Although reports concerning average calorie consumption in the West on Christmas Day vary, estimates suggest that some people will wade their way through upwards of 6,000 calories when they sit down to their turkey this weekend. This is real food for thought, particularly when you bear in mind that the recommended daily amount is 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men.
Indulgence has become part and parcel of any festive experience, so don't deprive yourself. You can, however, make a few simple changes to traditional recipes in order to avoid out-and-out gluttony, reduce your calorie and fat intake yet still keep things tasty.
The good news is that turkey - the centrepiece of many a Christmas table - is naturally low in fat, high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. For maximum health benefits, select the white breast meat and avoid the skin (pure fat).
Chestnuts are a great festive ingredient. They are low in fat, contain far fewer calories than almost all other nuts and are rich in vitamins, minerals and protein. They're also gluten-free and tasty enough to perk up even the much-maligned Brussels sprouts. The stuffing recipe below has a higher ratio of vegetables to breadcrumbs than usual and contains no butter, which helps to keep the fat and calorie content low.
Cooking the roast potatoes in stock might seem unusual, but by doing this and by brushing the potatoes sparingly with olive oil, you get crunchy potatoes with a fraction of the fat.
The difference between bread sauce made with semi-skimmed rather than whole milk is barely noticeable and the addition of low-fat crème fraîche in the latter stages, as opposed to double cream, makes good health sense. Mashed carrots with a touch of honey and a scattering of cumin seeds taste interesting enough not to require extra butter.
All recipes serve 8
Chestnut, apple and celery stuffing
Ingredients
3 teaspoons groundnut oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
head celery (with leaves if possible), finely chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored and grated
1 lemon, zest and juice
200g peeled roasted chestnuts, roughly chopped
2 eggs, beaten
110g wholemeal breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped celery leaves
salt and black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/fan 170/gas 5. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery (not the leaves), season with salt and black pepper and cook for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add the grated apple, lemon zest and juice and cook for a further 2 minutes before removing from the heat.
Tip into a large bowl, add the chestnuts, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley and celery leaves and stir well to combine. Lightly oil a baking tray with the remaining oil. With slightly damp hands, shape the mixture into balls about 4cm in diameter. Cook for 25-30 minutes until crisp and slightly browned on the outside.
Bread sauce
Ingredients
onion, peeled
12 cloves
500ml semi-skimmed milk
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
10g butter
110g white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon low-fat crème fraîche
salt and black pepper
Method
Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a pan. Pour over the milk, add the peppercorns, bay leaf and a touch of salt and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1-2 hours. Strain the liquid into a clean pan and place over a low heat. Add the butter and breadcrumbs, stir and leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Reheat when required, taste to check the seasoning and stir in the crème fraîche just before you are ready to serve.
Carrot, cumin and honey mash
Ingredients
1 kg carrots
4 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon runny honey
2 teaspoons cumin seed
salt and black pepper
Method
Peel the carrots, slice in half lengthways and roughly chop. Place in a saucepan with the thyme and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat slightly, season with salt and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender - check the carrots every 5 minutes or so to ensure that the water doesn't boil away. Drain in a colander set over a bowl, remove the thyme sprigs and return to the pan.
While the carrots are cooking, place a saucepan over a medium-high heat. When you can feel that the pan is hot, add the cumin seeds. Toast for 1-2 minutes, until the spices begin to smell aromatic and start to crackle. Remove from the heat at this point.
Add a splash of cooking water to the pan and roughly mash the carrots with a potato masher. Add the honey and toasted cumin seeds, stir well, taste to check the seasoning and serve warm.
Roast potatoes
Ingredients
1.8kg floury potatoes (for example King Edward, Maris Piper or Desirée)
2 tablespoons plain white flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
350ml vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Peel the potatoes and cut into even-sized pieces. Tip into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for six minutes. Drain well in a colander. Shake the colander to roughen the edges, sprinkling over the flour at the same time.
Put the olive oil in a small bowl. Transfer the potatoes to a baking dish and pour over the stock. Dip a pastry brush into the olive oil and brush the tops of the potatoes (you won't need all the oil). Season and transfer to the hot oven.
After 40 minutes, remove the tin from the oven and carefully turn the potatoes over. Brush the tops with olive oil and return to the oven. Repeat this process 10 minutes later. When the potatoes have been in the oven for 60 minutes, the stock should be absorbed and the potatoes will be golden and crunchy.
Roast Brussels sprouts with chestnuts
Ingredients
350g Brussels sprouts
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
100g whole peeled, roasted and roughly chopped chestnuts
zest of 1 orange
Method
Wash the sprouts and remove any outer leaves that are past their best days. Trim the ends and halve lengthways. Tip into a large bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper and toss well, making sure that the sprouts are coated in the oil.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and arrange the Brussels sprouts, cut side down, in the pan, in a single layer if possible - you may need to do this in two batches. Cover with a lid and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the underside of the sprouts is lightly browned. Taste to check if the sprouts are tender. If not, cook for a couple more minutes.
When the sprouts are tender, increase the heat and cook until the base begin to caramelise. Add the chopped chestnuts and orange zest, and toss well, so that the rounded side of the sprout also becomes lightly browned.
Serve immediately.
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELee%20Cronin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyssa%20Sutherland%2C%20Morgan%20Davies%2C%20Lily%20Sullivan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E536hp%20(including%20138hp%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E750Nm%20(including%20400Nm%20e-motor)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C380%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.