Easter Ideas for Family Meals

Many families and groups gather over the Easter long weekend to enjoy time together and a good meal. Here we've included some ideas for adapting traditional dishes, and some new suggestions, to help you be healthy through the holiday.

Glazes

Ham is a popular option for Easter dinner. When making your glaze, you can try using Walden Farms Maple Syrup or another sweetener (like Stevia or Splenda) in place of other sugars or honey.

Main dish recipe options:
Cinnamon Pork with Turnip
Pan Seared Pork Chops
Garlic Roast Chicken

Savoury Sides

Scalloped Potatoes are popular this time of year. You can make a low-carb version using turnip or celery root instead of potatoes, and making your sauce with an Ideal Protein soup (mushroom, broccoli and cheese, leek).

If you prefer a mash, try one of these options:
Mock Mash Potatoes
Celery Root Mash

For vegetable sides, use vegetables with a low Glycemic Index. Try steaming, sauteing or roasting them with your favourite herbs and spices.

Some great vegetable choices:

• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage 
• Celery
• Celery Root (Celeriac)
• Cucumbers
• Kale
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Turnip
• Zucchini 

Ideal Protein Products

Let some of these options help you through the chocolate egg avalanche.

• Raspberry Chocolaty Bar
• Milk Chocolate Pudding mix
• Ready-to-Serve Dark Chocolate Pudding
• Choco-Peanut Butter Bar
• Caramel Nut Bar
• Cookies and Cream Bar
• Chocolate Drink

Enjoy your long weekend!

Mexican Slaw

This coleslaw isn't your usual cabbage and mayo affair. This Latin inspired low-carb slaw will make a new and delightful addition to BBQs and picnics.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup small-dice red onion
• 1/4 cup lime juice 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more as needed
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more as needed
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium head of red cabbage (about 2 pounds)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Whisk together the onion, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, the oil, measured salt and pepper, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and garlic in a large bowl until combined; set aside for 10 minutes. 
2. Slice the cabbage in half through the core. Cut a V-shaped notch around the white core on each half; discard the core. Slice each half lengthwise into quarters and thinly slice each quarter crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide strips.
3. Add the cabbage and cilantro to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Refrigerate, tossing once or twice, until the flavours have mellowed and melded, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the remaining tablespoon of lime juice, toss again, taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed before serving.

Sautéed Bok Choy

Bok choy is the perfect vegetable for a quick, healthy side dish. Garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes add delicious flavour to this cabbage relative.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 
• 1/4 tesp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 lbs bok choy (about 2 medium bunches)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp olive oil
• salt as desired

Directions

1. Prepare the bok choy by slicing it into 1-inch pieces, cut diagonally across the stem.
2. In a large frying pan with a tight fitting lid, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the bok choy and fold it into the garlic-ginger mixture until coated, about 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and water, cover, and cook about 1 minute. 
4. Uncover and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just wilted, stalks are just tender, and most of the water has evaporated (about 2 minutes).
5. Remove from heat. Stir in the sesame oil and season with salt if desired.

All About Paprika

Paprika is a dried powder made from bell peppers or chili peppers, used around widely around the world. You'll find it featured particularly in Hungarian and Spanish recipes.

Different Types of Paprika
If you've gone shopping for Paprika, only to discover more options than you've expected, you're not alone. We've listed some of the varieties you can find below:

• Paprika, the most commonly found and generically labelled type, and is a blend of sweet and hot varieties. It’s good for adding colour to your dishes or as a garnish.
• Hungarian or Sweet Paprika has a rich, fruity flavour with little heat. It's great as a general paprika, being more flavourful than the more common variety.
• Hot Paprika is made from dried chili peppers and is more like cayenne pepper, but less spicy.
• Smoked or Spanish Paprika is made from chilis dried and smoked over a fire giving the spice a flavour that is rich and smokey. Comes in both sweet and hot varieties.

Which type you use depends on what you want it for. Use regular or sweet for colour. Hot paprika for a change from cayenne and smoked paprika for a more earthy flavour.

Using Paprika
Paprika is often used as a garnish. However, many traditional preparations require warming paprika in oil and will greatly enhance the flavour it releases. Take care when doing this, as overheating the spice will cause it to turn bitter.

Cabbage Steaks

Roast vegetables are always delicious option, but these cabbage steaks are especially fun. The recipe below is a great way to start. Once you've discovered how marvelous they are, try spicing them up with your favourite flavours.

Ingredients

• 1 (approx 2lb) head of green cabbage
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Remove any damaged outer leaves from the cabbage, slicing the cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being the root) into 1″ thick slices. 
3. Rub both sides of cabbage with garlic.
4. Use a brush to lightly spread olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.
5. Sprinkle each side with a bit of salt and pepper.
6. Place cabbage steaks on a baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart. Roast on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. 

Celeriac: AKA Celery Root

It doesn't look like much, but this root vegetable is delicious, nutritious and low carb.

Celeriac (Celery Root)

It isn't actually the root of what we know as celery, but another related variety, Sometimes it's called knob celery to distinguish it. Like potatoes, this vegetable can be stored for quite a long time.

How do I cook it?
This vegetable makes a great substitute for potato and is much lower on the glycemic index. It works great in curries, stews, hash browns, mashes, and prepared roasted in the oven.

Celery Root Mock Mash Potatoes

A warm, creamy and low-carb alternative to mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 cups celery root, peeled and diced 
• 3/4 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste) 
• pepper to taste  
• paprika to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Peel and chop the celery root small. 
2. Place in pot with water and simmer until celery root is soft.
3. Add the roasted celery root to a food processor. Pulse a few times. With the food processor on, drizzle in the oil.      
4. The mixture should be creamy, velvety and warm.  
5. Serve immediately.  Serves 4 - 5 (depending on serving size). 
6. Top with optional paprika. 

Adapted from The Tasty Alternative blog