10 Christmasy Recipes for December

Christmas and New Year is just around the corner. The charming christmas markets, sparkly christmas tress everyhere you go, christmas songs playing even at the supermarkets, christmas lights and decorations all around the place and the palpable excitement of the kids around santas sitting at the malls makes the month of december truly enchanting.  I am never giving up binge eating throughout the holidays, wishing upon the north star, waiting for my gifts on christmas morning or hoping for some christmas magic, and plan to do it even more as a grown up. As a lover of food, here are the top ten healthy December recipes you’ve got to try out, to honor the spirit of December.

1. Baked Parmesan Potato Fingers with Chocolate dip

Flovoured baked potatoes with sweet chocolate dip is the answer to every problem in life. This delectable appetizer is not that rich in calories compared to how heavenly it tastes. The main ingredients as the name suggests are potato, cheese and oregano.

The recipe is pretty much straightforward. Cut the potatoes and drizzle olive oil. Add grated Parmesan to the potatoes. Now give it a mix. Mix oregano and salt in a separate bowl. I prefer mild seasoning, you could go for much stronger like paprika. Cover the potatoes well with the seasoning. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Place aluminium foil on a baking tray and lay the potato fingers on it. Bake for 25 minutes at 220°C/450°F.and keep checking at regular intervals.

Now, to make Chocolate dip, you can refer this recipe. However, I use jaggery powder instead of sugar.

2. Beet and Carrot Cutlets with  Homemade Chilly Sauce

Cutlets can’t get healthier than this. The goodness of beets and carrots added in these small bundle of joys is sure to make you addicted to them. These hot cutlets served with homemade chilly sauce is not only a filling meal but also a healthy and tasty replacement to the usual meal options.

The incredients include grated beets, grated carrents, chopped cilantro, boiled peas, mashed boiled potato, salt to taste. In a bowl, mix all of these ingredients well. Using a cutlet moulder or with hands, make thin cultlet and one by one place them on non stick pan. Keep the flame low and let one side cook for about 15 mins. Then turn over to the over side. The more you cook it on a flame, the crispier it becomes.

Check out the recipe of homemade chilly sauce here.

3. Hot Almond Milk with Healthy Chocolate Cookies

Cookies are synonymous to Christmasy things, arent they.? Moreover, there are days when you feel like keeping it simple and not investing too much time cooking, instead  just curling up on your bed and watching movies or some random TV series. Make these delicious and healthy cookies for those kind of days. But obciously cookies are not so much filling, so group them up with savory almond milk perfect for the cold winter nights.

Cookies can be healthy too. Don’t believe me? Check out the recipe here.

Almond mild is very nutritious and easy to make. Soak a handful of almonds overnight. Peel them off the next day and blend with a little milk, just enough that your almonds get soaked in the blender. To add natural sweetness to your milk you can also add a few dates. Make a fine paste. Heat a glass of milk in a pan and add this almond-date paste. Let the milk simmer for 15-20 mins. Drink it hot, won’t you?!

4. Homemade Healthy Vegetable Noodles with Clear Soup

Whats better that homemade noodles prepared using whole wheat flour.  To make proper, shapely noodles, you will need a noodle maker. But trust me it’s not much of an investment if you like having spicy hot vegetable noodles. And though it seems making noodles from the scratch is very time consuming, it isn’t. And they are healthy too.

Check out the recipe of noodles here.

And of course you need to couple them up with clear soup because it perfectly balances the richness of noodles. Check out of the recipe of clear soup here.

5. Pumpkin Muffins and Hot Cocoa

Okay, this one’s my favourite combo. And is undeniably the most christmasy among all the other recipes in the list. Pumpkin muffins prepared from whole wheat flour, pumpkin, cardomom, butter and honey is healthy and has just the right flavours. Coupled with creamy, bittersweet hot cocoa, it is handsdown one of the best things you could have in December.

Find Pumpkin Muffin recipe here.  You’ve got to try baking pumpkin muffins once, to know how easy a treat they are.

The hot cocoa  we are talking about doesnt have refined sugar. Boil 2 cups of whole milk on low flame for 30 minutes. Stir every once in a while. Mix 2-3 teapoons of cocoa powder, 1/4 tea spoon of vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of honey in a mug. Add the hot milk to the mug and mix it well. Add some whipped cream if you cream. Here’s your mug of mug full of divinity.

6. Tapioca Cutlet with Tomato Pumpkin Soup

This is one of my recent finds and I have been addicted to it ever since. The perfect taste of  tapioca cutlets with creamy pumpkin soup is one of the best combos in this list.

To prepare tapioca cutlets, soak tapioca for 5-6 hours. Add enough water becuase tapioca soaks quite a  lot of water. Add mashed boiled potatoes, soaked tapioca, finely chopped green chillis, crushed roasted peanuts and salt to taste in a mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients well. Using a cutlet moulder or with hands, make thin cultlet and one by one place them on non stick pan. Keep the flame low and let one side cook for about 15 mins. Then turn over to the over side. The more you cook it on a flame, the crispier it becomes.

Check out the recipe for Pumpkin soup here.

7. Herbed Roasted Mushroom and Potato Salad

Herbed and roasted crispy potatoes and succulent mushrooms is one of the quickest meals on this list. They are filling and quite healthy and can be substituted for a complete meal. All you need to do is toss mushrooms and baby potatoes in melted, butter, oil, finely grated garlic, salt and pepper. Toss well and leave it for 10 mins so that mushroom and potatoes are properly coated. Spread the potatoes and mushrooms on the baking tray and bake for 25 minutes at 220°C/450°F.  Squeeze some lemon and sprinkle thyme leaves for an added flavour.

8. Blueberry Muffins with Peppermint-Fennel Green Tea

Blueberry and Raspberry muffins are love. Who needs a reason or a season to bake them? The taste of berries mingled with that of soft and buttery muffin is just amazing. Although theres nothing else is required along with the delicious muffins but when combined with peppermint fennel green tea I think the flavours just come out better.

Check out the recipe for blueberry muffins here.

Peppermint-Fennel Green Tea barely requires 2 steps. Pour a cup of boiling water in a pot/kettle. Add half a teaspoon of dried mint leaves, half a teaspoon of fennel seeds and a dip a bag of green tea of your choice too. Cover the pot and let it stay for a 4 minutes or so. Strain out the spices and remove the tea bag.

9. Grilled Honey and balsamic carrots and Pineapple with Christmas Pudding

Now this is something that I am really proud of and credit the invesntion of this recipe to myself ( within my family that is). The crunchy carrots with juicy pineapple are a perfect comb to be reliced with some soft chocolaty christmas pudding.

To prepare grilled carrots and pineaaple, put 2 tbsps of olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar into a bowl and give a good mix. Add sliced carrots and pineapple in another bowl, pour the honey balsamic mixture. Toss carrots and pineapple well to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle some sea salt.  Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. Spread the carrots and pinneapple on the baking tray and bake for 25 minutes at 220°C/450°F, turning pineapple and carrots once or twice during cooking. Garnish with  parsley to add some flavor and color.

Check out recipe for Christmas Pudding here.

10. Corn and Cheese Sandwich with Non-Alcoholic Mulled Wine

Corn and cheese Sandwitch is tasty and pretty easy to prepare. Multigrain grain bread makes you feel less guilty so prefer that one always. Toss boiled corn and pees and finely chopped carrots and capsicum and (generously) grate parmesan. Now adding crated cabbage is optioned but I prefer the crunchiness of it. Toss the ingredients once more and after applying some butter on the inside, add the ingredients and grill the sandwich. Perfecto!

To make non alcoholic mulled wine, pour pomegranate, orange, blackberries and apple juice in a saucepan. Add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and orange slices. Heat gently until simmering. IMO no sweetner is required, really. Strain your mulled wine into a nice christmasy glass.

This is the list of my favourite December recipes. Do let me know if there are any of your favorite christmas-y recipes for december are featuring on this list or in case you tried to make any of these. Post your suggestions on the comment box below. If this post on december recipes resonates well with you, please like, share and subscribe.

Keep Reading. Chao!

Disclaimer: Some of us might be allergic to certain food items. Kindly consult a specialist before consuming anything that doesn’t suit you. Use your discretion as well while preparation of the food. 

Looking for some on the go protein rich snacks? Check out this list of protein rich snacking options.