December | 2014 |

Elegant and Easy

My house is still decorated for the Holidays. In my mind, Christmas starts somewhere around December 24 and carries on until about the 2nd week in January. I love Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house, when all the lights are newly lit and quiet Christmas music plays. A tradition started a few years ago includes inviting some close friends and family to our home on Christmas night, where we enjoy each others’ company, enjoy a glass of wine and a simple buffet while visiting.

Even though we are generally healthy eaters, I have to be honest in saying that by the time Christmas night rolls around, several interesting high fat, sugary items have fallen into my mouth, and I DID enjoy every bite, thank you very much. BUT, the Holiday Buffet can be an excellent time to be elegant while starting to get it all back under control.

One good point is that most of these foods can be prepared ahead of time, so you can kick off your shoes in the afternoon and relax for a few hours.

Our buffet this year was so simple and included: assorted raw vegetables with a dill dip (lightened up by using fat-free Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise), a delightful cranberry salsa (recipe below), a hummus platter (idea stolen from “Zeppelin’s Bar and Grill in Cedar Rapids), low-sodium pita chips, jalapenos, stuffed with low-fat turkey sausage, low-fat cream cheese and Parmesan then baked, meatballs made with half ground turkey breast and half 90% lean ground beef, accompanied by sugar-free marinara sauce and BBQ sauce, and last, but not least, some holiday cookies and those yummy little chocolate kisses, both strategically placed at the far end of the table in the corner. We also had some fresh fruit, but it never made it to the table. Guests wandered through the kitchen and nibbled before photo time.

Make sure your beverages include good water, diet sodas, fruit juice or some lower-calorie punch. Now, put out some small plates, point everyone in the right direction, take your own plate, relax and move away from the table. Your eating is now happily back under control. Happy Holidays!

Cranberry Salsa This recipe was adapted from one given to me by my niece, Tina. It is served on a dinner-sized plate and actually makes enough to make two plates (have one tucked in the fridge for refills). Both the bottom layer and top layer can be made ahead. Assemble before guests arrive.

Bottom layer:

12 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup diced green onions

Mix softened cream cheese and diced green onions together.

Top Layer:

One 12-ounce package FRESH whole cranberries 1/3 cup sugar (you can use Splenda, Truvia, or any other sugar substitute. It makes a lot, so getting a little sugar may not be such a bad thing. Your choice.) 1 large jalapeno, seeded 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place cranberries, sugar, jalapeno, lime juice and ginger in food processor. Pulse until cranberries are finely chopped. Do not over process. Remove from food processor and stir in chopped cilantro.

Spread 1/2 the cream cheese/onion mixture on a pretty dinner-sized plate. Top with 1/2 the cranberry mixture. OR use a 9 x 13 pan and use all of the recipe. You can make both the bottom and top layers several hours ahead. Just do not assemble until ready to serve. Serve with pita chips.

NOTE: Be a label reader. Many pita chips are made with whole grain, low in fat and sodium. Read the nutritional labeling to find the healthiest ones. Know how many chips equal one serving.

It’s the Holidays and for most of us that means getting together with family and friends. When my crew shows up, I like to serve my favorite meal…BRUNCH!

Pretty Simple!

For those of us who try to watch the waistline, even on special occasions, any Holiday gathering can be a challenge, but if you keep it simple and plan ahead, brunch can be a piece of cake (without the cake)! Try to avoid sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls or coffee cake. (1/3 of your recommended daily calories in one spot!) and those egg casseroles are usually a nightmare for anyone who has gluten issues. Offering several dishes, well-labeled, keeps everyone happy.

Scotch Eggs and Dill Sauce

Keep it simple. Try a new recipe or two, wow your guests with something that looks complicated and takes little effort, put it all on the table and then pour yourself a cup of coffee and relax! Sometimes, planning in advance to set a pretty table can make it seem like you’ve slaved for hours over Brunch. Hah! If only they knew…By the way, I found those cute little buffet markers (that look like little pumpkins and squash) plus a large blue pumpkin and some coordinating paper napkins at a cute little shop in Galena, Illinois early in the Fall. The table looked great with some white and brown autumn decorations, bittersweet, these little cuties, and an assortment of white plates for our guests.

The Finley Brunch:

My family is a great blend of nationalities, but we claim Irish and Scottish when we celebrate, so this year’s day after Thanksgiving (before everyone headed out to shop) brunch included Irish Scones, Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce, sliced turkey ham, a big platter of fresh fruit, a pretty pitcher of orange juice and fresh coffee. The Scotch Eggs were the hit! Even my six-year-old grandson loved them.

Scotch Eggs with Dill Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a good quality non-stick saute pan and a large baking sheet. Preheat the pan over medium-low heat.

Hint: It helps to have a second person to brown the egg/sausage balls while you make more. There is no filler in the sausage, so our gluten-intolerant family member loved this recipe.

Hard boiled eggs, peeled and dry (allow two per person, unless serving lots of small children). Boil and peel eggs the night before.

Turkey sausage (I use Honeysuckle White and blend their Breakfast and Italian Sausages. You will need two ounces of sausage for each egg.) Be a label reader. Make sure the sausage is low fat. Some can have as much or more fat than pork sausage.

This is so simple. Wear rubber gloves. Get the good ones you find at the drug store. Put on the gloves and then spray them with no-stick spray. Using a food scale with a small plate on top, weigh out sausage into two-ounce portions, and place them on a piece of waxed paper.

Use a paper towel to dry each peeled egg before you use it. Flatten two-ounce ball of sausage in your hand. Place one hard boiled egg on sausage and form sausage around egg to completely cover it. Don’t let any bald spots show through. Gently roll egg/sausage ball around in saute pan until browned all over. (You can speed this process up by getting someone to do the browning while you keep making more balls). Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggs and sausage. Place filled baking sheet in 350 degree oven for fifteen minutes. Turn balls around on baking sheet. Return sheet to oven and bake an additional ten minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees and sausage looks completely browned. Using a serrated knife, quarter the eggs, lengthwise, and arrange on a platter. Serve with Dill Sauce.

Dill Sauce

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup yellow mustard

2 teaspoons dried dillweed

Place above ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly with a small wire whisk. Place in a pretty bowl for serving.

Finleys' Kitchen

From our kitchen to yours

Monthly Archives: December 2014

The Healthy Holiday Buffet

Brunch Made Simple