The gingerbread man is one of the most famous and recognizable symbols of Christmas. Although each country has its traditions, these cookies have become a Christmas icon.

It seems that the origin of gingerbread goes back to 992 when an Armenian monk brought this recipe to France. From there, these cookies spread throughout Europe; but they obtain their peculiar characteristic form just when Elizabeth I of England did not begin to give similar gingerbread cookies to her guests.

Today I propose my version of gingerbread men, super simple and without added fats, perfects for Phase 1.

They are a quick and original version; it is a cookie with a softer texture than the classic and flavored Christmas.

This recipe is part of my Christmas recipe e-book “Fast Metabolism Xmas,” will soon go on sale the 2nd Edition.

I hope you like this recipe; enjoy a healthier Christmas!

New FMD recipes every week

All my recipes are suitable for FMD!

Soft Vegan Gingerbread man

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Phase 1 Serves: 6 - 4 Prep Time: 45 min. Cooking Time: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1 - 1/2 cup of white sweet potato *
• 1 cup of whole spelt flour
• 1/2 cup of oat flour
• 1/3 cup of birch xylitol - or stevia to taste
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 teaspoon of cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon of clove powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Instructions

1. Wash the sweet potato well and put it whole (with the skin) in a pot with plenty of water.
2. Let it boil covered for about 30 minutes.
3. Let the sweet potato cool, peel and shave with a fork.
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
5. Mix the crushed sweet potato with the rest of the ingredients and mix them with your hands, until form a homogeneous dough.
6. Let the dough rest for a few minutes, place it between two sheets of baking parchment and stretch it with a rolling pin; the thickness that is between 1 and 1/2 centimeter.
7. It is a mass a little difficult to work because it is a bit wet, better be quick so it does not stick too much.
8. With a cookie mold cut all the cookies you want. If you do not have a cookie mold or if you’re going to go faster, you can avoid spreading the dough with the rolling pin: just make some balls and leave some marks with the fork.
9. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake about 10 minutes. If they are more chubby cookies, you can leave 5 more minutes in the oven.

This recipe is suitable for the Fast Metabolism Diet – FMD Phase1. With these quantities, you get 6 grain servings for <20 pounds or 4 grain servings for >20 pounds.

 

Christmas is coming: Vegan Gingerbread was last modified: January 7th, 2019 by Eloisa Faltoni

Notes

*You can use another color sweet potato (for example yellow or orange) but you have to keep in mind that it will influence the color of the cookies.

The post Christmas is coming: Vegan Gingerbread appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.

Christmas is the time of the year I prefer. The Lights dress the city; gloves and chesnuts warm our hands; decorations cover streets, and the kitchens are filled with a spicy aroma that smells of cinnamon, ginger, and happiness.

Even so, many people have a hard time during the Christmas holidays. A little bit because of the stress of making gifts for everyone, a little because it is difficult to cook for many people, a little bit because of feeling guilty when eating cookies and sweets. In the end, we feel bad and we also get fatter. But who says it should always be like this?

What if we could spend a perfect family Christmas without having to get fat?

I know it may seem impossible, but it is not. I tell you the problems that I used to find during my Christmas holidays and how I solve them.

1. If I prepare diet food for myself, I feel marginalized

I remember one year (before I met FMD) in which I wanted to make the classic Christmas menu for my family and one for my diet. It was horrible; the attempt failed after 5 minutes because as soon as my family saw that I had a different dish, they started to tease me and “pressure me” not to stay on a diet on Christmas. In the end, I listened to them, and I ate usually, but I did not get to enjoy it at all, and I ended up being very stressed because I could not respect my own words.

This is a mistake: stress and anxiety are our worst enemies. They make your body enter a state of emergency, for this reason, it is so important to relax and have fun.

Recommendation: If Christmas Day there is no way to follow FMD, do not worry, do not do it. Have fun with your family, remember to drink a lot of water and eat vegetables and enjoy the food. After holidays you can do Haylie’s 3-day soup cleanse, and then continue with DMA usually.

2. I can resist everything, except temptations

According to Oscar Wilde, a writer I love, “the only way to get rid of a temptation is to give in.” I agree, but using my head. You are celebrating Christmas with your family and propose a toast with that wine you like so much and decide to have a drink. Perfect. Just remember to drink more water during the day. The ideal ratio would be for each glass of wine or other alcohol (better organic wine or clear liquor and of good quality) an extra glass of water.

Recommendation: During the meal try to start with the most protein dishes, so the entry into circulation of sugar in our blood will be slower.

After the meal, the table is full of sweets and nougat, make sure you have a healthy and sweet choice made by you, it will help you to satisfy your desire for sweet without feeling bad.

3. The Christmas menu is full of forbidden foods

One of the things I learned from the DMA is that eating tasty does not have to exclude eating healthy. Often, it seems that a dish without butter, potato, flour or sugar is not delicious. Well, it’s not true. Many healthy recipes are incredible; You’d be surprised to find that most of you can easily include them in DMA. In the end, it is about paying particular attention to the choice of dishes and the ingredients you will use.

Recommendation: For example, Roast is one of the most typical Christmas dishes, I can cook it with butter and fried potatoes or prepare it with olive oil (or even without, look at this recipe) and baked sweet potatoes. The same goes for sweets. I can choose to make a dessert that has butter, sugar and white chocolate or make a much healthier one. For example, with xylitol or stevia (or even coconut sugar for F4) fresh fruits and wholemeal flours. It’s just about using the imagination.

4. I cook for my whole family, and I do not have time for my

One of the most significant problems was that cooking for the entire family, I spent hours in the kitchen and prepared all kinds of dishes being completely fasting, maybe trying some sauce, but without really eating. In the end, at lunchtime or dinner, I was starving. This is one of the most common mistakes, the best thing in these cases is not to forget to eat.

Recommendation: Do not leave your body without energy: consume protein snacks throughout the day. In this way, you will arrive at a quiet meal or dinner without being hungry.

I hope this post could help you for Christmas. Do not forget to comment on the issues that you find yourself so together we can help each other

The post How to spend a perfect family holiday without getting fat appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.

Apples are my favorite fruit, and the apple pie is my favorite cake. For this reason, I always look for different and original ways to prepare this sweet. The version that I propose today is elementary to do and is vegan; Often you do not know what to cook if you have a vegan guest, this cake is a quick and tasty solution.

New FMD recipes every week

All my recipes are suitable for FMD!

Mini Vegan apple cakes

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Phase 4 Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 40 min.

Ingredients

• 70 gr of buckwheat flour
• 30 gr of tapioca flour
• 40 gr of almond meal
• 80 ml of almond milk
• 45 gr of birch xylitol
• 15 ml of sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 apples
• lemon peel
• Cinnamon

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the flours, the baking soda and the cream of tartar, the birch xylitol, and the cinnamon
2. Crush one of the apples until it becomes mashed
3. In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, lemon peel and applesauce and mix until smooth
4. Join the liquid mixture to the flour and stir until the compound is homogeneous
5. Cut the other apple into slices and put them in a bowl with cold water and a few drops of lemon juice
6. Put the mixture into a round mold and decorate with the apple slices
7. Bake at 160 degrees in preheated and ventilated oven, for 40 minutes

This recipe is suitable for the Fast Metabolism Diet – DMA Phase 4.

Mini Vegan apple cakes was last modified: November 23rd, 2017 by Eloisa Faltoni

Notes

WARNING FOR CELIAC: always check that the products that you use are certified without gluten, for who has doubts in this respect can be informed in the following link: http://bit.ly/GlutenFreeSymbol

The post Mini Vegan apple cakes appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.

Christmas is, without a doubt, my favorite party. Families and friends gather, the streets are illuminated with lights, the houses are filled with decorations and smells of sweets and cookies are smelled in the kitchens. This year, I will celebrate Christmas Day at my home with my family, so I have already begun to experience tasty but healthy recipes to propose to my guests.

New FMD recipes every week

All my recipes are suitable for FMD!

Christmas pastries with cashew and orange custard

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Phase 4 Serves: 2 Prep Time: 40 min Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of Spelt flour
• 35 ml of water
• 35 ml oat milk
• 1/8 cup of coconut butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons of birch xylitol
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of raw cashews
• 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil
• 1/2 orange

Instructions

1. The first thing to do is put the cashews in soaking in cold water for at least 3 hours (better 6 hours)
2. Meanwhile, you have to make the choux paste: in a non-stick pot, you heat the water, the oat milk, and the coconut butter, stirring constantly
3. Add also one tablespoon of xylitol and the pinch of salt, keep mixing
4. When the butter is melt, put the fire to the minimum and add all the flour
5. Continue mixing continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough unstick
6. Transfer the mixture into another container and add one egg at a time, beating vigorously with the wooden spoon
7. It will not be necessary to add another egg if the precedent is not perfectly integrated with the mass
8. Preheat the oven to 428ºF – 392ºF if ventilated (220ºC – 200ºC if ventilated)
9. When the dough is ready (it has to be thick, but not rigid), put it in a pastry bag and form the pastries  on aluminum foil (better aluminum foil than baking parchment)
10. Bake the pastries for 10 minutes, after this time lower the temperature to 392ºF – 356ºF if ventilated (200ºC -180ºC if it is ventilated) and leave them until golden brown (The total cooking time is approximately 30 minutes, 20 if the oven is ventilated, but may vary slightly from oven to oven)
11. When the pastries are, turn off the oven but do not open it completely, only lightly (you can put a wooden spoon between the door so that it is just ajar), let it rest for 20 more minutes
12. After this time, you have to pick a pastry with a toothpick, if it is cook, let the pastries dry in the oven
13. To make the custard, you have to drain the cashew nuts correctly and grind them in a powerful blender
14. When they are almost creamy, add the oil, three tablespoons of sugar and the orange juice and keep beating until there is a homogeneous cream
15. When the cupcakes are cold, put the custard in a pastry bag and fill them through the base (as the cupcakes I made I made them smaller than the habitual I opened them in half and filled them with cream like this)

This recipe is suitable for the Fast Metabolism Diet – DMA Phase 4.

Christmas pastries with cashew and orange custard was last modified: November 23rd, 2017 by Eloisa Faltoni

The post Christmas pastries with cashew and orange custard appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.

The roast is a traditional dish, delicious and usually liked by everyone; It is perfect for a meal on Sundays or a Christmas party; It only has two problems: if the meat is overcooked the roast is ruined and it takes a long time to prepare it! What if I told you that there is an infallible way to make a perfect, delicious, healthy and fast roast? Here is my simple recipe: to cook!

New FMD recipes every week

All my recipes are suitable for FMD!

Pork loin roasted in the oven

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Phase 2 · Phase 3 Serves: 6/9 Prep Time: 1 h Cooking Time: 50 min.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg pork loin
• 2 tablespoons tamari sauce
• Vegetables broth
• 1 clove garlic
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. The first step is to marinate the whole loin with all the spices and salt and preheat the oven to 350º F (180º C);
2. Then you have to tie it with a kitchen thread and put it in a pan with the tamari sauce, a couple of tablespoons of broth and a cut garlic, to brown it for a few minutes
3. When it is golden on all sides, put a tray that can go to the oven, with what remains of liquid in the pan and some more tablespoon of broth
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes; you have to turn it a couple of times during cooking
5. After an hour in the oven, the roast is ready and juicy: before serving it better to leave it covered for 15 minutes.

It is served thinly sliced, with its juice or with the sauce that is preferred.

This recipe is suitable for theFast Metabolism Diet – DMA Phase 2 and Phase 3. Depending on the weight of the loin will be more or fewer portions of protein.

How to make a perfect roast in 5 steps was last modified: February 24th, 2018 by Eloisa Faltoni

Notes

WARNING FOR CELIAC: always check that the products that you use are certified without gluten, for who has doubts in this respect can be informed in the following link: https://bit.ly/GlutenFreeSymbol

The post How to make a perfect roast in 5 steps appeared first on Cooking with a Cat.