This week on our podcast ‘A Quirky Journey’, the topic was ‘A Quirky Christmas: Surviving and Thriving This Season”. (Listen to it on iTunes, here!) We chatted about our family Christmas traditions, and how they fit into our healthy lifestyle these days, and what changes we’ve made along the way. There were plenty of fun and delicious suggestions for a healthy, quirky Christmas! We mentioned that we would really love for all of you to share your Quirky Christmas ideas by posting a photo on our Facebook pages, or tagging us on Instagram or Twitter, so we can all share ideas! Hashtag your photos #aquirkychristmas – let’s make some new traditions!
POST A PHOTO AND WIN!
For a bit of Christmas fun, I’ve posted a giveaway on my Facebook page for those who would like to share their photos! Post any photos of recipes, presents, and treats that fit in with a healthy, quirky Christmas, and I will be picking the five best ones on Christmas Eve to receive a Living Synergy Nut Milk Bag! Details of giveaway here.
Here’s another healthy Christmas recipe for those of you wanting a colourful salad – I made it up yesterday when I was tossing a salad together for our Christmas Street Party in our little neighbourhood. We had a lot of fun, and lots of good food! I’ve included the menu of what I made, below.
The marinated beetroot in this salad is best made a few hours before, but it will be fine if you’re in a rush and only have an hour. I must admit, that’s all I had, because I had a nap and ended up running late – ha ha! It was still delicious. I topped mine with some macadamia cheese, so if you can have nuts, try that! So good. Here’s the recipe…
Marinated Beetroot & Spinach Salad
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- Author: QuirkyJo
Ingredients
4 baby beetroot, peeled, trimmed, and sliced into paper-thin slices with a mandolin or potato peeler
40g white wine vinegar
40g raw honey
40g water
40g extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bag baby spinach leaves (approx 350g)
3 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled and diced
1–2 avocadoes, diced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced, optional
fine sea salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place vinegar, honey, water, olive oil and thyme into a Thermomix bowl and mix 5 sec/speed 3.
2. Add thinly sliced beetroot and cook 10 mins/60C/reverse/speed 1.
3. Remove to a bowl, cover, and allow to marinate for at least an hour, preferably a few hours.
4. To prepare salad, gently mix together all ingredients except beetroot, in a large salad bowl.
5. Take beetroot slices out of the marinade with a fork and arrange them in the salad.
6. Remove thyme sprigs from the marinade and pour into a small jug. Serve alongside the salad as a dressing.
Here’s what else I made for the party, in case you want some ideas for your Christmas celebrations…
Seed crackers (I used Chef Pete Evans recipe from his cookbook, Healthy Every Day)
Macadamia cheese (also a Pete Evans recipe, although I also have one here in this recipe)
Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (recipe here)
Roasted Pumpkin cubes (olive oil, homemade herb salt and pepper)
And a delicious Dairy Free, Blueberry Jelly Cheesecake based on the Cherry Delight Cheesecake in my cookbook (see how to make this variation here)
Very simple, and so good.
Ok, don’t forget, post your ‘Quirky Christmas’ photos on social media and hashtag with #aquirkychristmas for your chance to win a Living Synergy nut milk bag – see details here!
Looking forward to seeing what you’re making!
Jo xx
love your ideas thanku
THANKYOU & I’m not so good with dairy or wheat miss grave’s bit like Frenchman where’s the sauce ?attempt at humour love&light ✨sue
THANKYOU & I’m not so good with dairy or wheat miss grave’s bit like Frenchman where’s the sauce ?attempt at humour love&light ✨sue
Hi Jo,
I’ve gone bonkers over your recipes this Xmas. Not clear when the thyme is meant to go into the marinade. Can you clarify.
Thanks
Ooops!!! Add with the oil and honey! Sorry about that 😀 Hope you enjoyed my recipes 🙂
Does it matter if the marinade is done the day before (ie, 24 hours prior to serving?)…will it become too strong, or will it be fine? Thanks 🙂
That will be fine!