Just because it’s the season to be jolly doesn’t mean you have to undo a year’s worth of working out and sensible eating. But neither do you have to forgo the pleasures of a delicious festive feast. Exclusive to Emirates Woman, here is a healthy spin on a traditional Christmas dinner courtesy of Cooking with a Manicure’s Farah Sawaf.
APPLE-CHESTNUT TURKEY BREAST ROAST
Serves 6
Brine: 4 to 24 hours
Preparation and cooking: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- For the brine
- 1/2 litre water
- 1 cup salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup chicken/turkey stock
- ½ cup fresh peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- mixed fresh herbs, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano on stem, no need to chop
- Large turkey breast roast – approx 3/4 kilos, if not you can use two large pieces
- ½ cup honey- good quality in jar (included in photo)
- 1red skin off apple, boiled
- and chopped
- 1 cup chestnuts cooked and removed from shell- ready to use packages available
- Fresh herbs- large mix
- Spinach leaves/rocket leaves
- Good quality balsamic vinegar
- Chestnuts for garnish
Method:
- Pre heat oven to 170 C.
- In a large pot boil ½ litre of water. Combine the rest of the ingredients. Remove from heat and add 1 cup cold water. Place your turkey roast in a large glass bowl or container. Pour brine solution all over and place in fridge for four to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook, take turkey breast out of brine and pat dry with paper towel. Place gently on a plate.
- In a food processor combine honey, apple and chestnut.
- In a small roasting pan place a small rack within so breast does not burn, or twist and bundle 4 pieces of foil to elevate turkey from bottom of pan.
- Rub turkey with ¾ of the honey apple chestnut mixture. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Surround with fresh herbs and drizzle of olive oil – I use my olive oil sprayer. Uncover and use remaining mixture and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Use a turkey thermometer to ensure turkey is cooked..
- Allow cooling for 10 minutes. Lay over bed of rocket and spinach, sprinkle chestnuts over turkey and greens.
SWEET CORN BAKE
Serves 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup sweet organic corn, fresh if possible- shaved off cob
- 1 can good quality creamed corn
- ¾ cup low fat cream cheese
- ½ cup non-fat sour cream
- 1organic egg
- 1dry corn muffin mix or corn bread mix, found in most grocery stores
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon
Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 170 C.
- In a medium bowl mix both corn kernels and creamed corn together with cream cheese, sour cream and egg. Mix well. Combine corn bread mix and tarragon.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes checking regularly. Top should golden brown and centre is no longer wet.
BLACK WILD RICE QUINOA WITH THYME AND SAUSAGE
Serves 6
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- ½ cup wild black rice
- 1cup quinoa, cooked in chicken stock and fluffed
- 1½ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon good quality light organic butter
- 1¼ cup shallots, chopped
- 1cup, mixed wild mushrooms
- 1cup good quality sausage, cooked and chopped
- 1 tablespoon each of fresh oregano, sage, thyme
- A drizzle of truffle oil
Method:
- Prepare ½ cup of black wild rice as instructed. Leave to cook for over 30 minutes as it takes more time than regular rice.
- While black rice is being prepared, begin cooking quinoa as per the package instructions. Use chicken stock in place of water to prepare.
- In a medium saucepan melt 1-teaspoon low fat organic butter.
- Mix in shallots and mushrooms.
- Softly fold in sausage and herbs. After all is cooked transfer to a glass bowl and combine wild rice and quinoa. Gently mix with a fork and season with fresh ground salt and pepper. Drizzle a tiny amount of good quality truffle oil and fluff one more time with a fork.
NO-BAKE SWEET POTATO AND PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE CUPS
Serves 6
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooling: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- Low fat cream cheese- small pack
- ½ cup sweet potato, puree-bake, mix with a bit of water and blend)
- ½ cup pumpkin purée- good quality can
- Low fat/light whipped cream
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar syrup
- Low fat/light digestive biscuits- mashed
- 1 1/2 tablespoon organic
- butter, melted
- Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- Mixed nuts- hazelnuts, almonds, pine nuts – roughly crushed
- Dark chocolate, crushed
Method:
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sweet potato, pumpkin puree, whipped cream, and agave syrup until smooth.
- In small bowls or mason jars pat a bit of the mashed digestive biscuit and drizzle some melted butter to make it stick to bottom. Dollop over the digestive, the purée mixture.
- Add a touch of additional whipped topping if you desire. Top with nuts, berries crushed dark chocolate.
- Place in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.
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Compiled by: Lyndsey Steven | Art Direction: Alexandra Bull | Photography: Ajith Narendra
