A Healthy Christmas Dinner
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For most of us southerners, hosting Christmas dinner is the best part of the holidays. We love having guests and winning them over with our hospitality. Open hearts and open homes-is the mantra we go by.
From the table scape to the candelabra, from the dishes to the meals served in them, everything must be perfect. Hosting for the holidays can be daunting in several ways too. Holiday season can involve many guests from out of town who stay over for a couple days at least. Cooking for extra people and keeping them entertained too can be quite a juggle. There is no time to lose.
I have seen two generations of ladies, my gran and my mum, balance this task with such effortless grace. But when I tried to do it, let’s just say it took me a good number of years to get the act right. First and foremost, make a list. With three young children, things can go out of control very fast for me. I start in the kitchen but 12 minutes later I find myself wiping lotion my kid has smeared on the wall. This goes on for 15 minutes and suddenly I can no longer remember what I was doing or what had to be done next. In trying to make up lost time, I skip many components of my dish and the end result is far from what I had started with in mind.
This time, I have decided to share with you three, simple yet delicious, and wait for it, healthy festive dishes you can whip up fast, when you are working under a time crunch.
Healthy and Yummy Texas Tacos
Ever since becoming a mum, I only have one thought while cooking. “Are the kids gonna like it?” This taco recipe is one my kids love! I make the mix with sustainably raised turkey meat a day before the dinner and freeze it. So, the only thing left to do is to fill the taco shells before serving.
Looking for fresh turkey (What wine goes well with turkey?) around Texas? Click here.
Ingredients
1-pound turkey meat
1 medium red pepper
1 small onion
4 diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn
20 taco shells, warmed
Salt and chilli
Chopped lettuce, diced cucumbers and lemon juice
Directions
Cook the turkey, onions, peppers, corn and tomatoes till the meat is cooked and vegetables are soft. Season as required. Fill the warmed taco shells with the meat mix and top with fresh salad and lemon juice. Freeze the meat mix for a second time use as it usually stays fresh for a day.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
The instant pot is my best friend. I cook almost everything from soups, stews, broths and rice of course! The chilly air this season definitely calls for a hot and earthy beef stew. (What wine goes well with beef stew?)
Ingredients
4 medium carrots
1-pound potatoes
1 medium onion
6 pods garlic
1 knob ginger, diced
1 Can diced tomatoes
5-pound stew beef meat
3 tablespoons cooking olive oil.
Oil, salt, pepper, mustard (how long does mustard last?), fresh thyme.
Directions
Chop and add all your vegetables and ingredients to the instant pot. Cook for an hour. Open the pot lid and stir and let the juices thicken and voila! You have a delicious, earthy and filling stew, that will be savored by everybody!
P.S: You can serve this stew with some turmeric-lemon rice, it tastes incredible!
White Texas Sheet Cake
Texas sheet cake is a classic loved by people all over America. It is also a very simple cake when you are pressed for time, as it involves frosting and serving right out of the pan. It has the perfect ratio of frosting to cake and makes enough for 10 people. What are you waiting for then? Get, set and bake!
Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup almond flour (how long does almond flour last?)
2 cup coconut flour (how long does flour last?)
2 cup powdered egg whites
5 tbsp baking powder
25 tsp salt
25 cup softened butter
4 cup brown sugar (how long does sugar last?)
1 large egg
5 tsp vanilla extract
4 cup almond milk (how long does almond milk last?) unsweetened
Frosting:
4 oz softened cream cheese (how long does cream cheese last?)
2 tbsp butter softened
3 cups peanut butter
3 cup brown sugar
5 cup heavy cream
5 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup salted peanuts chopped for garnish
Directions
Cake:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and oil a rimmed sheet pan.
In a bowl, whisk almond flour, coconut flour, egg white's powder, salt and baking powder.
In another bowl, beat the peanut butter (how long does peanut butter last?) and butter until combined. Beat in brown sugar, and then add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.
Add half of the almond flour batter and beat until mixed and then beat in almond milk. Beat in rest of the almond flour batter and beat till combined.
Pour into baking pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until cake is set. Set it out to cool
Frosting:
In a bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and butter until well combined. Beat in brown sugar, cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour frosting uniformly over the cake once it is cooled. Garnish with chopped peanuts and enjoy along with your Christmas dinner!
