Food & Drink 

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Light Christmas lunch

Turned off by all that turkey? Try this healthy menu instead

The following dishes celebrate the virtues of fresh foods, many of which are low in fat and calories, taste fantastic and are good sources of some vitamins and minerals. They're flexible too - include them in a buffet if you're having a party, serve to friends at an informal gathering or use as the basis for a dinner party menu.

Red cabbage salad
This salad is best made a day in advance to allow the flavours to combine and mellow. It's delicious served as an accompaniment to cold roast meats or game birds.

Serves 8

1 small red cabbage weighing about 700g quartered, cored and finely shredded
900ml boiling water
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
250g cooked beetroot, chopped
2-4 eating apples, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
100g sultanas
300ml low-fat natural yogurt
1 tbsp English mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g pumpkin seeds

1. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Add 2 tbsp white wine vinegar and mix well. Leave until cold and drain thoroughly.
2. Add the beetroot, apples and sultanas to the cabbage and mix together well.
3. To make the dressing, combine the remaining ingredients (except pumpkin seeds) and mix in with the cabbage until thoroughly combined.
4. Season with pumpkin seeds.

Butter bean and smoked haddock brandade
A healthy version of a traditional French fish pâté. Serve it as a dip with raw crudités (red pepper, cucumber and fennel are all good choices) or, for a more elaborate presentation, use it to fill grilled halved red peppers and serve either as a starter or as part of a salad platter.

Serves 8

350g smoked haddock fillet (undyed will give you a more delicate flavour and colour)
1 x 400g can butter beans (or use borlotti or cannellini beans)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash the fish and cut into 3-4 pieces. Place in a single layer in a saucepan and pour on the juices from the can of beans. Add the garlic and bring slowly to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and leave to cool.
2. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Skin the fish and discard any bones. Place in a food processor with the pieces of garlic, beans lemon juice and parsley and whiz to a firm paste.
3. Add 1-2 tbsp of the cooking liquid, if wished, and season to taste.
4. Transfer to a small dish, cover and chill until firm.

Next page: Christmas couscous with spiced chicken

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