{"id":15368,"date":"2026-01-27T16:27:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T16:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/christmas-tips-for-your-table\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T18:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T18:05:38","slug":"christmas-recipes-ideas-healthy-dishes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/christmas-recipes-ideas-healthy-dishes\/","title":{"rendered":"Christmas TIPS for YOUR TABLE"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Starting with Christmas Eve dinner on\u00a0December 24th<\/sup><\/strong>, a proper gastronomical marathon takes place throughout Italy. The Christmas menu is rich and abundant by definition and paying attention to a balanced nutritional diet is not generally a top priority in this period.<\/p>\n

Is it inevitable, though, that you will eat unhealthily during Christmas or are there alternatives that can unite a balanced meal with taste?<\/p>\n

Given that we have followed a\u00a0flexible and well-balanced diet<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0throughout the year, we can afford to eat a bit more indulgently during the holidays. Here are some\u00a0original ideas for Christmas lunch<\/strong>\u00a0or Christmas Eve dinner:\u00a0healthy and tasty<\/strong>\u00a0dishes that will pleasantly delight even the most traditional palates.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Pulse and grain recipes for the holidays<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we think of a\u00a0Christmas menu<\/strong>, aside from\u00a0lentils<\/strong>\u00a0which are noted for bringing good fortune, we don\u2019t usually consider bringing\u00a0grains<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0pulses\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>to the table. However, these two\u00a0healthy and nutritious<\/strong>\u00a0foods can also become unexpected and tantalizing protagonists of festive dinners and lunches.<\/p>\n

Have you ever thought, for instance, of an\u00a0orzotto (barley risotto)\u00a0<\/strong>instead of the classic risotto? Let\u2019s take a look at some\u00a0Christmas recipes\u00a0<\/strong>that are delicious, creative and\u00a0well-balanced<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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WALNUT AND MUSHROOM ORZOTTO<\/strong>1<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

Porcini mushrooms, walnuts and barley seasoned with shallots and parsley served in grated Parmesan baskets: a perfect dish for your festive table! Fragrant, healthy and easy to make: a sure-fire way to impress your guests.<\/p>\n

Time:\u00a0<\/strong>30 minutes
Difficulty:\u00a0<\/strong>very easy<\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS (for 6 people):<\/strong><\/p>\n

500 g\u00a0Orzo perlato Pedon<\/strong>\u00a0(pearled barley) from the\u00a0C\u2019\u00e8 di buono in Italia<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0range
200 g grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 litre of broth
400 g porcini mushrooms (or 150 g dried porcini)
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
80 g walnut kernels
1 shallot
1 garlic clove<\/p>\n

PREPARATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

On medium heat, in a hot non-stick pan melt 40 g of grated parmesan cheese to form a flat and uniform circle, cook for 1-2 minutes (the edges will detach from the pan and turn a hazelnut colour).<\/p>\n

With the help of a spatula, remove from the pan and put on top of a bowl to form a basket shape. \u00a0Let cool for 5 minutes. Repeat for the other 5 baskets.<\/p>\n

In a large saucepan brown the shallot with 3 tablespoons of oil until golden brown,\u00a0add the<\/strong>\u00a0Pedon barley<\/strong>, stir and cook for\u00a0about 10 minutes<\/strong>, adding a little hot broth from time to time.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, brown an unpeeled garlic clove in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil, add the sliced porcini mushrooms (if they are dry remember to let them soak in warm water before cooking them) and cook for 5 minutes.<\/p>\n

Remove the garlic, add the mushrooms to the barley and cook for a few minutes.\u00a0 Add salt, pepper and coarsely chopped walnut kernels and serve in the parmesan baskets you previously prepared. Just top with some parsley and your exquisite\u00a0walnut and mushroom barley<\/strong>\u00a0is ready!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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RAISIN AND SPELT CAKE2<\/sup><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever thought of using\u00a0spelt\u00a0<\/strong>in a dessert?<\/p>\n

If you love rice pudding\u2026 you must try this version that has a bit of a sharper flavour: a delicious guilt-free dessert for\u00a0Christmas Eve dinner<\/strong>: your guests will love it!<\/p>\n

INGREDIENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n

250 g\u00a0Pedon Spelt\u00a0<\/strong>(or wholegrain spelt by Pedon) from the\u00a0I Salvaminuti<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0range
750 ml milk
peel from half a lemon
peel from half an orange
1 cinnamon stick
3 eggs
180 g sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or one bag of vanilla flavouring)
50 g butter
60 g raisins
Rum
50 g plain flour
half a sachet of baking powder<\/p>\n

PREPARATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

Add the milk, cinnamon stick and lemon and orange peels (grated or cut into thin slices that are then removed) to a pot and heat. When the milk begins to boil pour in the spelt, stir often (add a few drops of milk if needed for a risotto consistency) and cook for about\u00a010 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Transfer to a bowl, remove the peel and cinnamon stick and let the spelt cool completely. Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the rum. When the spelt has completely cooled, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder and melted butter and whisk. Add the flour and baking powder and mix well.\u00a0 Squeeze the liquid out of the raisins and add them to the mixture.<\/p>\n

Line a 24 cm diameter cake tin with a sheet of baking paper and pour in the spelt mixture. Bake at 180\u00b0 for 50 minutes, until the surface is slightly brown. Let cool completely, then transfer it to a serving dish, dust with some icing sugar, cut into slices and voil\u00e0\u2026. your Christmas dessert is served!<\/p>\n

Among the superstars proudly brought to you for the festive season, you\u2019ll find products from the Pedon\u00a0C\u2019\u00e8 di buono in Italia<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0range: fast-cooking grains ready in 10 minutes\u00a0from a 100% Italian supply chain<\/strong>. From the versatile\u00a0Spelt<\/em>\u00a0grown in Umbria, Lazio, Tuscany and Marche to the high-energy\u00a05 Grains<\/em>\u00a0grown in the area from Piedmont to Puglia; from our nourishing\u00a0Barley,<\/em>\u00a0the joy of Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Tuscany to the surprisingly tasty\u00a0Quinoa Mix<\/em>, which unites the quinoa of Emilia Romagna with grains cultivated in Piedmont and Lombardy. Boasting the added value of\u00a0sustainable packaging<\/strong>\u00a0derived from\u00a0plant waste salvaged from the processing of our pulses<\/strong>, these products are truly\u00a0100%<\/strong>\u00a0natural<\/strong>\u00a0as they are pre-cooked without any additives.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bibliography<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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  1. \u201cL\u2019Orzo ai funghi e noci \u00e8 un piatto saporito e profumato\u201d (Walnut and mushroom barley is a delicious and fragrant dish \u2013 Chef Silvia recipe reviews and cooking tips), Source\u00a0chefsilvia.it<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. \u201cTorta di farro e uvetta\u201d (Raisin and spelt cake), La Maga in Cucina, Source\u00a0lamagaincucina.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Delicious, sustainable, proudly Italian: top notch ready-made grains.<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    Find them here ><\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Starting with Christmas Eve dinner on\u00a0December 24th, a proper gastronomical marathon takes place throughout Italy. The Christmas menu is rich and abundant by definition and paying attention to a balanced nutritional diet is not generally a top priority in this period. Is it inevitable, though, that you will eat unhealthily during Christmas or are there […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15367,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-we-win-you-over-every-day"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15368"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15369,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15368\/revisions\/15369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pedon.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}