Leah Itsines comes from a big Greek family where food is always at the forefront of every gathering. But it's no secret she also lives and breathes healthy eating and a lifestyle that supports wellbeing. How do you combine a love of food with a healthy lifestyle? You make Good Food Made Simple.
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If you don't feel confident in the kitchen, or you've had a "bad" relationship with food, this is the book to ease you back to balanced and realistic eating that is satisfying and fun.
- Good Food Made Simple: Healthy recipes to eat well and feel incredible, by Leah Itsines. Murdoch Books. $36.99.
Crispy fish tacos with sweet chilli avocado salsa
Use gluten-free tortillas for a gluten-free version. You can replace the fish with firm tofu for a vegetarian meal. I love tofu cooked in the air fryer - it has such a good crunch!
Ingredients
- 600g firm white skinless fish fillets, such as snapper
- 110g rice flour
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp onion powder
- ground white pepper, to taste
- peanut oil, for frying
- 2 egg whites
- 8-10 butter lettuce leaves
- 8-10 mini tortillas
- Sweet chilli avocado salsa:
- 1 1/2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 avocados, diced
- 1 Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, sliced
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 1 handful coriander, chopped
Method
1. To make the salsa, stir the sweet chilli sauce and lime juice together in a bowl. Add the avocado, cucumber, spring onion and coriander and toss to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside while you prepare the fish.
2. Cut the fish into thick strips.
3. Combine the rice flour, turmeric, onion powder, white pepper and a little salt in a large bowl.
4. Pour enough peanut oil into a large frying pan to come about 1cm up the side of the pan and place the pan over medium-high heat.
5. Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until foamy. Add half of the fish and toss to coat, then dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour mixture. Cook the fish for a few minutes until crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towel. Repeat with the remaining fish pieces.
6. Lay a lettuce leaf on each tortilla and top with the crispy fish and the salsa. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Curry chicken fried rice
I've given traditional fried rice a big boost of green veggies! Prawns or firm tofu would be wonderful substitutes for the chicken - cook them in the same way as the chicken, but remove them from the pan while you make the rest of the dish and add them with the egg at the end.
Ingredients
- 3 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 500g quick-cook long-grain rice (see tip)
- 2 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 eggs
- 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced
- 1 bunch (about 150g) broccolini, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 65g frozen baby peas
- 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g snow peas, halved
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 1 handful coriander leaves
Method
1. Combine the curry powder, tamari, fish sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Gently massage the packets of rice to break up the rice inside.
3. Heat one teaspoon of the peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Whisk the eggs with one and a half tablespoons water and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring to scramble, for one to two minutes. Spoon the egg into a bowl and set aside.
4. Add the remaining peanut oil to the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then stir-fry for five minutes. Add the broccolini, carrot, peas, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for two to three minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
5. Stir in the rice and cook for two minutes. Add the curry mixture, stir well and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the snow peas, spring onion and egg and cook for one minute. Serve the rice topped with the coriander.
Tip: You could use 650g of cold leftover cooked rice instead of the quick-cook rice.
Serves 4.
Chorizo and vongole baked risotto
If you're looking for a simple seafood dish that really hits the spot, this is it! If you can't find vongole or clams, use mussels instead. Or swap them for some firm fish or a different meat - perhaps bacon or Italian sausage.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 30g butter
- 2 leeks, pale parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 x 125g chorizo sausages, chopped
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 1 3/4 cups arborio rice
- 250ml white wine
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 300g baby tomatoes, halved
- 2 zucchini, grated
- 1 kg vongole or small clams
- chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve
- lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Cook the leek, chorizo and thyme for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil, then pour in the wine and let it boil for a couple of minutes until almost evaporated. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomatoes and zucchini and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the vongole. Cover and return to the oven for a few minutes or until the rice is cooked and the vongole have opened. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley, with the lemon wedges on the side.
Serves 4-6.
Yakitori with quick pickled salad
Pairing a deliciously marinated meat with a salty, sweet pickled salad is magical! If you're in a hurry, you can cook the thigh fillets whole instead of skewering them - this will save you loads of time.
Ingredients
- 125ml mirin
- 125ml sake
- 125ml tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger
- 750g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Quick pickled salad:
- 185ml rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 300g daikon, peeled
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers
- 1 bunch (about 250g) radishes
- 2 spring onions
Method
1. Soak 12 wooden skewers in cold water to stop them from burning while cooking.
2. For the salad, whisk 185ml water with the vinegar, honey and salt until the honey has dissolved.
3. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the carrot and daikon into ribbons. Slice the cucumbers, radishes and spring onions. Add the vegetables and pickling liquid to a large resealable plastic bag. Expel the air, seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the mirin, sake, tamari, honey, garlic and ginger in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for five to eight minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Set aside half of the sauce in a small bowl to use as a dipping sauce.
5. Heat a barbecue or chargrill pan over medium-high heat.
6. Cut the chicken thighs into 2.5cm wide strips and thread them back and forth onto the soaked skewers. Grill the chicken for one to two minutes, then turn and baste the cooked side with the remaining sauce. Repeat the turning and basting until the chicken is almost cooked through, then turn and cook one final time without basting.
7. Serve the yakitori with the reserved dipping sauce and the drained pickled salad.
Serves 4.