By Christine Salins.
Joe Wicks is passionate about helping families to eat healthier so that they feel happier and more energised. His enthusiasm is clear in Joe’s Family Food (Bluebird, $44.99).
“One of my favourite things in the world is sitting down with my family to enjoy wonderful home-cooked food,” he says.
“I think it’s the perfect time to slow down, reconnect and check in with each other. Sometimes life seems to move at a million miles an hour and we can forget to actually enjoy and appreciate mealtimes.”
Wicks, aka ‘The Body Coach’, is the author of a string of books on cooking and losing weight that collectively have sold more than three million books in the UK.
He has more than four million followers on Instagram, while his PE with Joe videos on YouTube kept people moving during lockdown, having been viewed 80 million times.
As a parent to two young children, Wicks makes a conscious effort to ensure that dinnertime is relaxed. TV and phones are turned off; chilled and relaxing music is turned on. He loves getting his kids, Indie and Marley, involved in the cooking. “I really do think the experience of adding ingredients and learning to create food is so important for young children.”
Joe’s Family Food has recipes that kids can help with, while other sections canvas themes such as speedy suppers, bung it in the oven, meat free, and big batch. All the recipes are simple, healthy and stress-free, from a delicious Lemon and zucchini puff pastry tart, to meat-free gems like Indian-spiced chickpea burgers with cauliflower raita, and the family-friendly Katzu chicken dippers here.
OATY KATZU CHICKEN DIPPERS
Serves 6
Ingredients:
olive oil spray
2 tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper
1 large egg, beaten
100g porridge oats
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp garlic granules
380g chicken mini fillets
For The Katzu Sauce:
1 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp mild curry powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
165ml tin coconut milk
1 heaped tsp dark roasted peanut butter
1 tsp honey
60ml apple juice
1 tsp cornflour mixed with
1 tsp water
Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/gas mark 7), line a baking tray with foil and spray it evenly with olive oil spray.
Place the cornflour on a small plate and season with salt and pepper. Place the beaten egg in a small bowl and season with salt. Place the oats on another plate and mix with the paprika and garlic granules. Dust the mini fillets in the cornflour, then dip them in the egg, and finally roll the fillets in the oats to coat. Place them on your prepared baking tray.
Spray the top of the oaty fingers with an even coating of spray oil and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on the outside.
While the chicken cooks, make the katsu sauce. Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the curry powder and garlic and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the cornflour, and heat through until hot. Whisk in the cornflour mixture and allow to thicken a little before removing from the heat. Serve the dippers with the sauce on the side.
From: Joe’s Family Food by Joe Wicks, published by Bluebird, RRP $44.99, photography by Andrew Burton.
