melt over low heat the chocolate chips until smooth and combined. Dip each date using a toothpick into the chocolate the dates to coat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts of your choice allover.
Place on the baking sheet, refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, about 30 minutes.
Almond Thumbprint Cookies
One of our fav cookie recipe. Simple yet supper tasty.
Dough:
- 2 c of almond flour
- 6 TBS coconut oil
- 6 TBS of maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 6 TBS of raw mixed nuts ( almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios...whichever you have on hand)
- 6 Medjool dates
- 1T maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Place all dough ingredients into a food processor and give it couple pulses until
cohesive dough forms. Place dough in a bowl and place in a refrigerator while preparing the filling.
Place dates and nuts into the food processor and process till mixture is close to coarse meal, add zest and maple syrup (if to dry or you prefer sweeter cookies). process till sticky.
Using a tablespoon measure out the cookie dough, roll into a ball, place on a baking sheet, repeat with all the dough. With your thumb create a thumbprint in the middle of each cookie. Fill each indentations with prepared filling.
Bake cookies 8 -12 min until they start to turn golden brown on the bottom.
Savory Flings
Now couple of our favorite savory recipes that are not only as great celebratory appetizers but also to enjoy all year a round.
Beet Tartare
- 4 beets, roasted, peeled, and finely diced
- 1 tsp capers, chopped
- 1 TBS minced Italian parsley
- 2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Combine beets, capers, and parsley in a mixing bowl. In a second bowl combine the Dijon, vinegar, and olive oil. Whisk together well. Turn the dressing onto beet mixture and toss well.
We love to serve our tartare on a toasted baguette with some tangy cheese (as a Treeline cashew goat cheese, Spero The Goat made from sunflower seeds or Violife Feta) topped with some arugula to please the eye and the belly.
Mushroom Pate
- 2 cups mushrooms cleaned, chopped
- 1/2 c chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS soy sauce or tamari
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- tsp all spice
- pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
In a large pan to the heat olive oil, add the onions and sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent about 2-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, pinch of salt and pepper, all the spices and soy sauce sauté until the mushrooms have cooked and all the liquid has evaporated, another 10-15 minutes.
Place the mushrooms to the food processor along with the walnuts. Pulse, until you reach a smooth pate texture. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer into a container, and chill in the refrigerator. Store in the refrigerator for a week. This pate also freezes relatively well.
We love our pate to be served on dark bread or rustic seed crackers sprinkled with green onions or fresh chopped parsley, with a side of baby pickles.
