Christmas is just around the corner and so is the time for some delicious, decadent foods too! But we understand that if you are on a diet or are watching your weight during the festivities having these traditional recipes could put stress on your diet regime in a big way
Fret not though, because here we have our top 3 Xmas delicacies that have been made in a healthier manner so as to make sure that the post-indulgence guilt does not weigh you down.
- Gingerbread Cookies:
Image source: pillsbury
Ingredients:
- 1 cup atta/whole wheat flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 heaped teaspoon of allspice powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter or coconut oil (kept in room temperature)
- 1 large egg, room temperature or 1/2 tsp baking soda + milk, to make the consistency better
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses or brown sugar or you can add your choice of sweetener
- For the icing (optional)
- 10 tsp stevia
- 2 tbsp nonfat milk
Method:
- Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together, in separate bowls.
- Now stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ones.
- Keep stirring/mixing until the mixture forms a dough.
- Now wrap this dough in a plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree
- Take out the cookie dough and roll it out while it is between the plastic sheet. Make sure that you roll it till it is atleast 1/6thof an inch thick
- Cut out shapes using your gingerbread man cookie mould. When there is dough remaining, roll it out again and cut out more cookies.
- Bake for not more than 15 minutes and take them out to cool.
- Once cool, mix the ingredients for the icing in a bowl and then pipe it over the cookies
- Lemon Garlic herb roast potato:
Image source: onegreenplanet
Ingredients:
- Baby Potatoes 500 grams
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon mixed herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chopped Garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
For the lemon herb mix:
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- Zest of 1/2 a Lemon
- 1 teaspoon minced mixed herbs
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius
- Make slits in the potatoes but be careful to not cut all the way through
- Now mix the potatoes and all the other ingredients together in a large bowl (except for the ingredients for the lemon herb mix)
- Line your baking tray with a sheet and place the potatoes with the cut side up onto the tray.
- Roast the potatoes for 20 – 30 minutes
- Take them out of the oven and brush them with the combined lemon herb mix and pop them back in the oven.
- Take them out once they are cooked all the way through and drizzle them with the remaining lemon herb mix and serve hot!
- Pumpkin and lentil stew
Image source: tastespace
Ingredients:
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 1.5 tbsp. finely chopped and peeled fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tsp. Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp. Ground cardamom
- 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks
- 1 cup lentils of your choice, picked over
- 6 cups of vegetable broth
- 3 cups of spinach
- 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
Method:
- Cook the onions and ginger on medium heat in a cooker till they turn golden.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except for the vinegar and pressure cook for 12 minutes on medium heat.
- Once done, stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Blend if you want a smooth consistency
Comfort food is the name of the game during the holidays, and when comfort food is made healthy, well, nothing is better is there?
