For most of us, the festive season is a time for indulgence.
And celebrity chef Bridget Foliaki-Davis has got you covered with her simple last-minute dishes that are full of flavours - including her no-bake four-ingredient chocolate fudge recipe.
The mum-of-three, who has cooked for Oprah and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, offered her guide to planning a festive menu to remember.
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To help take some of the stress out of the cooking, the 47-year-old has shared her five crowd-pleasing dishes.
Scroll down for Bridget’s no-bake chocolate fudge recipe
With no baking involved, Bridget says she always makes her favourite dessert for Christmas - chocolate fudge.
“It’s so good, it’s dangerous,” she tells 7Lifestyle.
“It should be approached with caution as it’s hard to stop at one piece. With it tasting so good, how could it possibly be this healthy? It is the great fudge trickery.”
Her recipe features just four ingredients - almond butter, coconut oil, sugar-free, dairy-free dark chocolate chips and a natural sugar alternative like erythritol or inulin powder.
“It’s a very simple creation that involves melting a good quality sugar-free and dairy-free dark chocolate before whisking in almond butter and adding some erythritol which is a sugar free alternative to table sugar,” she says.
“The end result is a melt in your mouth fudge that is deliciously flavoured thanks to the almond butter.
“The chocolate fudge being healthy is only a bonus.”
No-bake chocolate fudge recipe
Ingredients
100g almond butter or a nut or seed butter of your choosing
50g coconut oil or MCT oil
70g sugar free, dairy free dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp erythritol or inulin
Method
Place all the ingredients into a small metal or glass bowl and position the bowl over a small pot filled with 5 cm of gently simmering water. Stir the ingredients with a spatula until the ingredients are melted and liquid smooth.
Line a small container or dish with baking paper (I used a small rectangle plastic takeaway container) and pour the warm ingredients into the container.
Cool the fudge in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the fridge for 60 to 90 minutes until hard. Portion by slicing into 12-14 pieces and store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Bridget says one dish her kids highly request every year is duck fat potatoes.
“Just make sure that you choose a floury potato that roasts well which will help to get the glorious crunch on the outside while still being fluffy on the inside,” she says.
“Potato varieties such as King Edward and Sebago are good roasting potatoes.”
If you’ve left your Christmas planning until the last minute, Bridget has shared some of her easy-to-make side dishes.
Bridget says octopus salad has been a “recent addition” to her family’s Christmas feast.
“Having grown up near the ocean, I experienced a rich version of a creamy octopus stew which I have lightened for our table using fresh limes, a little chilli and lots of mint and coriander,” she says.
Heirloom tomato salad often makes an appearance on her family’s dinner table.
“Tomatoes are ripe and in abundance in our part of the world come Christmas time,” she says.
“Making the most of these seasonal gems means the flavour is wonderful and the colours are spectacular.
“This simple dish is made up of sliced tomatoes which are then topped with fresh basil, goat cheese, mineral salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.’
Another go-to dish that’s always a crowd pleaser is “lightly blanched asparagus with a hollandaise sauce thanks to its simplicity and flavour”.
“I make a dairy-free hollandaise that holds up well without splitting and always choose the thinnest asparagus to ensure a tender sweet side dish,” she says.
If you’re watching your waistline on Christmas Day, Bridget says you can still enjoy a festive feast without sacrificing any flavours.
“Having a healthy Christmas does not mean you have to deprive yourself of the things you love,” the cookbook author tells 7Lifestyle.
“Healthy food even at Christmas does not need to taste like cardboard and by making small changes to our habits we can make a world of difference to our waistlines.”
Bridget says there are simple and easy tweaks you can make to create a “healthy” festive menu.
“Simple tweaks will help to give your Christmas feast so much flavour, freshness and health” she explains.
“Make the most of seasonal produce like cherries, avocados, asparagus and tomatoes and let the produce speak for itself without the need to adorn with heavy sauces and dressing.
“Make the most of our coastal bounty with bowls of fresh prawns simply dressed with sea salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
“Use the garden by way of fresh light and bright herbs like basil, mint and coriander to give excitement and flavour to anything they touch.”
