The holidays are here, and your waistline is about to behold atrocities. Or maybe not!
Holiday parties are typically loaded with high-calorie, high-fat, high-cholesterol food. But with a little bit of advanced planning, you can find swap out one of the traditional, deliciously-terrible-for-you recipes for something that's just as tasty but won't leave you with a Santa belly.
As part of a month-long occasional Go Healthy series, we're scouring the web's best cooking web sites for low-fat spins on traditional holiday treats. Pay heed now, and you won't have to work so hard when you hit the gym on Jan. 2.
Up first, from the good people at Good Housekeeping, is a healthier spin on the classic egg nog punch that promises "silky texture and decadent flavor" with just 105 calories a serving.
You're going to need the following:
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
5 1/2 cup(s) low-fat milk
1/2 cup(s) sugar
2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
Salt
2 tablespoon(s) vanilla
1/2 teaspoon(s) (plus additional for sprinkling) ground nutmeg
1/3 cup(s) dark Jamaican rum (optional)
And here's what you do.
1. In a bowl, with whisk, beat eggs and egg whites until blended; set aside. In heavy four-quart saucepan, with heat-safe spatula, mix four cups milk with sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook on medium-high until mixture boils and thickens slightly, stirring constantly. Boil one minute. Remove saucepan from heat.
2. Gradually whisk half a cup simmering milk mixture into eggs; pour egg mixture back into milk in saucepan, whisking constantly, to make custard.
3. Pour custard into large bowl; stir in vanilla, nutmeg, rum -- if using -- and remaining 1 1/2 cups milk. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, at least six hours or up to two days. Sprinkle eggnog with nutmeg to serve. Makes about six and a half cups.
