Our healthy Christmas recipes might just be your answer to spending more time with your guests and less in the galley! And, please remember to leave something for Santa …
RED, WHITE AND GREEN SALAD
Prep time: 25 minutes. Serves: about 8
½ head radicchio, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
1 red apple, cored and cut into matchstick pieces
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 (18 oz) can hearts of palm, drained, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
2 heads Belgian endive, cored and thinly sliced
4 cups thinly sliced hearts of romaine
Freshly ground black pepper
Champagne Vinaigrette (recipe below)
In a large salad bowl toss together radicchio, apple, radishes, hearts of palm, fennel, endive, and romaine. Season with black pepper. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Make ahead Tip: Prepare salad ingredients without vinaigrette; cover and refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Toss with vinaigrette just before serving.
CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE
Prep time: 5 minutes. Makes: 2/3 cup
¼ shallot peeled
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine all the above ingredients in a blender.
Tip: Whirring this champagne vinaigrette in the blender gives it a creamy consistency. If you don’t have a blender, just mince the shallot and then whisk the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
POACHED SALMON SERVED WITH ASPARAGUS SPEARS
Prep time: 25 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes. Serves: 4
1 large onion, sliced
2 fresh limes, sliced
½ cup whole peppercorns
3 cups water
4 fresh salmon steaks, 1-inch thick
Handful of fresh parsley
¼ cup good butter, like New Zealand or Irish
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp paprika
20 fresh asparagus, steamed
GARNISH: Lime and lemon slices/wheels
Combine onion, limes, and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil. Add salmon and parsley. When water begins to boil again, cover and reduce heat so water is just below simmering. Cook salmon 10 minutes or until it flakes easily. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan, add lime-juice and paprika. Remove salmon with a slotted spoon to a warmed serving dish; pour butter-mixture over salmon. Garnish with lime and lemon slices/wheels. Serve with the steamed fresh asparagus.
Caribbean Cooking: If you want Less Heat Spend Less Time in the Galley
FRESH BERRIES WITH YOGURT AND CHOCOLATE
Prep time: 10 minutes. Serves: 4
1 basket fresh strawberries or raspberries
8 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 oz dark chocolate, melted
Pour a pool of yogurt on a plate and place berries on top. Drizzle chocolate over berries.
