My Healthy Christmas in 60 Minutes

What I love about this time of the year is being able to make spectacular foods that are quick, healthy and delicious, without bloating you out. By mastering a few of my top secrets in the kitchen, you'll be able to get a delicious meal on the table in around 60 minutes.

1.FOCUS ON DELICOUS PLANT-BASED INGREDIENTS

I base my menu around fresh, plant-based ingredients that are full of fibre, antioxidants and vitamins your body will love!

I find myself relying heavily on produce that needs very little done to it so I create raw salads of fresh vegetables, leaves and herbs that only the need a generous drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or balsamic vinegar.

Desserts at the Healthy Chef household rely mostly on fresh summer fruit that include piles of dark ruby cherries and mango cheeks carresed with a squeeze of lime. I also love making iced watermelon gelato that refreshes and cleanses the palate. You'll find the recipe for my watermelon gelato in my Healthy Baking Cookbook. 

Green also tends to be a feature colour on my feative dining table.  I make coolers from pineapple juice,  matcha tea, lime juice, lemongrass and muddled mint.  This is a spectacular drink which compliments my zucchini noodles scented with fresh basil pesto and macadamia parmesan.

Any healthy festive menu needs lots of fresh, plant-based ingredients which are full of fibre, antioxidants and vitamins. You can easily prepare a festive spread that will take 60 minutes from start to finish.

A favourite on my table is a classic caprese salad made wtih heirloom tomato and bufallo mozarella.  Alternatively, my Pumpkin Salad with Tahini + Pomegranate, a popular recipe from The Healthy Chef Recipe App, is a showstopper.  Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes are magnificent served alonside a bowl of smashed avocados lightly spiced with green tabasco, sea salt and lime.

2. KEEP IT SIMPLE 

Good fresh produce needs very little done to it, so don't overcomplicate things. I like to adopt the less is more principle as I don't want to denature the goodness and vitality from the ingredients I use. I also encourage the whole family to be invlolved in preparing the food - made with love and happiness.

Cooking comes from the heart... so pick your ingredients according to the season  and prepare it simply. I encorage people to use my recipes as a base and then to add their own personal touch of inspiration.

3.REINVENT THE CLASSICS WITH A HEALTHY TWIST

In my cookbook Healthy Baking, I focus my recipes to be low in natural sugars to avoid all those blood sugar and insulin spikes that come with eating traditional desserts. My signature No-Bake Christmas Puddings served with Mango Custard is raw, which means you don’t have to bake it like a traditional Christmas pudding.

My Strawberry Crumble is spectacular served hot or cold and my Citrus Salad with pistachio, raw honey and fresh thyme, adds a refreshing and natural vitamin C boost.

 

4.FOR CHOCOLATE LOVERS

I have a whole chapter dedicated to chocolate in my cookbook Healthy Baking. Cocoa and good quality dark chocolate is high in antioxidants and has a rich luxurious flavor. I use Naked Chocolat Dark for recipes that require a smooth, rich and sophisticated flavour. For raw chocolate desserts I use Naked Chocolate Mylk which has a lighter flavour profile....you can also use a good quality raw cacao powder.

My Chocolate Gingerbread Men are always a big hit at the Christmas table and they are perfect dunked into icy cold Cinnamon Chai Cashew Mylk.