Christmas is approaching, a time of magic, illusion, family reunions and it is a special moment that we usually enjoy around the table.

Any day is good to get together and share moments with the people we want, and with it come to the tables with a multitude of copious meals, toasts with cava, and trays full of sweets.

We let ourselves be carried away by tradition and most of the time we relate Christmas to ending with a full belly and very heavy Digests.

In the end, the important thing about Christmas is not the food, but the people with whom you share the table and make it special.

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Below we give you some tips to not get fat during the Christmas holidays:

Before Christmas:

  • Eat-in a light and balanced way; do not abuse sauces, fried foods, pastries... to reduce caloric intake and feel healthy.
  • Organize the shopping basket according to the lunches and dinners that we will make at home, to avoid food surpluses.

During the holidays:

  • Eat slowly and chew food well.
  • Perform five meals a day.
  • Do not abuse alcoholic beverages, for their extra caloric intake. Beware of higher alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, shots, cognac…
  • Replace carbonated and sweetened drinks with water alone or accompanied by a few drops of lemon or infusions.
  • Choose a small number of snacks and set them aside on a plate from the beginning. Choose the least caloric: prawns, cockles, low-fat cheeses, sweet or Iberian ham
  • Do not repeat the dishes served, since Christmas meals are already plentiful enough.
  • Knowing when you are full, sometimes we eat for eating, we do not wonder if it really feels like it.
  • Make dishes with little fat; give priority to baked roasts, steam, papillote…
  • Reduce the side dishes based on potatoes, fried FR, and opt for grilled vegetables or salads.
  • The sauces will accompany the meats and fish pero but we must not dip bread in it or herd the dish to finish it.
  • Eating only a dessert, natural pineapple is recommended, being more typical for these dates is very advisable because they will help us digestion
  • Trying to shorten the table, take some infusion and take a walk will facilitate digestion and help burn some calories…

Below we give you some ideas of dishes to eat healthily and gain health:

Starters and snacks:

  • Thin biscuit with mushroom pate and rolled smoked salmon.
  • Skewer of prawns and zucchini with garlic and parsley.
  • Shrimp and mango skewer.
  • Eggplant rolls stuffed with hummus and dried tomato.
  • Cooked prawns or grilled prawns
  • Grilled Serrano ham rolls stuffed with Trigueros asparagus.
  • Mussels with mustard
  • Humus with vegetable crudités
  • Steamed clams
  • Snack of grapes, cheese, and pistachios
  • Cucumber and hummus rolls

First courses:

  • Pumpkin, carrot, and avocado cream
  • Escalivada with anchovy fillets.
  • Mushroom cream
  • Piquillo peppers stuffed with prawns.
  • Carrot, pumpkin, ginger, and orange cream.
  • Persimmon and orange salad
  • Marinated salmon salad with raspberry vinaigrette
  • Homemade vegetable and turkey soup

Second courses:

  • Baked sea bass.
  • Zucchini stuffed with textured soy.
  • Veal Fricandó
  • Fricandó of Seitan.
  • Zucchini cannelloni stuffed with prawns
  • Monkfish and shrimp stew
  • Chicken with plum, apple, and cinnamon.

Dessert:

  • Assorted fruit skewers with melted chocolate 85%
  • Natural pineapple
  • Pineapple sorbet

Below we leave you some Christmas recipe:

Fish and seafood Zarzuela:

Ingredients for 4 people:

  • 400 grams of monkfish
  • 1 Head of monkfish
  • 650 grams of mussels
  • 8 squid
  • 10 prawns
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 green pepper
  • 2 onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup of Brandy
  • Water
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • 1 chili tip
  • Saffron strands
  • Laurel, thyme, rosemary, and parsley
  • 1 chopped parsley

Procedure for broth:

We put to boil water in a saucepan and add onion in half, the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and parsley, the chopped monkfish head, and the shells and heads of the prawns (we will reserve the prawns). We cook it on low heat for 30 minutes.

We strain it and reserve our broth.

Procedure:

Chop the monkfish and dry the pieces with kitchen paper towels. We Season them and cook on the grill in a pan with a splash of oil. We reserve them.
  • We clean the squids and cook them in the same pan. We reserve them.
  • We clean the mussels from the outside and remove the beards well. We put them in a saucepan and add a little of the previously prepared broth. We cover it and cook until the mussels open.
  • We reserve the mussel juice from the casserole and shred the mussels.
  • We chop the garlic cloves and brown them together with the tip of chili pepper in a jar with a stream of oil. We chop the other onion, green pepper, and tomato and add them.
  • We cover the pie with the fish broth and add the previously removed mussel juice. We add saffron strands.
  • We cook the zarzuela for 5-8 minutes.
  • We add the mussels and a little chopped parsley at the last moment.
And, Ready!

Pineapple sorbet

Ingredient:

  • 2 cups frozen pineapple cubes
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Sweetener to taste

Procedure:

  • Peel and dice the pineapple.
  • Place the pineapple on a tray covered with wax paper and freeze for about 4-6 hours.
  • Place frozen pineapple cubes, coconut milk, lemon juice, and sweetener in the processor. The amount of sweetener depends on the sweetness of pineapple.
  • Process until there are no lumps and mix everything well.
  • Serve immediately or empty in a container with a lid and freeze for about 4 to 6 hours.

And now tell me what would be your ideal menu for a special night?