Food for Thought: Bring a dish that will please the heart and soul
It's getting closer to Christmas
time and plenty of Christmas parties
are scheduled for the weeks to
come. If you happen to be hosting
one of these parties, or if you are
invited to a potluck, you are probably
wondering what you should
bring that will be healthy and delicious.
Considering most holiday parties are riddled with the standard cold mayo-based salads and casseroles, it's quite hard not to consume a million grams of fat when you attend one. It doesn't have to be that way, though. With a little creativity and effort, you can pull off some good-for-you dishes that will wow the guests so much they won't even know it's healthy.
Standard holiday potato salad is a typical mixture of potato, bacon and mayonnaise. I say scrap the mayo and bacon and start from scratch! Mix it up by using baby purple potatoes and add a dressing of lemon juice, honey, grainy mustard and olive oil to taste. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper, but watch the amount of salt you throw in. Make sure to add a little dressing while the potatoes are still warm from being boiled, as the heat will help them to absorb some flavour. Don't be afraid of the olive oil, either. It may be high in fat, but olive oil is a “good fat” and will help to lower cholesterol. Just don't go drinking it like water unless you want a very upset stomach.
Most parties have at least one boring old fruit salad. Not that there is anything wrong with a typical fruit salad; I love fruit. However, it's not as alluring as it could be for people who don't eat a lot of fruit. One way to spice things up is to add a dressing to the mix. Find a fruit puree and blend it with a bit of yogurt and honey, then add some chopped mint. Or, use honey, lemon and some cinnamon for a festive dressing. Experiment and let me know what works! You can also jazz it up by adding exotic fruits like dragon fruit, pomegranate, fresh/dried figs or cactus pear. Nuts like pecans or almond slices may attract some guests, but be wary of allergies before you add them and make sure to let everyone know they are in there.
Date breads and cookies are the perfect dish for anyone with an uncontrollable sweet tooth. Dates are a natural way to sweeten up foods and can be baked into almost anything. One of my favourite baked goods that include dates is sticky toffee pudding. With a little caramel drizzle on top, it's to die for. Unfortunately I wouldn't put that one in the “healthy” category.
Speaking of caramel, it's so much healthier to make your own if you plan to have it. Homemade caramel can be absolutely delicious and lacks all the preservatives of store-bought caramels. It's a bit tricky to execute, but if you are handy in the kitchen and want to give it a shot it will be totally worth it.
If you'd like the recipe for hot caramel or have a holiday dish that needs some tweaking to make it more healthy, make sure to email me at the address above!
Considering most holiday parties are riddled with the standard cold mayo-based salads and casseroles, it's quite hard not to consume a million grams of fat when you attend one. It doesn't have to be that way, though. With a little creativity and effort, you can pull off some good-for-you dishes that will wow the guests so much they won't even know it's healthy.
Standard holiday potato salad is a typical mixture of potato, bacon and mayonnaise. I say scrap the mayo and bacon and start from scratch! Mix it up by using baby purple potatoes and add a dressing of lemon juice, honey, grainy mustard and olive oil to taste. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper, but watch the amount of salt you throw in. Make sure to add a little dressing while the potatoes are still warm from being boiled, as the heat will help them to absorb some flavour. Don't be afraid of the olive oil, either. It may be high in fat, but olive oil is a “good fat” and will help to lower cholesterol. Just don't go drinking it like water unless you want a very upset stomach.
Most parties have at least one boring old fruit salad. Not that there is anything wrong with a typical fruit salad; I love fruit. However, it's not as alluring as it could be for people who don't eat a lot of fruit. One way to spice things up is to add a dressing to the mix. Find a fruit puree and blend it with a bit of yogurt and honey, then add some chopped mint. Or, use honey, lemon and some cinnamon for a festive dressing. Experiment and let me know what works! You can also jazz it up by adding exotic fruits like dragon fruit, pomegranate, fresh/dried figs or cactus pear. Nuts like pecans or almond slices may attract some guests, but be wary of allergies before you add them and make sure to let everyone know they are in there.
Date breads and cookies are the perfect dish for anyone with an uncontrollable sweet tooth. Dates are a natural way to sweeten up foods and can be baked into almost anything. One of my favourite baked goods that include dates is sticky toffee pudding. With a little caramel drizzle on top, it's to die for. Unfortunately I wouldn't put that one in the “healthy” category.
Speaking of caramel, it's so much healthier to make your own if you plan to have it. Homemade caramel can be absolutely delicious and lacks all the preservatives of store-bought caramels. It's a bit tricky to execute, but if you are handy in the kitchen and want to give it a shot it will be totally worth it.
If you'd like the recipe for hot caramel or have a holiday dish that needs some tweaking to make it more healthy, make sure to email me at the address above!
