Looking for an easy low carb, diabetes-friendly holiday meal that looks like you slaved all day? You simply can’t get any easier than a rib roast. It practically cooks itself!

I love holiday traditions and I love learning about other people’s holiday traditions. I remember being fascinated when I moved to Arizona and found out that many of my friends traditionally had tamales on Christmas. My experience with tamales was extremely limited and based mostly in the Hot Tamale candies I had received on Halloween as a child. Mexican food for Christmas was very far removed from my Canadian childhood traditions. We usually had a very English traditional meal, replete with roast turkey or roast goose and mincemeat pie for dessert. Sometimes we got a little child and had French Canadian Tourtiere instead, but my father loved his own childhood traditions and usually insisted on turkey or goose. So when it came time to set traditions with my own family, roast goose was high on my list for Christmas dinner.

Roast goose isn’t easy to find this side of the border, however. I also learned quickly that making a complicated meal when you have very small children is a surefire way to lose the holiday spirit. So I scrapped the goose idea pretty quickly and settled on something that seems like it would be complicated but is actually ridiculously easy. I cooked my first rib roast (aka prime rib) before I even had kids and I was floored by how easy it was. All it took was a little seasoning and then you popped it in the oven for a few hours and it essentially cooked itself. You could even get caught up in the events of the day, forget to take it out on time and overcook it a bit and it was STILL good. It could also sit for a while after cooking while you prepared other dishes and be mostly lukewarm upon serving and it was STILL good. And if you were feeding a crowd, everyone could have the meat cooked just to their liking. Those that liked their beef cooked well could have cuts from the outer part of the roast, and those that liked it rare could wait for a slice from the interior. It was like Christmas magic, the perfect meal for everyone with minimal work and fuss.

So a standing rib roast quickly became our family  meal at Christmas. And over time, I developed my own way of seasoning it and a little sauce made with red wine and the juices from the roast. But it’s good any time of year too. I actually made this roast back in October when I was trying to use up things in our freezer before we moved. Served with my Sour Cream & Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower and my Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter and you have yourself an amazing low carb holiday meal.

Please see my Standing Rib Roast with Garlic and Rosemary on A Sweet Life Diabetes Magazine.