Kiwi chef Bridget Davis has quite the list of accomplishments – she’s appeared on Oprah and Good Morning America, been a keynote speaker for Google and Tedx, and she’s cooked in some of the world’s fanciest restaurants.
Holy hell, could she cook – but when she looked in the mirror, she realised she didn’t know how to eat.
After losing 30kgs with diet changes alone, Bridget, who grew grew up in Ōtara, Auckland and begun her career at age 14 by working in a restaurant that served traditional Māori food, started sharing her methods, and now boasts a huge social media following.
The trick, she discovered, was a healthy gut, and she first published her sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes in her book Bridget’s Healthy Kitchen – and now she’s released her follow up, Eat Your Way Slim & Healthy.
Keep scrolling for three recipes from Bridget’s New Book – Chicken Nuggets on Slaw, Healthy Steak ‘n’ Onions on Mash, and Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower with Grilled Fish.
Chicken Nuggets on Slaw
Healthy chicken nuggets? Yes, you can! Use a rice cake, blitzed and crumbed to give the chicken a bit of crumb and a fabulous fresh and zingy slaw to accompany the nuggets.
1 rice cake, blended to crumbs
Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon pure garlic powder
100 g (3 ½ oz) chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 small handful coriander (cilantro) leaves
1 small handful mint leaves
1 small handful basil leaves
200 g (7 oz) finely shredded cabbage
1 small green apple, finely shredded
2 tablespoons Bridget’s zesty dressing
1 lemon wedge
Dressing:
90ml lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons crushed ginger
1 tablespoon sugar-free Dijon mustard (I use Mailee Mustard) (optional)
Pinch Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
60ml water
1 small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 green chilli, roughly chopped (optional)
In a shallow bowl, mix together the rice cake crumbs, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the allspice, paprika, cumin powder and garlic powder.
Wet the chicken breast cubes with water, then lay them through the spiced rice cake mixture, pressing as much crumb on to the chicken pieces as possible.
If using an air fryer, preheat to 200°C (400°F) for 2 minutes. Lay the crumbed chicken in the fryer basket and cook for 8–9 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
If cooking in the oven, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lay the chicken on a small baking paper lined tray and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the chicken cooks, make the slaw by finely chopping half of the coriander, basil and mint leaves while leaving the rest as whole leaves.
Make the dressing:
Place all the ingredients into a small blender and pulse until well blended. Taste the dressing for flavour, adding more lemon, water or salt and pepper to taste.
In a bowl, mix together the herbs, cabbage and apple, and stir through the zesty dressing. Taste for flavour and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the slaw alongside the chicken nuggets with a wedge of lemon.
