Christmas is a time for celebration, for spending time with friends and family , its also a time to enjoy a few splurges through the month. At The Body Retreat we know that t can be a worry how you entertain while still maintain your waistline. It can be hard to combine celebration and moderation. This well balanced three course winter menu is perfect when you want to serve a delicious meal for friends or family during the winter.

Starting the meal with a light but warming Parsnip and Lemon soup will help you to feel fuller sooner and while help to moderate your appetite fort the rest of the meal. Main course is Spiced Pork Casserole served with Couscous which is a rich and opulent and will impress your guests, who will never guess that it only took you 15 mins to prepare. Then we finish the meal with Plum and Almond Meringue

Spiced Pork with Cous Cous
Serves 4
1 tsp of each of the following spices : Ground Ginger, Ground Coriander, Sweet Paprika
1/2 tsp of each of the following spices : Cinnamon, All Spice
1lbs of pork shoulder steak
200 mls red wine
Juice of half an orange and one strip of peel
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced
1 carrot, sliced
100gms dried apricots
50gm whole almonds
1tbsp honey
1 spring fresh rosemary
80gm Cous Cous
1/2 pomegranate
small handful of chopped fresh parsley

Method

Preheat Oven to 150

Trim the meat and cut into large chunks, then heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat in batches.  Transfer the meat to an ovenproof casserole dish.

In the frying pan saute the onion and garlic.  Add the flour and spices and then cook out for a further minute. add the wine, vegetables, orange juice and peel, honey, rosemary.  Simmer for a couple of minutes.  then add the fruit and nuts, stir through and then pour over the meat in the casserole dish.  Transfer to the oven and cook covered for 90 mins, checking at 1 hr if the meat is tender and the sauce is beginning to thicken.  If sauce hasn’t thicken then remove lid for last 1–15 mins of cooking time.

Prepare the cous cous to the preparation guidelines, and before service stir through the pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.