Classy Cranberries and Savory Sweet Potatoes: A perfect holiday duo
I love the holidays. Not just because it is a chance to spend
time with friends and family, but also because it is a chance for me to inspire
others through food. More often than not, I bring something healthy and
creative, containing only fresh whole food ingredients. Usually it stands out,
alone and out of place, in the flood of other rich and sweet alternatives. Not
surprisingly, it usually is a hit, drawing in curious tasters with the colorful
and vivid ingredients screaming “taste me!” Without refined sugars, and refined
flours and grains, it may seem hard to compete with the latter. However, the
savory and delicious flavors always prove them wrong. Whole foods can taste good!
Not only do whole food ingredients taste delicious, but they
also naturally contain less refined sugar, preservatives, or other flavor
enhancers, and more nutrients and fiber. For example, you can buy canned
cranberry sauce that contains 21g of sugar per ¼ cup serving, or 5 ¼ teaspoons
of white sugar! However, it is also easy to create an unhealthy version of
cranberry sauce using fresh whole cranberries. For instance when I bought a 12
oz bag of fresh cranberries at the grocery store, the cranberry sauce recipe on
the back called for 1- 1 ½ cups of white sugar! I couldn’t believe my eyes!
This recipe contains even more sugar than the canned alternative! With so much
sugar in typical cranberry sauce, either in the canned form or using the free
recipe, of course its going to taste
amazing on top of the fatty and salty turkey meat. How could anyone resist the
addicting combination of sugar, fat, and salt?
So, why is refined sugar unhealthy? Firstly, it does not
contain any vitamins, minerals, or natural enzymes like raw honey or maple
syrup. Secondly, and more importantly, large amounts of sugar in the diet may contribute to systemic inflammation, increasing the progression of chronic disease.
In addition, refined sugar can also feed unhealthy bacteria in the gut, leading
to yeast overgrowth and GI upset. Although most consumers may not be aware of
their day-to-day sugar consumption, adult Americans are consuming on average 22
teaspoons of sugar per day. Compare that to the American Heart Association
daily recommendations of 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoons for women (1). Even more
frustratingly, sugar is often hidden in refined and processed food; for instance pasta sauces and
ketchup. No wonder we love to dip our fries in ketchup-it’s the magical sugar,
fat and salt combination!
Sadly, during the holidays, sugar consumption increases even
more dramatically, due to the constant temptations at every corner, including desserts,
sweetened lattes, and other holiday adult beverages. For example, a 12 oz
pumpkin spiced latte contains over 9 teaspoons of sugar alone. Now add to that
the sugar in your morning pastry, the sugar in your favorite holiday dessert, and the sugar in your
alcoholic drink of choice, as well as any additional hidden unknowns. All
of a sudden you are probably up to an average of 30-50 teaspoons! Yeaowza!
So, how can you be more conscious and aware of your sugar
consumption this holiday?
- Start by choosing whole food ingredients in place of processed or canned goods in your holiday recipes. By utilizing fresh cranberries in a recipe you can adjust the amount of sweetener you would like to add, instead of buying canned.
- Reduce the sugar amounts in your favorite recipes. Instead of adding in a whole cup, try adding in just ¾ or 2/3 of a cup and see if you notice too much of a difference.
- Try swapping unrefined sugar with healthier alternatives like maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, or sucanat for added vitamins and minerals.
- Add dried fruit to recipes in place of extra sugar to add sweetness as well as added fiber and nutrients.
Just because you are reducing or omitting refined sugar,
doesn’t mean that the food has to taste bad. As you reduce your sugar intake, your
taste buds will change, and you will not crave as much sugar in your food. It’s
a win, win situation for your health and that of your loved ones!
So in light of the sugar topic, today I am going to share with you a healthy alternative
to your traditional, highly sweetened, cranberry sauce. The first difference is that it is raw—allowing
all the powerful phytonutrients and enzymes in cranberries, which have been
touted with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, to stay intact and
work together synergistically. When heated, processed, and mixed with a lot of
pro-inflammatory sugar, the health benefits of cranberries decreases (2). Keeping
the cranberries raw, allows you to benefit from all their health promoting
compounds!
Secondly, I only use maple syrup as a sweetener, and only ¼
cup, reducing the typical sugar amounts by ¾ or more! And thirdly, I add
freshly squeezed orange juice, zest, and optional jalapeno to the mix, creating
a zesty and bright raw cranberry chutney. The trick to this recipe is time. The
longer it marinates in its own juices, the more developed the flavors become. I
recommend making this recipe in advance and storing it in your refrigerator at
least a day before you using it.
With that I leave you with a delicious and savory salad,
topped with a raw cranberry chutney. The roasted sweet potatoes are to die
for—mixed together with feta, toasted sesame seeds, a drizzle of raw honey, and
chili flakes for extra spice. These usually don’t last long in my household,
because I add them into salads, use them as sides, or even eat them alone. They
are just that good! And with a dollop of cranberry chutney put on top…..you are in fall harvest heaven!
Raw Cranberry Chutney
Makes about 2 cups
INGREDIENTS
12 oz fresh cranberries
1 orange, juice and zest
4 tablespoons maple syrup
2 pinches sea salt
Optional: 1 deseeded jalapeno, finely minced
DIRECTIONS
Rinse cranberries and strain. Pour onto a clean kitchen
towel and pick out any soft cranberries.
Add the fresh cranberries into a food processor. If you want
to add any jalapeno, do so now as well. Process until finely minced. Be careful
not to process it too much, because then it will become too soggy.
Spoon into a large bowl and mix with orange juice, zest, and
maple syrup. Season with a pinch or two of sea salt.
Store in a glass jar for up to one week.
Note: This chutney
gets more flavorful with time. Tastes great tossed in salads, in wraps, sandwiches, or along with your Thanksgiving turkey.
Roasted Sweet
Potatoes with Honey, Feta, and Sesame
Makes about 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and dried
1 tablespoon melted ghee or avocado oil (can also use refined coconut oil)
1 ½ tablespoons hulled sesame seeds
Raw honey
1/3 cup crumbled feta (fresh feta is the best)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely minced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Meanwhile, chop the sweet
potatoes into bite sized pieces, leaving the peel on, and place into a medium
bowl. Toss the potatoes well with your oil of choice until evenly covered.
Line a baking sheet with parchment, and evenly pour out the
sweet potatoes onto the sheet, making sure that none are overlapping to ensure crisp sides. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Check for tenderness and stir. If tender, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, and return to the oven to bake 5 more minutes until sesame seeds are toasted.
Remove from the oven and generously drizzle the sweet potatoes with raw
honey, crumbled feta, fresh parsley, chili flakes, and sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix well and serve warm or cold.
Note: I like to toss
mixed greens, or romaine hearts, with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of sea
salt and fresh pepper, a cup of warm roasted sweet potatoes, and a dollop
of raw cranberry chutney. Super easy and tasty!
Reference:
1. American Heart Association. Sugar, Added Sugars Add to Your Risk of Dying from Heart Disease. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp. Accessed November 9, 2014.
2. Worlds Healthiest Foods. Cranberries. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=145. Accessed November 9, 2014.
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