The holiday season is usually an ordeal for dieters. However, with the right recipes, your festive dishes will be both tasty and healthy. Here are three fantastic recipes for the Christmas table.

Ice Water Salad

Step 1. Veggies

The mixed crunchy veggies in this salad (1 ½ lb) must be no thicker than a nickel. Use a mandoline for slicing. Make sure the tough skins have been peeled. Next, put the vegetables into a salad spinner filled with ice water. The salad should now be left to sit and chill (from 15 minutes to several hours).

Step 2. Nuts

The oven must be preheated to 325°. Take a baking sheet with rims and toast a cup of walnuts until golden brown. This should take approximately nine minutes. Once cooled, the nuts are crushed or chopped to lentil size. 

Step 3. Dressing

Take five oil-packed anchovy fillets and a couple of garlic cloves. Smash these in a mortar with a pinch of Kosher salt. Pestle the mixture until smooth and pasty, and transfer it into a saucepan with ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil. 

The mix must be cooked over medium to low heat. Stir it frequently for three minutes — until the garlic begins turning golden brown. Next, put into a big salad bowl for cooling. Add the toasted walnuts and three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. 

Step 4. Mixing

Use a salad spinner to spin the veggies, until they are completely drained. Toss them into the bowl with dressing, so they are covered evenly. Add 1 oz. of shaved and divided Parmesan cheese and distribute by tossing. You may now transfer the dish to a platter. Top with 1 oz. of Parmesan, sprinkle with olive oil and finish off with pepper.

Citrus-and-Dill Gravlax

Step 1. Make the Cure

Place a bunch of dill into your food processor. Next, toss in the zest from two grapefruits and three lemons into the bowl, along with 1¼ cups kosher salt, a cup of light brown sugar, and a tablespoon of cracked black peppercorns. Process the mix to get the cure. 

Step 2. Prepare for Chilling

Take a big-size baking sheet with rims and cover it with a fitting sheet of parchment paper. Pour a third of cure down its center. Cover it with a three-pound piece of boneless salmon (flesh side down) and spread the rest on top of it evenly. 

Finally, use another sheet of parchment paper to wrap the fish up. Use plastic. Finally, put a second baking sheet on top and a heavy object, such as a cast-iron skillet, for weight. Let the fish chill for three days.

Step 3. Unpack

Take a kitchen towel (damp) and wipe off the cure. The fish should be sliced into very thin pieces using a very sharp knife. Keep the blade clean between the slices by wiping it with another towel. You should get wide and thin ribbons. 

The cured salmon may now be served on a platter, accompanied by cream cheese, bagels, red onion, dill sprigs, lemon wedges, and capers.

Beef and Ginger Stir-Fry

Step 1. Prepare the Meat

First, put your trimmed and sliced skirt steak (1 pound) into a bowl and season it with a mix containing toasted sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, and salt (1 tablespoon of each). Let the meat sit for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 2. Fry It

The beauty of this dish is not just in its fantastic taste, but also in its simplicity. Once the meat is ready, fry it in a skillet coated with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Before tossing it in, make sure the oil is shimmering with a bit of smoke seen. 

Let the meat be fried until brown around its edges. This should take a couple of minutes. 

Step 3. Add Veggies

Next, turn it over and throw in the sliced sweet onion, a peeled and sliced 1 3" piece of ginger, a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, with ⅓ cup of water. Wait for the onion to become tender and ginger to soften, which takes another two minutes. 

Step 4. Final Touches

Now the skillet may be removed from the heat. All you need to do now is add three tablespoons of unsalted butter, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a tablespoon of soy sauce. Now, put your beef stir-fry into bowls filled with cooked rice.