Healthy holiday recipes for your party

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Your Christmas parties don't have to be fattening! Use these healthy holiday recipes from Green Plate Foods instead.

Healthy Holiday Fruit and Veggie Trees

You will need:

• Toothpicks (cut in half)
• 1 9-inch foam tree form (veggie tree)
• 1 9-inch foam tree form (fruit tree)
• 1 large head of cauliflower (for the snow)
• 2 lbs of broccoli crowns
• About 20 cherry or grape tomatoes, red looks best
• Optional- you could cut out a cheese or yellow pepper star with a cookie cutter for the top)
• 4 apples - 2 red, 2 green

Preparing the veggie tree:

1. Cut off cauliflower stem and separate out florets. I found using a knife to do this make the edges too square, so the more you can do with your hands the better. I like the larger chunks for snow.
2. Remove large stem from the broccoli and separate the pieces. Don' make these too small, larger chunks are ok. Trim stems more as you go if needed.
3. Place a half toothpick into a broccoli piece and then into the 9 inch foam tree form. Repeat all over the tree, leaving some room for tomatoes.
4. Finish with tomatoes
5. Top with tomato or a cheese or pepper star.
6. Set aside

Preparing the fruit tree:

1. Wash apples and slice in half, and then quarters
2. Core each quarter
3. Slice each quarter in half and then slice the 8th apple into 3 pieces (making 24 pieces an apple).
4. Squeeze lemon juice onto apple pieces and toss.
5. Place a half toothpick into a green apple piece and then into the 9 inch foam tree form. Repeat all over the tree, leaving some room for red apple pieces.
6. Top with red apple pieces or a cheese piece or star fruit star.

Place trees onto a large plate or tray and arrange the cauliflower pieces around for snow. Serve with your favorite sweet and savory dips on the side.

Optional: Cube pieces of cheese and place around the trees for "presents".

Zucchini Crust Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg
• 3 small zucchinis
• 1.5 cups grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grate the zucchini.
3. Sprinkle salt on the zucchini and stir. Let sit 5-10 minutes.
4. Squeeze out the water of the zucchini by wrapping the grated zucchini in cheese cloth and squeezing.
5. Mix with egg and grated cheese.
6. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread dough batter out into a in. thick circle.
7. Put it in oven and cook until it has browned, about 15-20 minutes.
8. Remove crust from the oven and top with tomato sauce, cheese and your favorite toppings.
9. Place pizza bake in the oven and bake until the cheese melts.

Gluten Free GPF Strawberry "Santa Hat" Super Brownies

Ingredients:

• 12 each GPF Gluten Free Super Brownies
• Cream cheese icing (recipe follows)
• 12 strawberries

Directions:

1. Cut the tops off of your store bought GPF brownies.
2. Cut the tops off of each strawberry.
3. Place a strawberry on each brownie and pipe and the bottom of each strawberry and the top to make Santa's hat.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 8oz low fat cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 dash of sea salt

Combine all ingredients and keep cold before using.

Chocolate Dipped Clementines with Sea Salt

Yield: Makes about 50 pieces

Ingredients:

• 7-8 medium clementines
• 4 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
• A few pinches sea salt (such as fleur de sel)

Directions:

1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and segment clementines; set aside.
2. In a small bowl in the microwave or over a double boiler, melt dark chocolate. Dip clementine segments in chocolate and transfer to prepared sheet. Immediately sprinkle with tiny pinches of salt before the chocolate sets.
3. Once all pieces are dipped, set sheet aside until chocolate hardens. To quickly harden chocolate, refrigerate sheet for 10 minutes. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Gluten Free and Vegan Pecan Maple Spice Muffins

Ingredients for mini cakes:

• 2 tablespoons chia (mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• 3/4 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup garbanzo/ chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup grape seed oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce

Ingredients for caramelized pecans:

• 3/4 cups pecans, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions:

1. First, make the chia 'egg'* by mixing ground chia with water, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and set aside. Pour liquids into dry ingredients and stir to combine well. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a mini-cake pan, or cupcake pan**.
4. Pour mixture into wells and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, remove from pan and set out on a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel so they don't dry out.
6. Before serving, scoop the Maple Syrup Carmelized Pecans on top and enjoy!

* A chia egg isn't only an egg replacer. It also helps gluten-free flour mixes to bind better in baked goods. Plus chia seeds add an amazing health boost, making desserts healthier.

** If you're baking these in a cupcake baking pan, your time will probably be a little longer, 25-30 minutes. Look for an even rising of the cupcakes and a nice dark golden color at the sides.