Christmas is almost here and everybody looks forward to celebrate, have fun and eat Christmas treats and traditional dishes. So, what would better than a festive Christmas table full of delicious food and sweets made according to healthy recipes? From an appetizing pork to delicious pies and sweet puddings Christmas food means love and geniality. It is the reason why people celebrate and gather altogether around the Christmas table. Here you can find some healthy recipes for your Christmas table, full of pure ingredients, fresh vegetables and mixed spices. Try and cook these healthy recipes for Christmas and you will definitely satisfy even the fussiest guest. Just edge your knives, grab your ingredients and start your healthy, delicious Christmas miracles.
1) Drunken pork with prunes
Ingredients:
1.5 kg pork without bone (the leg is fine)
1/2 pound of prunes 1 large onion
The juice of three oranges 1 glass of white wine 1 glass of brandy 250 ml olive oil 1 tbsp butter Salt/Pepper
Procedure:
Put the prunes into a deep bowl and marinate with the orange juice and brandy. Meanwhile, heat olive oil and butter in a big pressure cooker and brown the meat on all sides. Add the sliced onions into the cooker, mix them with the meat and saute them. Add the wine and a small cup of water and reduce the heat.
Let the food be cooked for 45 minutes. Once the cooker is ready, open it and add the marinated prunes. Add salt and pepper, reduce the heat and let the food be cooked for another half hour, without covering the cooker.
When the food is ready slice the meat, pour the prune sauce on the top and serve. This food fits great with mashed potatoes or rice.
A few more secrets
Along with the orange juice we can also use the juice of a tangerine. It gives extra flavor!
2) Christmas chicken pie
Ingredients:
1 chicken
- big sliced carrots
- potatoes cut into cubes 4 slices of bread
400g mixed grated cheese
Salt/pepper
For the cream
750 ml fresh milk
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
- pinch nutmeg
- eggs Salt
Procedure:
Boil the chicken into a big kettle. After fifteen minutes, when the water starts boiling add sliced carrots and the potato cubes. Add salt and pepper. Let the kettle boil for twenty more minutes and turn the stove burner off. Chop the chicken into medium slices. Drain the cooked vegetables. Now prepare the cream. Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add milk, a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Add the eggs and stir quickly. Butter an ovenware and spread the slices of bread. Place the chopped chicken and vegetables on the bread slices. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Cover with the cream and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake the chicken pie at 220 C for 25-30 minutes, until it gets brown.
3) Christmas pudding
Ingredients:
225g butter
225g sugar
4 Eggs
50g flour
1/4 tsp. clove
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
A pinch of allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
225g breadcrumbs
300g black raisins
300g white raisins
125g Candied cherries
250g mixed dried fruits
125g dried figs cut into thin slices
1 peeled and grated carrot
Zest of 2 Oranges
Zest of 1 Lemon
125g white almonds
75 ml beer
75 ml brandy
Traditional hard brandy sauce:
300g butter
500g powdered sugar
125 ml brandy
Procedure:
Mix the dried fruits, raisins, spices and brandy in a large bowl and marinate them for two hours. Mix the butter with sugar until the mixture gets white and soft. Add the eggs one by one and stir well. Then add flour, salt, breadcrumbs, beer, figs and the zests of lemon and oranges and mix well. Add the marinated fruits and seeds into the mixture and then the cherries and almonds. Butter a pudding pan. Pour the mixture into the pan, cover it with a lid and wrap with foil. Tie the lid with kitchen string and place the pudding pan in a large pot with boiling water. The water level must reach the middle of the pudding pan. Reduce the heat, cover the pot and leave the pudding to boil for 4 hours. Check often and fill with hot water if needed. After four hours remove the pudding, let it cool down and store in a dry place until Christmas Day.
Prepare traditional hard brandy sauce: Whisk in the mixer all the ingredients together until you get a smooth mixture. Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and place it in the refrigerator until serving time. Before serving the pudding, heat it for two hours. Pour the brandy sauce all over the pudding and serve.
4)Cheese ball with cranberries, bacon and nuts
Ingredients:
250g cream cheese
250g chopped feta cheese
120g bacon, chopped
120g dried cranberries
1 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
120g pistachios and almonds
Procedure:
Let the cream cheese soften out of the refrigerator for an hour. Then add the feta cheese, bacon, cranberries, coriander and the Worcestershire sauce and mix everything together with a plastic spatula.
Pour the entire mixture on a membrane and form it into a big ball by joining the edges of the membrane. Place the ball in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Place the peanuts and almonds on a membrane and when the cheese ball is ready roll it over the nuts to get fully covered. Put the cheese ball in the fridge to firm overnight. Serve it on too of various bread rolls.
5)Greek sugared buns
Ingredients:
800g flour of good quality
500g fresh butter
170g powdered sugar
2 vanilla beans
150g baked and chopped almonds Powdered sugar for topping
Procedure:
Whisk the butter for 5-6 minutes, until it gets totally white and then add the powdered sugar. Keep stirring for another 5-7 minutes to create a smooth mixture. Meanwhile, add vanilla beans and flour gradually.
After while the mixture turns into a soft and greasy dough that should not be sticky. When the dough has the right texture add the chopped, baked almonds and mix the dough with a plastic spatula.
Cut dough balls at the size of a walnut (25 g) and place them on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 35-40 minutes until they get a golden color. After removing the pan from the oven the buns are somewhat soft because of the butter. Let them stand and firm for about 1-2 hours. Put the desired amount of powdered sugar in a strainer and sprinkle them until they get white.
