Enjoy the holidays without the holiday weight gain

The holiday season is in full swing. If you are celebrating chanuka, then donuts and latkes are doing a number on your waistline. Those delicious looking and smelling sufganiyot are everywhere you look...

Now, I love sufganiyot and latkes as much as the next person- BUT, I have no interest in undoing all my good eating habits in the span of a week. I'm sure your kids love these foods too, so just refusing them is hardly an option. We need to think harder.

I love latkes, and to be honest potatoes aren't bad in my book, BUT ALL THAT OIL! So I made this great recipe for baked latkes that are ready in 40 minutes, delicious, and cutting out most of that bad-for-you fat.

Baked Mini Latkes

2 peeled and grated potatoes, moisture squeezed or absorbed with a paper towel

1/2 onion finely chopped

1/4 cup whole wheat or spelt flour

2 large egg whites

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/8 tsp tumeric

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Spray a mini muffin pan with oil. Mix all ingredients together, and put 1-2 tablespoons of latke mixture into each cavity, patting them down. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from muffin tin. Makes 12 mini muffins.

Then I thought to myself, "hmmm... I really need a doughnut alternative!" So I altered my favorite muffin recipe, making it parve, and created cake doughnuts by baking them in a silicone doughnut pan.

Baked Doughnuts

1 Banana

1 cup Flour

2 tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce

1 tbps Coconut Oil

2 Tbsp Silan or Honey or Maple Syrup

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Spray a silicone mini donut pan with oil. Blend all ingredients and pour into a piping bag. Fill each cavity with about 1 tablespoon of batter. Bake for 15 minutes. Makes 24 mini donuts. Top with icing or a bit of jelly.

Enjoy your holidays and have a healthy and happy 2017!

xox