Grace for Christmas -It’s Not About the Skinny Chef It’s About Grace

Chef Rod AKA 'The Skinny Chef' and Shadre enjoying a Skinny Christmas filled with grace

Hello Skinnies, I trust you all had a blessed Christmas, filled with love, laughter, and loved ones.

Before The Skinny Chef Diaries had a name  before the hacks, before the lighter twists and clever swaps  there was Grace.

Grace was a young, aspiring chef living with sickle cell anemia.

Brilliant. Curious. Stubborn in the best way.Cooking wasn’t just her passion it was her declaration that her body did not get to define her dreams.

Food, for Grace, was never casual.It mattered.

What Is Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA)?

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder where red blood cells become stiff, sticky, and crescent-shaped (like sickles) instead of round, due to abnormal haemoglobin (haemoglobin S).

These misshapen cells block small blood vessels, causing severe pain crises, anemia, and organ damage to vital organs such as the spleen, kidneys, and brain. In severe cases, it can lead to stroke.

Why The Skinny Chef Diaries Really Began

The Skinny Chef didn’t start writing to chase trends or prove discipline.

The book began as a quiet mission: to nourish without fear, to cook with respect for the body, and to restore dignity to food often dismissed.

Grace challenged every assumption.

Could flavour still be bold without excess?Could “old-school” ingredients be powerful again?Could food heal not magically, but meaningfully?

The answer lived in a pan.

Ox Liver, Onions & Polenta: A Lesson in Grace

Convincing Grace to try pan-seared ox liver with onions and polenta wasn’t easy.Liver carries baggage. Bad memories. Bad cooking.

But this dish had a purpose.

Ox liver is a nutrient-dense superfood  rich in iron, B vitamins, protein, and essential minerals needed for energy and strength. Prepared with care soaked, quickly seared, paired with slow-cooked onions and creamy polenta  it becomes balanced, comforting, and deeply nourishing.

This wasn’t about forcing food.It was about proving that nourishment could taste good, feel good, and honour her body.

When Grace finally tasted it, the lesson was clear:

Healthy food doesn’t have to punish you.It can meet you where you are.

That dish earned its place in The Skinny Chef Diaries not as just a recipe, but as a reminder.

Ingredients

• 650g ox liver

• 2 large onions, thinly sliced into rings

• 100g kale, washed and sliced

• 200g instant polenta

• 1 can (400ml) coconut milk

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, picked

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 teaspoon beef stock granules diluted in 1 cup of boiling water

• Serves 4

Method

1. Start by prepping the polenta. Place a medium-sized pot on the stove, add 200ml water, and add the can of coconut milk with some salt and pepper.

   
   

2. Bring the pot to the boil on a medium heat. Once the coconut milk and water mixture has come to the boil, add the polenta while stirring with a whisk. Reduce heat and let it cook out for 10 minutes if using instant polenta. If using raw polenta, let it cook for 40 to 45 minutes on low heat, with a lid on the pot, and keep stirring occasionally. Set polenta aside.

   
   

3. Place a medium-sized saucepan onto the stove on a medium heat, add some of the olive oil, and the garlic, fresh thyme and onions. Let the onions cook until soft and translucent, and set aside. Then, in the same pot, add a little more oil. Add the washed kale and seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Add ¼ cup water if necessary.

   
   

4. On the stove, heat a medium-sized frying pan over a high heat, add olive oil, reduce heat to medium, and then pan-fry the sliced and seasoned ox liver for 5 minutes on each side. Finish off with 1 cup of diluted beef stock and let it cook for a further 5 minutes.

   
   

5. Serve the liver with polenta, kale, and onions and topped with a fresh sprig of thyme.

Making It to Christmas Is Grace Enough

Christmas isn’t always about abundance. For many, simply reaching December is a victory.

Grace taught us that:

• Food is fuel, not fear

• Eating well is an act of self-respect

• Survival deserves celebration

This season isn’t about perfect tables or flawless bodies.It’s about gratitude for breath, strength, and presence.

Grace is making peace with what nourishes you.

South African Christmas Traditions (2025 Edition 🇿🇦)

With Skinny Chef Grace-First Hacks

🌞 1. Hot-Weather Feasting

Light meals, fresh sides, cold meats, and relaxed pacing.

Skinny Chef Hack: Protein first, fibre second, indulgence mindfully  energy without overload.

🔥 2. The Christmas Braai

Still the heartbeat of the day.

Skinny Chef Hack: Use spice, citrus, herbs, and smoke instead of sugary marinades. Flavour with intention.

🥗 3. Seven-Colour Salad, Reimagined

Credit: Khanya Mzongwana/Woolworths Taste

Tradition meets balance.

Skinny Chef Hack: Add legumes or seeds for extra nourishment food that supports energy, not just nostalgia.

🍰 4. Dessert With Dignity

Dessert is joy, not guilt.

Skinny Chef Hack: Smaller portions, slower bites. Grace is knowing when enough is enough.

🕯️ 5. Gratitude Before the Plate

A moment to acknowledge those who made it  and those who taught us how.Grace would have loved that.

Grace Is the Main Ingredient

This Christmas, the Skinny Chef isn’t chasing “skinny.”

We’re choosing grace.

Grace for bodies that fight battles quietly.Grace for food that nourishes deeply.Grace for traditions that evolve but never disappear.

Because the real recipe was never about control.It was always about care.

🎄✨From The Skinny Chef Diaries where nourishment meets grace.

Merry Christmas, Skinnies. I hope you had a beautiful day. Stay festive, stay happy, and most importantly stay skinny.Same time. Same place.

Creative Director: Shadre Leonard