Christmas Eve Fondue

I wanted to have something really fun and special for Christmas Eve dinner. Something that we don't normally have and that we could make a tradition. Of course, I wanted it to be healthy also. I decided to do a fondue dinner. It was so much fun! We had three courses. The first was the appetizer course. We tried two different kinds of cheese fondue. This was a treat for use since we rarely have cheese. I liked the blue cheese one the best. Then we had the main course that was a broth that you cook the veggies in. It tasted great and it was fun to let the kids cook their own. The last course was a dessert course. There again were two choices. They were both good.

Here are some pictures (they are not that great, sorry) and recipes. I healthified the recipes from www.gofondue.com/

Cheese Fondue Recipe for the Whole Family

1 clove garlic
1 Tbls Butter or coconut oil
1 Tbls whole wheat or spelt flour
1/2 cup Nut or rice milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup macadamia nut sour cream

1. Cut the clove of

garlic in half and rub each half inside the fondue

pot. Discard the garlic when done.

2. Turn on the burner on low and melt the butter in the

cheese fondue pot.

3. Add the flour and milk and mix well.

4. Add the cheese one hand full at a time. Increase the tem

perature a little.

5. With a wooden spoon, mix well and stir regularly. D

on't let the mixtu

re come to a boil.

6. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

7. When the fondue is hot enough (but not boiling), add the sour cream, mix well and serve.

8. Dip your pieces of bread and other dippers into the deli

cious melted blue cheese.

9. Enjoy and repeat. Keep stirring the cheese to make su

re it doesn't burn at the bottom.

Easy Cheese Fondue

1/2 Tbls butter or coconut oil
1 clove garlic
1 Tbls chopped green onion
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice
3 Tbls dried cranberries
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 Tbls cornstarch
1/8 lb Swiss cheese, shredded
1/8 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 lb Gouda cheese, shredded
pepper to taste

1. Turn on your fondue pot and melt the butter. Add the garlic and green onion and cook for two minutes while stirring.

2. Add the juice, cranberries and rosemary and let it si

mmer for about 4 minutes.

3. With burner on low heat, add the cornstarch and shredded cheese, one handful at a time, until all of it is melted. With a wooden spoon, mix well and st

ir continuously.

4. Add pepper to taste.

5. If the mixture is too hard, add juice. If the mixture is too soft, add

cheese.

6. Dip bite size pieces of steamed broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower, button mushrooms, pear slices, apple slices or mild pepperoni sticks.

7. Let the dipped pieces cool off for a few seconds, the

n enjoy and repeat!

Tip: If you ask your children to make a figure 8 while dipping, it will turn this meal (or appetizer) into a game while ensuring the cheese mixture gets constantly stirred.

Dippers for cheese fondues- steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, apple slices, grapes, crusty bread, steamed asparagus, steamed new potatoes

Fondue with Vegetables in Broth

3 cups vegetable broth
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 Tbls grated ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbls Braggs liquid aminos
salt and pepper to taste
assortment of dippers

1. In a large pot over medium heat, warn up the veggie stock.
2. Add the chopped green onion, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. Arrange your dippers and dips on serving plates and bowls and keep refrigerated until fondue starts.
5. When you are ready to get started, add braggs and salt and pepper.
6. Strain the fondue broth to remove all solid particles.
7. Transfer to your fondue pot. Keep the extra broth in a pot on the stove on low heat to replenish as needed.
8. Light the fondue burner and adjust the heat.
9. Put a piece of vegetable onto your fondue fork and cook it in the broth.
10. Transfer the cooked dipper onto a regular fork and dip into one of your favorite dips.

Dips- Mango Salsa, Ranch, Pesto sauce

Dippers- raw organic chicken, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, celery, mushrooms, bell pepper

There are only a couple times a year that we cook meat at our home. One is for valentines day and the other is on Christmas Eve. We cut up in to thin strips, one organic chicken thigh and it was enough for our whole family. You don't need very much.

Basic Maple Syrup Fondue

2 Tbls water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut milk
Assortment of dippers

1. In a small bowl, dilute the cornstarch and water. Set aside.
2. In a small sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk. Mix well.
4. Keep mixing and gradually add some of the cornstarch mixture until the fondue has reached the desired consistency.
5. Pour the fondue mixture into a fondue pot.
6. dip bite size pieces of various dippers.

Peanut Butter Fondue

5 Tbls honey or agave
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Assortment of dippers

1. In a small saucepan, bring the honey or agave and the coconut milk to a boil, while stirring consistently.
2. Reduce the heat and add the peanut butter.
3. Mix well.
4. Pour the peanut butter mixture into your warm fondue pot.
5. Add the cinnamon and stir well.
6. Dip bite size pieces of various dippers.

Dessert Dippers- Nuts, Apples, strawberries, warmed pineapple, bananas