Healthy Holiday Entertaining

Healthy Holiday!

Healthy Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be complicated. There is plenty of delicious, nutrition-dense alternative that will now affect your waistline. Whether you are having family or friends over, share your love and fuel their bodies with these wholesome recipes that are easy to make and will make you look like a top chef.

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED

Bite-sized appetizers are essential for any party. Tasty nibbles that pack a lot of flavor help whet the appetite. These three delicious appetizer recipes are healthy low-carb options that are easy to prep in advance and conveniently tidy for your guests to devour at their mingle at your get-together.

Spicy Shrimp Ceviche

SERVINGS: 8 COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb medium raw shrimp, peeled
¼ cup lime juice (3–4 limes)
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Himalayan Pink salt, plus more to taste
Ground black pepper, to tas

Directions:

1. Chop shrimp into ½-inch pieces, place into a bowl and mix with the lime and lemon juice. Set aside to marinate for 10–15 minutes.
2. Add chopped red onions, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, chili pepper, and parsley. Mix and marinate for another 10 minutes.
3.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Rim the serving glasses with salt by taking a piece of lime and rubbing it on the edge of a glass. Place 1 tsp salt in a shallow plate and dip the rim of the glass in the salt until coated evenly. You can mix in ground black pepper or paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a spicy kick.
5.  Spoon shrimp mixture into glasses.

Zucchini Smoked Salmon Rolls with Team Cheese Filling

Sweet Potato and Smoked Salmon Chips

SERVINGS: 15
COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1. medium sweet potato Cream Cheese Filling (see recipe) 150 g smoked salmon Chopped dill, to garnish Chopped red onion, to garnish.

Directions:

1. Slice the sweet potato into thin rounds.
2.  Spread Cream Cheese Filling on each potato slice; top with smoked. salmon, dill, and red onion.

SERVINGS: 15

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Filling (see recipe below) 1–2 Zucchinis, sliced lengthwise into thin strips 150 g smoked salmon Fresh dill, chopped capers or hot sauce to garnish, optional.

Directions:

1. Spread Cream Cheese Filling on each slice on zucchini. Top with smoked salmon and roll-up.
2. Garnish the serving plate with dill, capers, or a drizzle of hot sauce.

Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients:

¼ cup low-fat cream cheese, room temperature ¼ cup low-fat sour cream
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.

MOVING ON TO THE MAIN EVENT

Hosting loved ones for dinner doesn’t have to mean you are so busy cooking that you don’t get to spend time with your guests. This entrée is elegant and looks impressive, but comes together quickly. Did you know that wild game meat is leaner and higher in protein than commercial meat? Quails are a flavourful healthy option and we guarantee your guests will be wowed by your main course. Also, they’re small and their meat is lean so it takes very little time for them to be cooked.

Herbed Lemon Quail with Roasted Baby Potatoes and Balsamic Vegetables

SERVINGS: 4
COOKING TIME: 45 minutes (plus overnight marinating)

Ingredients:
6–8 fresh organic quails
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt, divided
½ tsp ground black pepper, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon juiced and zested
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1½ lb baby potatoes
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp fresh parsley,
chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 ½ lb green and waxy beans
200 g baby carrots
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

1.  Place quails in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Stir and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350’F
3. In a medium pot boil potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and toss with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Bake for 20 minutes until fork tender. Add 1 tbsp parsley and set aside.
4.  Meanwhile, in a pan on medium-high heat add 1 tbsp olive oil and the olive oil, beans, and carrots.
5. Toss for 3 to 4 minutes until almost cooked. Add honey and balsamic vinegar and cook for a few more minutes until the beans are coated.
6. Place a pan on medium-high heat. Melt coconut oil and fry the quails for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
7. Arrange the potatoes, beans, and carrots on a serving plate, place the quails in the center and sprinkle with additional parsley as garnish.

ONE SWEET FINISH

Cheesecake is a classic dessert that everybody enjoys. This recipe is very rich and delicious but still healthier than most. It is gluten-free, lower in sugar, and void of fillers or preservatives. Mini cheesecakes are a great option because they can be decorated and flavored individually giving your guests several dessert options.

SERVINGS: 6
COOKING TIME: 3.5 hours

Ingredients:
CRUST
Butter or coconut oil
1 cup rolled oats
4 tbsp organic sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger powder
Pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cardamom
4 tbsp melted butter

FILLING
3, 250 g packs cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup organic sugar Pinch of Himalayan Pink salt
1 lemon zested
½ lemon, juiced
1 tsp vanilla extract or fresh vanilla bean
3 organic free-range eggs, room temperature
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
½ tsp cinnamon

GLAZE
141 g pack creamed coconut
1 tsp raw cacao powder Chocolate shavings, fresh strawberries, or lemon zest, optional.

Vanilla & Mayan Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.  Coat the inside of 6 muffin tins with butter or coconut oil. In a bowl mix rolled oats with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. Add melted butter and stir until well incorporated. Press about 2 heaping tbsp of this mixture into the bottom of each tin. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, keeping the oven on.
3.  In a mixing bowl beat, cream cheese with sugar and a pinch of salt for 2 to 3 minutes add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and mix for 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing between until incorporated. Pour cream cheese filling into 4 of the tins. To the remaining batter add cacao and cinnamon and mix. Pour this batter into the remaining tins. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
4. In a small saucepan melt creamed coconut until smooth. Pour 2 tbsp on top of each vanilla cheesecake. Mix cacao into the remaining glaze and pour on top of the chocolate cheesecakes. Let set for 15 minutes until hardened.
5. Decorate with your favourite toppings, such as chocolate shavings, fresh strawberries, or lemon zest.

Photos By VIOLET GHELETCA Follow (@naturallycut)