It is this time of the year again. Traditionally a feasting season, it can also be challenge for those who don’t want to pay a heavy price (no pun intended 😉 come the new year but still want to partake in the joys of the table. In response to many requests for yummy guilt free celebration menu ideas… here are a few Holiday ideas

Canapes: Mini artichoke hearts with prawns

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 12 fresh, frozen or canned mini artichoke hearts
• 24 prawns
• Soyonnaise
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt, pepper
• ½ tsp paprika
• Olive oil

Steps:

1. Cook the artichoke hearts of they are raw (15 minutes in boiling water).
2. Drain and set aside to cool down.
3. During that time, warm up the olive oil on gentle heat, add the garlic (make sure it does not go brown) and the prawns, saute them gently. Season with salt pepper and add the paprika.
4. Put a small teaspoon of soyonnaise in each artichoke. Garnish with one prawn in each one of them and present on a plate with some lamb’s lettuce seasoned with a drizzle of vinaigrette.
5. Enjoy! A lush low calorie starter!

Starter : Leek and Parma ham veloute

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 4 medium size leeks whites only, sliced up
• 1 large potato, diced
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 slices Parma ham
• ½ l chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ l rice milk l
• Salt & pepper
• Chives
• Olive oil

Étapes :

1. Warm up the 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan on medium heat, add the onion and the chopped leek. Cook gently until glazed but not brown.
2. Add the potato and the stock and cook for about 30 minutes.
3. During that time, gently cook the ham in a dry frying pan and slice it in thin strips..
4. Blend the soup until smooth and add milk until obtaining the desired consistency.
5. Season and garnish the soup with sprigs of chive and strips of ham.

Main course: Roasted quails with cuming and vegetables

Ingredients (serves 6) :

• 6 quails
• olive oil
• pitted black olives
• cumin
• 3 garlic cloves with their skin on
• Salt & pepper
• 200?g? peas
• 2 thinly slices gem lettuces or chopped tender leaves of curly kale
• 300g baby new potatoes
• 1? small bouquet garni (bundle of mixed herbs)
• 2 ?cups vegetable or chicken stock
• Heat

Steps :up your oven at 180 °C (gas mark 6)

1. Coat the quails in olive oil. Season well with cumin, salt and pepper. Lie them in an oven dish. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and olives to your taste around the quails.
2. Put in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Baste regularly. Add water/stock if necessary to prevent the quails from drying out.
3. During that time braise the gem lettuce gently in a little bit of margarine. Add the potatoes, the peas, a cup of stock and the herbs. Season. Cover and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Take the lid off and cook another 5 minutes.

Serving suggestion? :

Spactchcock the quails. Present them on warm plates with vegetables around them and

the juices from the dish.  

Side dish : Carrot gratin with Sichuan pepper

Ingredients serves 6-8) :

• 1? kg? carrots
• 40? cl ?de ?skimmed milk or soya milk
• 2? eggs
• 50?g ?Parmesan? or soya cheese
• 1 ¼ tsp ground Sichuan pepper (also known as Chinese ?coriander)
• Salt

Steps :

1. Peel and grate the carrots.
2. Beat the eggs in an omelette, mix with the milk of your choice. Add the salt and Sichuan pepper.
3. Put the carrots in a gratin dish. Cover with the egg and milk mix. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake for 30? minutes? in an oven at 180°C.

Vegetarian alternative : Spaghetti squash with ceps

Ingredients (serves 4) :

• 500g ceps
• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & plenty of freshly ground pepper
• Grated cheese (soya or emmental)

Steps :

1. Wash the outside of the squash.
2. Cut it in half (be careful to take your time, it is hard so stay calm and don’t hurt yourself)
3. Scoop out the seeds and the barb around the seeds with a spoon.
4. Set 1/2 of the squash in a large saucepan skin side up. Cover with water, bring to the boil. Cover with a lid lower the heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.
5. During that time, clean and slice the mushrooms thinly. Warm up the olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and the mushrooms, season with salt and saute the ceps until well cooked and slightly crispy (but NOT burned)
6. Once the squash is cooked remove from the pan and cook the other half in the same way.
7. Whilst the second half cooks, scrape out the flesh of the first one with a fork in such a way that the flesh looks like spaghettis.
8. Gently mix that flesh with the mushrooms.
9. Pour that mix into the empty squash shell, sprinkle with grated cheese (not too much). Cook it au gratin in the oven for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

1. You can scrape out the flesh of the other half and freeze it for a future gratin and vary the garnish.

Pudding : Chestnut caramel custard

Ingredients (serves 6) – prepare a day in advance:

• 600g? plain chestnuts
• 60g? caster sugar
• 4? whole eggs
• 4? egg yolks
• 2/3? l milk
• 1? vanilla pod split lengthwise
• 100g? sugar for the caramel

Steps :

1. Make a dark caramel and coat a 25 cm cake pan with it
2. Cook the chestnuts in the milk with the sugar and the vanilla pod. Once cooked remove the vanilla pod and scrape the pulp into the milk.
3. Blend until very smooth.
4. Beat the eggs with the sugar until frothy.
5. Pour in the chestnut milk mix slowly stirring the whole time. Fill the cake tin with the mix.
6. Balke in a 180°C preheated fan oven for 50 minutes.
7. Let it cool and refrigerate overnight. Turn over an hour before serving and leave the tin on top to allow for  the caramel to spread down the side. Remove the tin just before serving.

Serving suggestion : serve a slice each coated with a bit of caramel.

Find other Holiday season menus and recipes in your Private Space in a Christmas special Weight Loss File!