Festive Recipes

Laura_beau

Here is a section for everyone to post their favourite low carb festive recipes. I'm English- so we obviously don't do thanksgiving but I'm aware my friends over the pond will be celebrating soon- post those recipes/ideas too!

And for those of you who don't celebreate either- feel free to post your favourite winter time recipes.

I'll be back to start the ball rolling soon..... xoxo

Laura_beau

Braised red cabbage- serves 8 as a side dish.

10g carbs per serving.

1/2 large head of red cabbage, shredded
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large apple, peeled & cored then chopped
250ml (8 oz) unsweetened cranberry juice*
2 tsp granulated splenda
1 cinnamon stick
50 ml (2 oz) port or red wine
Zest of 1 orange, peeled into strips (These are used for flavouring only)
Salt & pepper

Basically, you place all the above ingredients in a slow cooker/crockpot and cook on low for about 3 hours. You can also do this in a pot stovetop for about 1 hour on low.

* If you have some, you can use some low carb cranbery sauce mixed in water instead. This will reduce the carbs.

** If you have low carb apple sauce- use this in place of the apple- this will further reduce the carb count.

Laura_beau

Brussels Sprouts with sage butter and toasted almonds

Serves 6, 5g carbs per serving

750g brussels sprouts
3 tbsp toasted flaked almonds
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of nutmeg
black pepper
50g butter

1. Par boil the brussels sprouts in hot salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the butter in a hot pan, add a little olive oil to stop the butter from browning too much. Add the sprouts and almonds and sautee for a further 3-4 mins.

3, Season with black pepper and a hint of nutmeg. Stir through the sage & serve.

Laura_beau

Creamed brussels sprouts with bacon

Serves 6- 4g carbs per person.

750g brussels sprouts, shredded finely
1 tbsp butter
6 tbsp double cream (Heavy cream)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 rashers streaky bacon (or 1 pack of lardons) use smoked or unsmoked- depending on your preference.
Salt & ground black pepper

1. Heat the butter in a pan and sautee the bacon and sautee until it goes crispy.

2. Add the sprouts and garlic and sautee for a further 2 mins.

3. Add the cream, seasoning and stir through. Bubble away for a few minutes until cream has reduced a little.

Serve!

Laura_beau

Bacon wrapped stuffing loaf

This is my own recipe- slighly adapted to make it lower carb. It serves about 8, and had about 2 g carbs per slice. It is also delicious cold.

You will need:

-About 12 good quality sausages (Check the carb content, as sausages can contain a lot of 'fillers' like oats & breadcrumbs. You can get 0g carb ones though).
- 1 1/2 packs of bacon (about 12 rashers)
- 2 tsps fresh chopped sage
- 2 tsps fresh chopped thyme
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp ground almonds (to bind)
- 1 beaten egg (to bind)
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- a little butter, for greasing.
- 1 x loaf tin

1. sautee the and the half pack of bacon until cooked through- remove and cool totally.

2. Line the greased loaf tin with bacon, leaving the ends hanging over the sides (to wrap over the top).

3. Remove the skins from the sausages and put the meat in a bowl. Season well and add the herbs, almonds, egg and cooled bacon/onion mixture. Combine well with your hands (or a spoon).

4. Place the sausage mix into the loaf tin in a log shape. Wrap the top with the overhanging bacon rashers.

5. Bake in a hot over (220 degrees C/ 400 degrees F) for about 40 mins. Leave to cool for at least 10 mins before slicing.

* If you dont mind upping the carbs a bit, add a little chopped apple, frsh cranberries or dried apricots/prunes or nuts. It definietly benefits from the sweetness and texture of fruit.

velarneyraptor

-About 12 good quality sausages (Check the carb content, as sausages can contain a lot of 'fillers' like oats & breadcrumbs. You can get 0g carb ones though).

If you can't find low - 0g carb sausages, I guess minced meat could be an alternative?

Laura_beau

yes you could use pork sausage meat.

Minced (Ground) pork probably wouldnt work as well as it has a completely different texture and it would be quite crumbly. You could give it a try though if that's all you can find.

Laura_beau

Festive Party Food!

Doing low carb party food/canapes is actually easier than you think- here's a few ideas for party nibbles:

I have included links to some recipes although many of these are self explanatory.

Be sure to have plenty of cocktail sticks!

- Feta cheese cube & olive on a stick

- Chicken skewers with satay peanut dip : http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/851647/chicken-skewers-with-satay-dip
- Chorizo & Prawn (Shrimp) on a stick

- Smoked Mackrel Pate: Flake about 4 fillets of smoked mackrel in a bowl, add 3/4 tub of cream cheese, juice of 1 lemon, some frsh chopped chives/dill and mix together. Add plenty of black pepper and a pinch of paprika.

- Cucumber rounds, topped with cream cheese & smoked salmon- drizzled with lemon juice.

- Halloumi (Cyrpiot squeaky cheese) skewers with parsley & lemon salsa: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4282/halloumi-skewers-with-parsley-and-lemon-salsa

- Japanese seared beef rolls: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8804/beef-tataki-rolls

- Tuna and avocado tartare served on cucumber: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5015/cucumber-slices-with-tuna-and-avocado-tartare

- Grilled chicken & sundried tomato on a stick

- Seared sesame crusted tuna : http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5005/seared-sesamecrusted-tuna

- Good old sausages (chipolatas) wrapped in bacon.

- Devilled eggs

- Greek lamb meatballs with tzatziki dip

Meatballs= 1 pack minced/ground lamb, 1/2 chopped onion, 2 cloved crushed garlic, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp dill, 1 tbsp ground almonds, 1 beaten egg. Combine- then chill for 1 hour before forming into balls and baking for 30 mins.

Tzatziki- 1 pot greek yoghurt mixed with 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 a cucumber shaved into ribbons, juice of 1/2 a lemon and chopped mint & dill.

- Sour cream & chive dip with crudites.

- italian/German meat platter (various cured & cooked meats)

- Scallops with chorizo/bacon on a stick.

- Cheese fondue with veggie dippers.

- Winter red cabbage coleslaw: red cabbage, red onion, , wholegrain mustard, mayo, a dash of vinegar.

shar140

Both brussels sprouts recipes sound good, thanks!

gammybarb

Candied Spiced Walnuts

2 cups (8oz) walnut pieces & halves
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup brown sugar Splenda - packed **
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick Reynold's wrap (very important because these stick bad without it!).

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg white and water until frothy. Add walnuts and stir to coat. Transfer walnuts to strainer and allow to drain about 5 minutes.

In a gallon-size Ziplock-type bag, combine brown sugar Splenda and spices - squeeze to mix well. Add walnuts and shake to coat completely.

Put walnuts on lined baking sheet and spread out to a single layer.

Bake 13 - 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Yield: 2 cups

** Original recipe called for 1/2 cup of real brown sugar.

This is my daughters recipe. She finds regular recipes and changes them to low carb. These are so good and were nice at Thanksgiving over our low carb pumpkin desert she made.
Enjoy!

dennydifferent

I love the sound of the stuffing recipe and will be making it on Christmas Eve, thank you! I do have a couple of questions though. Forgive me, I'm not a great chef.

The bacon that's cooked with the onions (the word onion is missing in the post, but I gather that's what it means!)- is that chopped up into little pieces?

And the bacon that lines the loaf tin- raw? As with the bacon on a roasting turkey?

Thanks!

punkinbaby1

oh thank you!!! i am stressed on Christmas dinner lol. trying to get together foods i can eat and family will enjoy........

Laura_beau

I love the sound of the stuffing recipe and will be making it on Christmas Eve, thank you! I do have a couple of questions though. Forgive me, I'm not a great chef.

The bacon that's cooked with the onions (the word onion is missing in the post, but I gather that's what it means!)- is that chopped up into little pieces?

And the bacon that lines the loaf tin- raw? As with the bacon on a roasting turkey?

Thanks!

Yes, the onion and bacon is chopped into little pieces )

And- the bacon that lines the loaf tin is raw. It cooks along with the stuffing.

Ooooh Yummy!

dennydifferent

Thanks. I am really looking forward to trying this. Not looking forward to Tesco's on the day before Christmas Eve though....nightmare!

krisrpaz

So my hubby tells me this morning he would really love a cup of hot chocolate. We are both on low carb. We have no bad foods like chocolate in the house. So I get an idea and tell him to keep an open mind.

I filled a coffee cup 3/4 of the way with Silk unsweetend almond milk, added 3 packets of Splenda, 1 tsp chocolate extract and 4 tbsp of half-n-half. Heated it up in the microwave for 2 minutes and it was beautiful and foamy on top just like regular hot chocolate.

After it cooled off a bit and he tasted it, he was floored how delicious it was. He said it tastes like one of those premium hot chocolates you would get from Ghirardelli. :happy: Glad I could make him happy. You guys should try this!

Oplesandbanonos

last night i made a dinner from leftovers of christmas.

fry 3 eggs in country crock light butter
add salt, pepper and garlic powder
take the eggs out and put some more butter in the pan
take leftover turkey (dark meat is my fave!) and sautee it in the pan with butter
add about a cup or half a cup of medium heat salsa and cook til warm

eat it all together in a bowl

punkinbaby1

So my hubby tells me this morning he would really love a cup of hot chocolate. We are both on low carb. We have no bad foods like chocolate in the house. So I get an idea and tell him to keep an open mind.

I filled a coffee cup 3/4 of the way with Silk unsweetend almond milk, added 3 packets of Splenda, 1 tsp chocolate extract and 4 tbsp of half-n-half. Heated it up in the microwave for 2 minutes and it was beautiful and foamy on top just like regular hot chocolate.

After it cooled off a bit and he tasted it, he was floored how delicious it was. He said it tastes like one of those premium hot chocolates you would get from Ghirardelli. :happy: Glad I could make him happy. You guys should try this!

punkinbaby1

So my hubby tells me this morning he would really love a cup of hot chocolate. We are both on low carb. We have no bad foods like chocolate in the house. So I get an idea and tell him to keep an open mind.

I filled a coffee cup 3/4 of the way with Silk unsweetend almond milk, added 3 packets of Splenda, 1 tsp chocolate extract and 4 tbsp of half-n-half. Heated it up in the microwave for 2 minutes and it was beautiful and foamy on top just like regular hot chocolate.

After it cooled off a bit and he tasted it, he was floored how delicious it was. He said it tastes like one of those premium hot chocolates you would get from Ghirardelli. :happy: Glad I could make him happy. You guys should try this!

THANK YOU!!!! I MISS HOT CHOCOLATE! sounds great i will be given this a try

tecallahan

BROCCOLI-AND-CAULIFLOWER GRATIN
1 pound fresh broccoli florets *
1 pound fresh cauliflower florets *
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces cheddar cheese, 1 cup
3 ounces parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, 1 ounce

Steam the vegetables until crisp-tender, 6-8 minutes; drain well and season with salt and pepper. Put the vegetables in a greased shallow baking pan, 9x13". In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise and the next 5 ingredients. Spoon this mixture over the vegetables and spread as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350º 20-25 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.

Makes 10-12 servings
Do not freeze

* Or one 16-ounce bag each frozen broccoli and cauliflower florets.

Per 1/10 Recipe: 357 Calories; 33g Fat; 10g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
Per 1/12 Recipe: 297 Calories; 28g Fat; 8g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs

lucy1945

holy momma! i gotta try these! i've been looking for a recipe for Brussel Sprouts too...sounds awesome! Thank you for all these recipes!!!

lucy1945

So my hubby tells me this morning he would really love a cup of hot chocolate. We are both on low carb. We have no bad foods like chocolate in the house. So I get an idea and tell him to keep an open mind.

I filled a coffee cup 3/4 of the way with Silk unsweetend almond milk, added 3 packets of Splenda, 1 tsp chocolate extract and 4 tbsp of half-n-half. Heated it up in the microwave for 2 minutes and it was beautiful and foamy on top just like regular hot chocolate.

After it cooled off a bit and he tasted it, he was floored how delicious it was. He said it tastes like one of those premium hot chocolates you would get from Ghirardelli. :happy: Glad I could make him happy. You guys should try this!

Thank you and I had NO Clue there was chocolate extract. that would be awesome with a dash of peppermint oil in it! Gosh that's sounds amazing! Great job inventing!