Are you stuck for a festive recipe for your table this Christmas? Why not try the mouth-watering Christmas Menu we’ve put together, especially for you? It’s the ultimate indulgence: recipes jam-packed with ingredients that could help lower your breast cancer risk. What better way to treat yourself this Christmas than by giving your body the nourishment you need whilst knowing it’s better for your breast health?
Our specially prepared recipes are created with top cancer-fighting ingredients, such as non-starchy vegetables and vegetables high in carotenoids, which can help lower your risk of breast cancer as well as keep you healthy. Start with our yummy beetroot and orange soup, follow it with our delicious nut roast covered in cranberry sauce or baked salmon on sweet potato puree, and end with sumptuous baked cinnamon apples. Voila – Christmas is sorted!
Starter
Beetroot soup with oranges
Time: 30 minutes, 4 people
Ingredients
- 2 small onions
- 3 Beetroots, medium size
- 1 orange
- 2 pinches ginger, freshly grated
- 2 pinches chilli powder
- 400 ml vegetable broth
- 200 ml single cream
- 100 ml white wine
- 200 ml orange juice
- 50 g sour cream
- 1 tbsp oil
Method
- Peel and chop the onions.
- Sweat the onions with some oil in a large pot
- Peel the beetroot, cut it into cubes and add it to the onions. Sweat for a bit.
- Add a pinch of chilli
- Deglaze with white wine and let it boil away.
- Add the orange juice and let it almost boil away.
- Fill with the vegetable broth and cook for about 10 minutes until the beetroot is soft.
- Add the single cream and the freshly grated ginger
- Bring to boil again and puree.
- Before serving, season if necessary.
Serve
Fill the soup into deep plates, and add a spoonful of sour cream to the centre. Rub a little orange peel over it, and for those who like it a little hot, sprinkle a little chilli on top. Enjoy your meal!
Nutritional information
Beetroot is an example of a non-starchy vegetable. Eating high quantities of non-starchy vegetables can decrease the risk of oestrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer. Beetroots also contain a rich source of compounds that have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and vascular-protective properties and may protect against cancer.
Mains
Baked salmon on sweet potato puree and asparagus
Time: 35 minutes, four people
Ingredients
- 800 g sweet potatoes
- Coarse sea salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 12 spears of asparagus
- 4 salmon fillets (à approx. 150g)
- Pepper from the mill
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Method
- Peel, wash and cut the sweet potatoes into pieces, place in a saucepan of boiling water, and cook until tender.
- Drain, then season with coarse salt and add one tablespoon of olive oil. Mash until smooth and set aside.
- Next, trim the asparagus spears if necessary, and set them to one side.
- Rinse the salmon fillets under cold water, pat dry and season with coarse salt.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large coated pan. Fry the fillets on each side for 2-3 minutes.
- Season with pepper.
- Wash rosemary and shake dry. Keep two sprigs and remove the needles of the left rosemary and add to the salmon.
- Meanwhile, steam the asparagus in a bit of salted water for 2-3 minutes (it should still be bite solid) and let it drain.
Serve
Swirl a serving of the sweet potato puree on the plate, place three sprigs of asparagus on top and then place the salmon on top of this. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with rosemary.
Nutritional information
Asparagus is an example of a non-starchy vegetable. There appears to be a correlation between eating high quantities of non-starchy vegetables and a decreased risk of oestrogen receptor-negative (ER-) breast cancer. Sweet potato is high in carotenoids which can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. *We recommend choosing organic salmon or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) salmon to avoid pesticides.
Vegan Roast with cranberry sauce
Time: 45 minutes preparation, 60 minutes baking, 4 people
Ingredients
- 300g brown or green lentils
- 3 tbsp ground linseed or ground chia seed
- 125g walnuts (or almonds)
- 1 carrot (80g)
- 100g celery
- 150g onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 100g leek
- 60g buckwheat flour
- 1 slice of older rye or spelt bread
- 2 tbsp fresh or 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 small apple (approx. 60g)
- ½ small pear (ca. 35g)
- 50g raisins (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp virgin olive oil
For the cranberry sauce:
- 200g fresh cranberries
- 250ml water
- 8 tbsp maple syrup, honey or Agave syrup
- 4 tbsp fresh orange juice (optional)
- Zest of half an organic orange (optional)
Equipment
- A very large pan
- Big baking tin
- Food Processor (optional)
Method
- Wash the lentils briefly under running water and boil with approx. 1 litre vegetable broth.
- After 25 minutes, drain any remaining water from the lentils and set the lentils aside. Crush lentils with a fork to a pulp and leave a few lentils for consistency.
- Roast the walnuts at 160°C for about 7 – 8 minutes. Do not let them out of your sight because they can burn very quickly.
- Raise the oven to 180°C.
- Grate carrot, celery, apple and pear. If you have a Food Processor, you can crush everything there for a few seconds. Just don’t puree, please.
- Peel the onions and chop them coarsely.
- Cut the leeks.
- Put the garlic through the garlic press or cut it into very small pieces.
- Chop the walnuts into very small pieces.
- Cut the bread into small pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a very large pan. Brown the onions and garlic for about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the grated celery, carrot, leeks, apple, pear and raisins (if used). Sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Now add the lentils, linseed or chia seeds, walnuts, buckwheat flour, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper and chilli flakes and mix well.
- Place the lentil and walnut mix in a baking tin lined with baking paper and press firmly. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Bake the “roast” for about 50 to 60 minutes at 180°C until the edges turn brown. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes before cutting.
Serve with sautéed greens for a complete meal.
For the cranberry sauce:
- Wash the cranberries and put them into a small coated saucepan.
- Add water, orange juice, rubbed-off orange peel and sweetener and simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat. During this time, the water is reduced, and the sauce slowly thickens.
- When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside to cool.
Nutritional information
Lentils are 25% protein, which makes them an excellent alternative to meat that is roasted.
In addition, lentils contain certain bioactive food components, namely polyphenols, which have antioxidant potential and may help protect against various diseases such as cancer.
Dessert
Healthy baked apples
Time: 30 minutes, 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 Boskoop apples (or other apples of your choice)
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 4 tbsp red jam
- 2 tsp grated lemon zest
- 40 g chopped walnuts
- Cinnamon Sugar (Mixture of cinnamon and sugar)
Method
- Wash the apples and cut out the casing with a knife. Since the apple will be filled, do not cut a hole in it, but leave a base.
- Now fill the baked apple with walnuts, red jam and dried cranberries.
- Place on a baking dish and bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes.
- As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
Nutritional information
Apples contain a wide variety of phytochemicals, many of which have been found to have strong antioxidant properties and may have anticancer activities. One study found that the consumption of more than 5.5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day was associated with an 11% lower risk of breast cancer compared to the risk for women consuming 2.5 portions or less.
Tips for eating healthily during Christmas
- Before Christmas dinner is served, it’s a good idea to serve a low-calorie soup or salad. This satisfies the first hunger, and the stomach is already a little full – you will eat less during the main course. A glass of water can also make the first cravings disappear before eating.
- A few calories can also be saved when you pay attention to the side dishes and the sauces. Instead of greasy fries or croquettes, use light side dishes such as rice or vegetables. It is also better to look for healthier varieties instead of high-calorie cream sauces.
- You can also avoid further calorie traps during the Christmas dinner at dessert: Avoid high-fat desserts such as chocolate mousse and instead serve a healthy fruit salad.
- It takes about 15 to 20 minutes after the beginning of a meal to start feeling full. So take your time eating, maybe even take a little break between courses. This way, you avoid eating more than your body needs.
- When snacking during Christmas, if you find yourself grabbing biscuits, also go for some fruit: Enjoy delicious lychees, kakis, kiwis, oranges, mandarins or baked apples. Dried apple rings are also good snacks with fewer calories.
- Add some nuts to the biscuit plate. Although nuts have a high-fat content and are high in energy, this is mainly unsaturated fat, e.g. polyunsaturated fats in walnuts. They are also high in protein and fibre and contain nutrients such as vitamin E, potassium and magnesium. But watch your portion sizes. One portion of nuts is roughly 30g (a small, cupped handful) which is about 175 kcal-200 kcal. Buy nuts; you have to shell yourself. Having to crack them takes more time, and seeing the pile of empty nutshells might make you eat fewer.
- Drink at least two litres of water (or unsweetened teas) a day. This will help curb your appetite.
- No need to deny yourself sweet, delicious nibbles. However, enjoy the delicacies slowly and in moderation. See them as a special treat.
- Try to keep active over the festive season to help you burn some extra energy and avoid unnecessary weight gain. Take a walk or go ice skating with family and friends.
References
Beetroot https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/
Lentils https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5713359/
Apples https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442131/
Apples https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk/news/can-eating-your-greens-reds-and-oranges-reduce-your-risk-of-breast-cancer/
Satiety https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4212566/
Nuts https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/ask-the-expert/nuts-as-a-healthy-snack
Enjoyed this healthy festive feast recipe and are craving more like this? Breast Cancer Uk’s brand new recipe e-book is out now! Download (for free) ‘Organic Flavours’ today. What are you waiting for? Get cooking.