The holiday season and that means to be with your friends and family to celebrate the simple joys of life. What are celebrations without food? The holidays would end up being blunt without the great cuisines prepared by our grandmothers or mothers. But everything that we eat during this period shows up at our waists, making it a very guilty experience.So to spare everyone from the guilt trip, let us take a look at some of the low-carb recipes you can serve this holiday.
Starters
Roasted Asparagus wrapped in Ham
Ingredients: One pound each of asparagus and ham.
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use non-stick spray on a baking sheet. Trim the asparagus on the woody ends and make them of the same size. Roll a piece of ham across each asparagus and use a toothpick to make it stay. Roast the asparagus on one side for about ten minutes till the ham becomes light brown in colour. Then turn it to the other side and roast for about six minutes to get the same consistency on the other side too. Add seasonings according to you need.
Roasted asparagus wrapped in ham is ready. Use mustard sauce if needed and serve it hot.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients: One pound beef, a single slice of low carb bread, six sweet and spicy Italian sausages, half chopped onion, two eggs, two tablespoons of chopped parsley, half tablespoon nutmeg.
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl with required seasoning such as salt and pepper and mix well. Roll it into small balls by adding low carb flour. You can also use a cookie batter scooper to roll the balls. Bake the meatballs for ten to twelve minutes till it is nice and brown on the outside. Take a pot and add a cup or can of chicken broth. Add a spoon of flour to thicken it up. Put the meatballs into the pot with the chicken stock and let it soak for a few minutes. Serve it hot and enjoy.
Main course
Simple BBQ Ribs
Ingredients: Two and a half pound of country steak pork, one teaspoon ground black pepper, one tablespoon garlic powder, one cup barbeque sauce, salt as required.
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a pot filled with enough water to cover the pork. Add the pork and the rest of the ingredients and seasoning to the mix except the sauce. Boil it till the meat becomes tender. Take the ribs out of the pot, place it on a baking dish. Add the barbeque sauce over the ribs and spread it to every part of it. Cover it with aluminium foil and bake it in the preheated oven for an hour or till the temperature of the ribs reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Take it out of the oven and serve.
Rosemary Roasted Turkey
Ingredients: One twelve pound turkey, three-quarter cup olive oil, two tablespoons chopped rosemary, three tablespoons minced garlic, one tablespoon chopped basil, one tablespoon Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt as required.
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix olive oil, rosemary, garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Wash and clean the turkey. Loosen the skin between the skin and the breast by slowly using your fingers. Use the mix from the small bowl and spread it generously under the skin starting from the breast part to the thighs and legs. Use the remainder of the mix to rub over the outside of the breast. Place a rack in the roasting pan and put the turkey on it. Add a quarter inch of water at the bottom of the pan. Roast the turkey for about four hours in the preheated oven or till the temperature of the turkey’s internal part reaches 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Desserts
Cinnamon Almond Meringues
Ingredients: Half cup almonds, three egg whites, ten packets of sucralose-based sweetener, half teaspoon cinnamon, half teaspoon pure almond extract, 1/8th teaspoon of tartar cream.
Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange baking sheet with aluminium foil. Finely ground the chop nuts and the sucralose-based sweetener in a food processor. Beat the egg whites in a bowl till it forms the soft peaks. Add cinnamon, almond extract, and cream of tartar and beat until it forms a stiff peak. Mix the nuts gently. Place the mounds on the baking sheet and add the mixture to it. Bake it for an hour and a half in the preheated oven, then let it cool. Now carefully take off the meringues off the foil and serve.
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust
Ingredients:
One third cup of whole wheat pastry flour, half cup chopped pecan nuts, one cup sucralose based sweetener, one fluid ounce tap water, six tablespoons of unsalted butter sticks, fifteen ounce pumpkin puree (unsalted), one teaspoon cinnamon, quarter teaspoon of cloves and salt, three quarter teaspoon of ginger, two large egg whites, one quarter cup of heavy cream and 2/3rd all purpose low carb baking mix.
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the baking mix, one-fourth cup of sweetener and chopped pecan nuts in a large bowl. Cut the butter sticks to the size of peas and add to the mixture with ice water and combine well. Use the mixture to form a crust on a nine-inch plate and freeze it for fifteen minutes. Bake the crust for fifteen minutes after covering it with aluminium foil. Then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the pumpkin purée with cinnamon, ginger, clove, salt and the remaining sweetener. Mix the eggs slowly and finally, add heavy cream and whisk till it is combined well. Pour it into the crust and cover the crust’s edge with foil. Bake for forty minutes, or till it is set. Let it cool for a while and serve it.
The holiday weight has been an issue for ages. But there are a few tricks that can be used to not let it effect the holiday celebrations. Make sure to try out some of these recipes and have a guilt free meal through this holiday season.