By Christine Salins.
“You don’t need to work away in the kitchen for hours on end just to put a meal on the table (although I sometimes love to do this). Simple ingredients and simple recipes are always a win,” says Leah Itsines in Good Food Made Simple (Murdoch Books, RRP $36.99).
And indeed there are loads of deliciously simple (or should that be simply delicious?) recipes to choose from, from a tasty Chicken katsu and soba noodle salad, to Crispy fish tacos with sweet chilli avocado salsa, and her yiayia’s (Greek grandmother’s) Pastitsio.
Itsines grew up in a Greek family where food was at the forefront of every family get-together, so it’s not surprising that she loves her food. There are plenty of family favourites in the book, including her mum’s salmon recipe, featured here.
The Adelaide woman founded the BARE community groups for healthy eating and wellbeing, co-produced the popular BARE Guides, and previously produced a best-selling book, The Nourishing Cook.
Her mission to combine a love of food with a healthy lifestyle is at the heart of Good Food Made Simple. She advocates a balanced and realistic approach to food and wellness, rather than restricting food and hardcore dieting. Get comfortable in the kitchen, be kind to your body and have some fun, she says.
One of her biggest tips for healthy eating is meal prepping and she has some great suggestions that make light work of weeknight meals. She also has tips for organizing the pantry and some recipes for marinades that are an easy way of adding variety to dishes.
There’s a lot to love amongst the dishes in this book, proof that it really isn’t difficult to eat healthy, nutritious food without compromising on taste.
Mum’s Salmon
Serves 4
4 skinless salmon fillets
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
Olive oil, for cooking
2 small red chillies, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons coriander roots and stems
3 garlic cloves
1 lemongrass stalk, white part only
½ cup (125 ml) fish stock
¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 1 large lime
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cm (¾ inch) knob of ginger, cut into thin strips
Steamed rice, to serve
Coriander leaves, for garnish
1 mild, long red chilli, finely chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2 Season the salmon fillets with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkle of sweet paprika. Heat a splash of olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly brown the salmon fillets on each side, then place them in a deep ovenproof dish.
3 Combine the chilli, coriander, garlic and lemongrass in a small blender and blend until finely chopped. Add the fish stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar and blend until well combined.
4 Pour the sauce over the salmon, top with the ginger slices and bake for 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
5 Serve the salmon on a bed of rice, topped with the coriander and chilli.
Recipe and image from Good Food Made Simple by Leah Itsines, photography by Ben Dearnley except cover photo by Frame Creative. Murdoch Books RRP $36.99.
