May I direct your eyes to the mojito in the bottom corner. It would be rude not too, right? Credit: delicious.com.au
APPARENTLY the words healthy and Christmas can coexist. Enjoying the festive season without stacking on the kilos is possible if you follow that old mantra of ‘balance’. So to help, here a seven ‘kind of’ healthy dishes to get you started.
FRIDAY
‘Tis the season to enjoy fresh prawns on the BBQ and celebrate the end of the working week, and beginning of holidays for a lot of us. Do so with these grilled chilli prawns with tomato, mint and chilli. Serve these prawns at your sit down dinner, or simply pour over the salsa and serve up family style for a more relaxed affair. There will be less fishy fingers and as the photo above suggest, this dish should be served with mojitos. Balance, remember!
SATURDAY (CHRISTMAS EVE)
If you’re going to indulge in something over Christmas it should be pork crackling. Lots and lots of it.Source:Homelife.com.au
Our healthy meal plans have yet to include a roast pork recipe, but it’s Christmas time, and if you are going to indulge on anything it should be pork crackling. Try this traditional roast pork with pistachio and apricot stuffing, served with baked pears and some crispy, crispy skin.
SUNDAY (CHRISTMAS DAY)
A whole baked fish is great alternative to turkey ... and doesn’t even take 6 hours to cook.Source:Taste.com.au
Don’t feel like roasting a heavy and time consuming leg of meat this year? Why not try this whole snapper with herb pesto and crispy potatoes instead. This dish takes no time at all to prepare, cook or serve and is such a healthy alternative to cumbersome turkey or ham, which you often end up eating for at least an extra week anyway. Serve with crispy sweet potatoes and zucchini for an even healthier Christmas lunch.
MONDAY (BOXING DAY)
Go one step further than a turkey sandwich when using up leftovers this year.Source:Taste.com.au
Christmas Day may be over but the ridiculous amount of food probably isn’t going anywhere soon. If you have a Boxing Day party or second Christmas on Monday why not save time and money by putting those leftovers to good use. This turkey pesto pasta, is a light dish that can be served hot or cold. It’ll make good use of that leftover turkey by combining fresh tomatoes and basil leaves for a clean, classic flavour.
TUESDAY
Mangoes can do no wrong, this is the post-Christmas meal to get you back on track. Credit: BestRecipesTeam.Source:Supplied
Mango chilli salad has been giving the old Asian noodle salad a run for it’s money over the last couple of Christmases. However, you don’t have to save this fresh seasonal dish for the 25th. Enjoy as an accompaniment to prawns during summer or for dinner the week following Christmas. You know, the days when consuming another mouthful of pork or pudding would just send you over the edge.
WEDNESDAY
Take tabbouleh up a notch with extra vegetables and bursts of pomegranate. Credit: delicious.com.auSource:Supplied
Okay, by Wednesday it’s probably time to put that “but it’s Christmas” excuse to bed and start preparing for the new year. Do so with this healthy buckwheat, pomegranate and roasted carrot tabbouleh that makes a great summer, weeknight dinner and even better lunch the next day.
THURSDAY
This ‘slaw’ is quick, easy and looks a treat.Source:Inside Out
Another great weeknight dish is this quick and easy crunchy rainbow slaw. While also a good one to add colour to your table at Christmas lunch, this dish is perfect anytime of year. With a Vietnamese kick this fresh salad is a great way to use up all those vegges you forgot about over the weekend and get you feeling healthy (before NYE, where you’ll likely ruin it all again). It’s okay, remember the mantra, balance.
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