Congratulations to us!  We’ve made it through December and all the holiday parties!  Just one more to go.  I find that by New Year’s Eve, however, I just want to relax and “be” at home.

I do like to make a special dinner to give thanks for all the gifts of the past year and offer a toast in excitement and anticipation for the year to come.  But I want it to be super colourful and flavourful with minimal work required, much of which can be done in advance.  And this menu fits the bill.

So ring in 2020 in smooth and stylish fashion with these succulent cinnamon and orange infused braised lamb shanks in the starring role.

Sign up here to receive the recipes and have a very happy, healthy and delicious New Year!

New Year’s Eve Nosh

Salad: Fennel, Radicchio & Grapefruit Salad (you may substitute orange for grapefruit if you wish – clementines are fantastic this time of year)

Main: Braised Lamb Shanks (this slow braised dish will perfume your house with festive scents of orange and cinnamon and requires very little last minute attention)

Side: Cauliflower Mash (feel free to use frozen cauliflower here to save time – read on to find out why it is especially good to eat on New Year’s Eve)

Dessert: Chocolate Nutty Baked Pears (a little like fondue-on-a-plate, these pears can be baked well in advance and rewarmed;  when ready to serve, just garnish with pomegranate seeds and drizzle with chocolate)

Join The Nutritional Reset community here to receive this month’s menu today (as well as each month to come)!  And read on for some nutritional tidbits about a few foods featured in the recipes…

A few featured foods

Cauliflower

I love cauliflower.  It is nutrient-dense (with a smidgen of almost every vitamin and mineral you need) for very few calories. And its high fibre content makes it a very satisfying low-carb stand in for potatoes in this mash.

Importantly for New Year’s Eve, cauliflower contains glucosinolates and sulphoraphane, compounds shown to aid your body’s ability to remove external toxins (e.g. alcohol) and balance inflammation.

 

Grapefruit

My mom used to serve broiled grapefruit halves and mimosas to kick off Christmas breakfast.  She likely didn’t know this then, but grapefruit slows down Phase 1 detoxification in the liver.  This is why it is not recommended when taking certain medications. 

But excessive amounts of toxins (imbibing too much alcohol, say) may cause Phase I to become hyperactive.  This generates damaging free radical intermediates faster than Phase II can neutralize them.  In this case, slowing down Phase I to balance your liver’s workload may be wise.

 

Cooking your own food is the single most impactful step you can take to improve your health and energy!

I hope you enjoy the recipes in my New Year’s Eve Nosh menu.  Sign up here to receive the download link for this latest Menu of the Month.  And if you want to cook more of your own food but don’t know what to make or have the time to organize your own menus and shopping lists, The Nutritional Reset offers a meal planning service.  It makes preparing tasty, nutritious meals a snap. Click here to find out more.