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There’s nothing quite like barbecued chicken cooked to perfection on a hot grill. Pair it with some simple seasonal greens, and fresh pesto and homemade dukkah for your new brunch favourite.
Everybody loves a good pizza, but let’s be honest they aren’t always the healthiest option. By swapping out your traditional pizza base with pitta bread and greek yoghurt for cheese, this pitta pizza will satisfy all of your pizza cravings without all of the unwanted extras. Best of all, this recipe takes 10 minutes.
Buying a whole fish is often more economical than buying the fillet. It also makes it a cinch to prep! Ask your fishmonger or supermarket counter to clean and scale a snapper for you, then throw it on a baking tray, add some simple flavours and you’ve got one tasty, nourishing meal in under 30 minutes.
Doesn’t sound very sexy, but adding all your leftover veggies and meat or seafood to the bottom of a shallow dish and adding eggs on top makes for one the simplest, tastiest meals around. At the end of the week I often have some greens that are past their best – and they work great in this dish. Gather all your odd-and-ends – reduce waste and get dinner in under 30 minutes. Winning!
This easy recipe is made from all-raw ingredients, which means no hanging around for the damn thing to cook. No need to boil pasta – zucchini makes an amazing low-carb substitute. These green squashes comprise mostly of water, making them a great low-calorie option if that’s your bag. They also help to keep you hydrated – perfect during the summer months when salad seems like the only option!
I love this recipe. It was inspired by a delicious deep-dish vegetable pie I had in Adelaide last year at vegan restaurant Pollen 185. The chef there told me how she had played around with the crust recipe for weeks before perfecting it, and then very generously passed that onto me. I’ve tinkered a little with it myself, but the deliciously crumbly texture remains the same. Fill it with whatever you want – I’ve gone for nutrient dense pumpkin and beets, but you can literally throw anything in there. Turn it into a quiche by pouring in whisked eggs into the crust.
Chickpea flour is made from either raw or roasted chickpeas, milled finely. It contains a higher proportion of protein than many others. It’s also
gluten free, making it a great flour alternative for anyone who suffers from gluten intolerance. It’s also mighty tasty. Grab some at your local health food store and let’s get baking!
My mother-in-law has a knack for risotto. You might say it’s her signature dish (though, she has a million of those). She spends hours stirring it until it’s a delicious creamy consistency and tops with a mix of roasted balsamic vine tomatoes, garlic and mint – it’s an incredible combination. For me, it’s missing a protein element for muscle repair and satiety, and is pretty heavy on refined carbs. It’s more of an ‘occasion’ food – which I hate, so here’s my take on low-carb risotto, using cauliflower rice instead of arborio. No white wine (though you could add it if you wanted!) and served up with some hearty organic chicken breast. Now that’s one balanced, every-day kinda risotto I can get on board with.
The humble cauliflower provides a high amount of nutrients for a small amount of calories. Cauliflower is also high in both fibre and water content, which helps to prevent constipation, maintain a healthy digestive tract and lower the risk of colon cancer. A ‘regular’ risotto indeed.
This is my take on the beautiful Mexican Fajita. We’re going salsa-less. Have you ever read what’s in a jar of the store-bought stuff? Sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Not great for your insides. I’ve swapped it for tahini – kind of like peanut butter, but made with sesame seeds. It’s packed with healthy fats to keep you satiated for longer. It’s also an amazing source of calcium (for those of you who don’t eat dairy) and is rich in minerals such as phosphorus, lecithin, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Triple the recipe, invite some friends over and lay it all out in bowls – it’s the easiest, healthy dinner-party pleaser that is sure to impress. DIY food is always a winner and means you can cater for fussy eaters too!
Sometimes you need something hearty on a weeknight. It’s been a long day and you simply don’t have the time (or energy) to start gutting and chopping a chicken. In true Fit Foodie style, there’s a work-around. Grab a pre-marinated chook from the good folk at Lilydale, who very kindly haven’t loaded their sauce with flavourings and other nasties. Whack it on a foil tray, and focus on the most delicious rice you’ve ever eaten. Super nutritious, and all pulled together in one hour, with minimal slimy chicken contact. Winning.
Sweet potatoes pack a powerful nutritional punch. Just one medium spud contains over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A, in addition to plenty of potassium, fibre, and beta-carotene. While sweet potatoes do have more natural sugar than regular potatoes, they’re boast a plethora of nutrients with fewer calories! Pack them with all sorts of delicious fillings and you’ve got variety for days. Bake extra and keep them in the fridge for later in the week, or top with cinnamon and honey for breakfast.
