Healthy Christmas Recipes!
From Holly, Kerry, Lauren, Bec, Joseph, Amelia, Kellie and Marika
Drinks
Cranberry and Lime Punch Serves 6
2 cups Cranberry juice
¼ lime juice
3 cups plain sparkling mineral water
Lime slices
Crushed Ice
1. Combine juices with mineral water in a large jug. Add crushed ice and lime slices prior to serving.
Watermelon and Mint Frappe` Serves 6
6 cups peeled, chopped seedless watermelon
4 cups crushed ice
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
2 tbs fresh lime juice
1. Blend 3 cups watermelon, 2 cups ice, half mint leaves and 1 tablespoon lime juice until smooth; repeat process with remaining ingredients.
2. Pour frappe` into 6 cocktail glasses and serve immediately.
Sides and Salads
Mango and Avocado Salad Serves 4-6
2 Ripe mangoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
6 cups mixed salad leaves
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 chilli, thinly sliced
1 cup macadamia nuts, crushed
Dressing:
¼cup lime juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
1. To make the dressing whisk all ingredients in a small bowl and let stand while preparing the salad.
2. Place macadamia nuts in fry pan over medium heat and toss until lightly toasted.
3. Place salad leaves, mango, avocado, red onion, macadamia nuts and chilli in a serving bowl. Toss with dressing.
Potato and Bean Salad Serves 4-6
300g green beans
800g kipfler potatoes
100g lean bacon diced
1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise
Juice of 1 large lemon
1 small bunch of dill
1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add beans and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender. Remove beans from water and run under cold water. Set beans aside.
2. Return water to the boil. Add potatoes and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. Cut in half.
3. Fry diced bacon over high heat until crisp.
4. On a serving platter arrange potatoes, beans and bacon. Sprinkle dill over salad.
5. Whisk together lemon juice and mayonnaise and drizzle over salad.
Meats and Mains
Quinoa Stuffing (ideal for roast chicken or turkey)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup olive oil
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup macadamias, chopped
8 thyme sprigs, leaves removed
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
4 middle eye bacon rashers, diced
1 brown onion, finely diced
1. Place quinoa and stock in a saucepan over medium-high heat, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until quinoa is cooked.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a fry pan over medium head. Sauté onion, bacon, carrot and celery until tender. Add thyme leaves and toss. Remove from heat.
3. Mix together quinoa, cranberries, macadamias, and onion mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
BBQ Prawns Serves 4-6
800g peeled and deveined green prawns, tails intact
1 long red chilli, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil
1. Place the garlic, chilli, oil and juice in a bowl and whisk until combined. Add the prawns and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Heat barbecue or grill to high. Thread prawns onto metal or bamboo skewers.
3. Grill skewers for 2 minutes each side or until cooked through.
Desserts
Christmas Fruit Salad Serves 4-6
¼ large watermelon, diced
2 punnets of strawberries, quartered
1 punnet raspberries
300g cherries, pitted
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
Juice of ½ a lime
1. Combine fruits in a large serving bowl. Toss with lime juice and mint leaves.
2. Serve with low fat yoghurt or ice cream
Christmas Fruit Skewers Serves 4-6
½ rockmelon, diced in 2cm cubes
2 punnets stawberries
2 large bananas, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
3 Kiwifruit, cut into thick slices
Large handful of grapes
Melted chocolate or yoghurt to serve
1. Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers.
2. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into low fat yoghurt
Healthy Baked Cheesecake Serves 8
250g fresh low-fat ricotta cheese
250g low fat cream cheese
¼ cup cornflour
300g low-fat sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
Finely grated rind of 2 large lemons
2 punnets strawberries
1 cup water
2 tbsp caster sugar
For Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and grease a spring form pan (approx. 22cm diameter) with melted butter.
2. Place ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, cornflour, eggs and lemon rind in a bowl or food processor and process until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared tin and smooth the surface.
4. Cook for 50-60 minutes.
5. Let cheesecake cool in oven.
6. Once cooled transfer to refrigerator and chill overnight or for at least 4 hours.
For syrup:
1. Cut up strawberries
2. Place strawberries in saucepan over medium heat with caster sugar and water. Cook until strawberries have soften and liquid has thicken (approx 15 minutes).
3. Strain out strawberries and discard or refrigerated for other uses (eg. nice with yoghurt or ice-cream)
Decoration:
1. Cut tops of strawberries and place upside down on cheesecake.
2. Brush or pour syrup evenly over strawberries.
Alternatively, serve with strawberries and icing sugar.