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fitness+wellbeing

Healthy Christmas Recipes

Christmas time is a period of family gatherings and celebrations, and with that comes food – a lot of it. It’s important to indulge yourself over the festive season, but there are some dishes that are delicious and still good for your body! Here are three of our favourite healthy Christmas Recipes.

Roasted Salmon with Crispy Potatoes and Broccoli

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets • 500 g washed potatoes, quartered • 1 large red onion, quartered • 3 tbsp olive oil • salt (½ tsp for vegetables, ¼ tsp for salmon) • pepper (¼ tsp for vegetables, ¼ tsp for salmon) • 700 g salmon fillet (skinned and boned) • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • ½ clove garlic, minced

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 230˚C. • On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together the broccoli, potatoes and onion with the oil, salt and pepper. • Spread in an even layer and roast for 15 minutes. • Season the salmon with the remaining salt and pepper, and lay it on top of the cooked vegetables. Continue roasting until the vegetables are golden brown and tender and the salmon is opaque throughout (around 8 to 10 minutes). • While the salmon is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl.

Serve with the fish and the vegetables.

Vegan Lentil, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew

INGREDIENTS

• 1¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling • 3 French shallots, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary sprigs • 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 3 cm pieces • 1 cup French green lentils • 750ml vegetable stock • 1 tin of chickpeas, well-drained and rinsed • baby spinach, to serve

METHOD

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and rosemary sprigs and cook for around 3–4 minutes to soften. • Add the sweet potato and cook for a further minute. • Then, add the lentils, the stock and enough water to submerge the vegetables by 3–4 cm. • Simmer on medium–low heat for around 35–40 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and the lentils are cooked. Add the chickpeas in the last 10 minutes. Season to taste. • Transfer to a large serving bowl and top with plenty of baby spinach and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve.

Green Beans with Orange and Almond Gremolata

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg green beans • 1 tbsp salt • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped • 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary • ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped • 1 tsp orange zest • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

METHOD

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with iced water. Add the salt to the boiling water, then in batches, cook green beans until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer green beans to the iced water to cool slightly, then drain and set aside. • In a small skillet heat the oil, garlic, and rosemary on medium heat until garlic sizzles around the edges and begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with almonds and orange zest, then parsley. • Serve over warm or room-temperature green beans.

Diabetic-friendly Strawberry Chocolate Trifle

INGREDIENTS

• 9 g sachet low-kilojoule raspberry jelly crystals • 375 g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, plus 125g whole strawberries extra • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice • 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup • 175 g savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits), broken into 2 cm pieces • 250 g fresh raspberries Chocolate custard: • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder • 1½ tbsp cornflour • 2 egg yolks • 2 cups skim milk • ¼ cup sugar-free maple syrup

METHOD

Jelly • Prepare the jelly following packet directions. Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours or until set. Use a fork to roughly break up the jelly. Custard • To make the custard, sift the cocoa and cornflour into a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth. • Place the remaining milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly, until smooth and well combined. • Transfer the mixture to a clean saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the maple syrup. • Transfer to a bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool, then place in the fridge for 2–3 hours or until chilled. Assembly • Place the sliced strawberries in a bowl with the lemon juice and maple syrup. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes to macerate. • Place half the sponge finger biscuits in the base of a 2-litre serving dish.

Top with half the macerated strawberries, half the raspberries, half the custard and then half the jelly. • Continue layering with the remaining biscuits, macerated strawberries, raspberries and custard. Top with the remaining jelly and the whole strawberries. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

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