2 healthy New Year's Eve menus: crab cakes + citrus salad and tri-tip chimichurri + romesco asparagus

healthy, festive New Year's Eve menus just for you!

As I reflect on 2024, I am so grateful for all of you. Because of you and your trust in me, I get to do what I love most. Creating healthy recipes and sharing my passion for real food and metabolic health is a dream job for me. So thank you for being here, for making my recipes and sharing them, for sharing your wins when you improve your metabolic health, reduce your A1C, complete your first 2 day fast, or for letting me know that you are taking steps to improve your family’s health too. You are my heroes, and I am in awe of you and the strides and changes you make on a daily basis to improve your health. That I get to be your cheerleader and your “healthy friend” is an honor that I do not take lightly. THANK YOU and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am back this week with Part 2 of my collaboration with the talented Anja Lee Hall from Modern Women’s Nutrition, whose Christmas breakfast recipes were a hit last week.

Anja is a professional chef and cooking class instructor, cookbook author, and women’s wellness advocate whose recipes and insights make a big difference for women navigating everything from the perinatal journey to hormonal health.

For New Year’s Eve, my family loves crab cakes with caper remoulade paired with citrus salad with fennel and olives. Anja’s favorites are two elegant and flavorful recipes that are as easy to prepare as they are beautiful: roasted asparagus with romesco and tri-tip with chimichurri.

• Crab Cakes with Caper Remoulade: These easy homemade crab cakes are insanely good because they have very little "filler.” The perfect treat to make as an appetizer or as a main dish with a side salad. I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe because they always disappear fast! The caper remoulade is also terrific as a salad dressing, so make extra!

• Citrus Salad with Fennel and Olives: This festive, vibrant, and tasty salad is a show-stopper and is the perfect accompaniment to crab cakes for an easy New Year’s Eve meal loaded with nutrients and flavor.

• Roasted Asparagus with Easy Romesco: A bold, colorful side dish that’s perfect for the holidays. The smoky romesco sauce adds vibrant flavor to tender asparagus, making it an energizing and festive addition to your New Year’s menu.

• Grilled or Roasted Tri-Tip with Chimichurri: This herbaceous, versatile dish is perfect whether you’re hosting a crowd or keeping it intimate. The bright chimichurri pairs beautifully with tri-tip, roasted veggies, or mushrooms if you’re skipping meat.

These recipes focus on balanced blood sugars and nutrient-dense ingredients, leaving you feeling your best as you ring in the new year. If you missed our Christmas breakfast recipes, check them out here. As always, these recipes are free of grain, gluten, and refined sugar and are dairy-free or have dairy-free swaps.

Anja’s passion for creating recipes that support women’s wellness pairs beautifully with my work at Nest Wellness, and I hope our dishes inspire you to cook with joy this holiday season.

If you need a blood sugar friendly dessert for New Year’s Eve, consider this easy, no bake pistachio chocolate torte, these chocolate caramel shortbread bars, these easy, no bake crunchy peanut butter cups, this chocolate cream pie, or this apple crisp. All of these sweet treats are crafted to support blood sugar balance and metabolic health. As always, these recipes are free of grain, gluten, and refined sugar and are dairy-free or have dairy-free swaps and are low carb as well!

Beth’s citrus salad with olives and fennel

citrus salad

by Beth Bollinger of Nest Wellness

I love citrus in a salad, especially if it also has a savory vinaigrette, fennel, and lots of olives! Serve this salad with these crab cakes or with lentil falafel for an easy, festive New Year’s Eve meal.