My Healthy(er) Festive Table

The festive season is upon us and every year we overindulge.  Which we should as it usually only comes around once a year! But have to take into account that we all had a rough year and probably spent too much time walking to the cookie jar in between our Zoom meetings.  How about this year we use this festive season as a way to reset our bodies and our minds in preparation for hopefully a prosperous 2021!

 

Well, that’s what I’ll be doing.  This year my festive table will include all the delicious heartwarming foods we all know and love and brings us so much joy, but I will be adding a healthy twist.

 

 

Rugani Juice

 

Rugani Juice has made it easy for me to put a healthy spin on my festive meals.  All of their juice variants are made from freshly harvested veggies and fruit, not from concentrates.  After undergoing a unique extraction process, only a delicious (and nutritious) mouth-watering juice is left, that is free from artificial colourants and preservatives, with no added sugar.

 

“Conventional juices are made from reconstituted concentrates, because juice factories are unable to secure a reliable source of fresh produce, especially with seasonality constraints.”

 

With a 12 months shelf life, it’s easy to have a constant supply of the best juice in your pantry for your cooking or drinking pleasure.

 

Cooking with vegetable juices not only adds to the flavour of the dish but there are various health benefits in adding vegetable juices to your meals.

 

The carrot and beetroot juice variants are high in beta carotene (vitamin A/retinol) and unlike many other nutrients, beta carotene is heat stable and not easily destroyed or degraded by cooking. When adding any of the Rugani veggie juices to your dishes when cooking, it enhances the nutritional value of your dish.  These juices also contain many other vitamins and minerals and is the perfect addition to a healthy balanced diet.

 

I have chosen 3 of the Rugani juices to incorporate into my festive meals.  It adds so much flavour, and being a healthy alternative to traditional juice it adds that extra goodness that can only come from Rugani.

 

 

What am I planning?

Traditional Gammon with Pineapple Sauce

 

For my festive table, I will be planning to have a Traditional Gammon with Pineapple Sauce, as no festive season is complete without leftover gammon.  By using the Rugani 100% Queen Pineapple Juice, I will create a sweet and sour pineapple sauce that will be the perfect accompaniment to the gammon.

 

Ingredients for the Pineapple Sauce:

 

• 330ml Rugani 100% Queen Pineapple juice
• 200gr pineapple pieces
• 1tsp ginger
• 1tsp all spice
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp brown sugar

 

Method for the Pineapple Sauce:

 

• Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and reduce over medium heat until the sauce is runny and pourable.

 

 

Spaghetti Bolognese

 

Having a big family with lots of little ones running around I will have a separate meal for them to feast on!  Spaghetti Bolognese is always a firm favourite and even though not a traditional festive meal, it will go down well with the little ones! For the Spaghetti Bolognese, I will be adding Rugani 100% Carrot Juice to add a hint of sweetness and to eliminate some of the acidity of the tomatoes.

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 cups Rugani 100% Carrot Juice
• A handful of small tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1tsp turmeric, cumin, coriander & curry powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1kg mince

 

Method:

 

• Mix all the ingredients, except the mince, in a blender for the sauce.
• Brown 1kg mince & add the sauce.
• Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens.

 

 

Beetroot Brownies

 

No festive meal is complete without dessert and this year even dessert will have a healthy spin! I will be making Beetroot Brownies with dark chocolate served with fresh cream.  You will never know they are packed with beetroot juice and any brownie expert will put these at the top of their list.

 

These brownies are not only delicious as they emerge from the oven but left in an airtight container, they can last up to 5 days which makes them the perfect table gift for your guests.

 

Click here to see the Beetroot Brownies Recipe.

 

This festive season we all have so much to be thankful for.  After a difficult year let us all come together, have some good food, make healthy choices and prepare ourselves for the year that lies ahead!

 

 

Author Bio:

 

I’m Tascha Strauss. I’m a working mom of two gorgeous kids and as a family we have adopted a healthy balanced lifestyle to enable our kids to make healthy choices from a young age. I am also a CrossFit enthusiast & blogger.

 

Instagram: @taschastrauss

Website: Burpees & Biscuits