Eat Yourself Healthy, by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Michael Joseph, $65), is out now. Photo / Richard Clatworthy
Lemon Tahini Chicken and Grains
Here’s a way to jazz up a handy grain packet, meaning you get big flavour, fast.
Serves 2
Total time: 13 minutes / 3 of your 7-a-day
Energy 577kcal / Fat 14.4g / Sat fat 3.3g / Protein 54g / Carbs 49.9g / Sugars
54g / Salt 1.1g / Fibre 15.9g
Season to perfection: Lemon Tahini Chicken and Grains. Photo / David Loftus
Ingredients
• 160g tenderstem broccoli
• 2 x 150g free-range skinless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• 460g jar of roasted red peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 15g fresh basil
• 30g black olives, stone in
• 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 250g packet of cooked mixed grains
• 400g tin of cannellini beans
Method
Put a large, shallow, non-stick casserole pan on a high heat. Trim the broccoli, halve any thicker stalks lengthways, and dry fry while you score deeply across the chicken breasts at 1cm intervals. Spritz with olive oil, rub with sea salt and black pepper, then cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the broccoli is lightly charred.
Meanwhile, tip the peppers into a blender, juice and all, then peel and add the garlic. Add the basil, stalks and all, reserving a few nice leaves, and blitz until smooth. Squash, stone and finely chop the olives. Finely grate and reserve the lemon zest. Squeeze the juice into a bowl with the tahini, which will thicken it, then loosen with splashes of water and season to perfection.
Move the chicken to a board to rest with the broccoli. Pour the pepper sauce into the pan with the grains. Drain and stir in the beans, then boil for a couple of minutes, or until reduced. Season to perfection and divide between plates. Scatter over the broccoli, slice and add the chicken, spoon over the lemon tahini sauce, then sprinkle with the olives, lemon zest and reserved basil leaves.
Easy Prawn Curry
Popular prawns cook very quickly, so they’re perfect for this speedy, fragrant curry.
Serves 2
Total time: 10 minutes / 4 of your 7-a-day
Energy 600kcal / Fat 17.8g / Sat fat 6g / Protein 30.9g / Carbs 79.5g / Sugars 27.7g / Salt 1.2g / Fibre 14.4g
Speedy and fragrant: Easy Prawn Curry. Photo / David Loftus
Ingredients
• 1 onion (160g)
• 250g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 50g sachet of creamed coconut
• 400g tin of chickpeas
• 30g fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp of your favourite curry paste
• olive oil
• 250g frozen mango
• 165g raw peeled king prawns, from sustainable sources
• 250g packet of cooked wholegrain basmati rice
• 30g Bombay mix
Method
Put a large, non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Peel and very finely slice the onion and place in the pan to dry fry with the tomatoes, tossing regularly for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, put the creamed coconut in a blender with half the chickpeas and all their juice, half the coriander leaves and all the stalks, and a splash of water. Tip in half the onions and tomatoes from the pan, then blitz until smooth to make a sauce.
Stir the curry paste and ½ a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan, followed a minute later by the frozen mango and remaining chickpeas, then the sauce. Toss over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the prawns and let it bubble away until the prawns are just cooked, loosening with splashes of water, if needed. Season to perfection.
Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then divide between plates. Chop and stir most of the remaining coriander leaves into the curry, spoon it on top of the rice, then scatter over the last few coriander leaves. Crush and crumble over the Bombay mix for added crunch, to finish.
Chickpea Arrabbiata
Fast, spicy and delicious, this is the perfect midweek meal to put a smile on your face.
Serves 1
Total time: 13 minutes / 2 of your 7-a-day
Energy 411kcal / Fat 15.7g / Sat fat 5.5g / Protein 18.4g / Carbs 46.9g / Sugars 10.4g / Salt 0.6g / Fibre 4.4g
Finish with a kiss of olive oil: Chickpea Arrabbiata. Photo / David Loftus
Ingredients
• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 200g passata
• ½ x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 125g fresh lasagne sheets
• 30g rocket
• 20g parmesan cheese
• optional: extra virgin olive oil
Method
Boil the kettle. Put a 28cm frying pan on a medium-high heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Peel the garlic and finely slice with the chilli, reserving a little chilli for garnish, then add to the pan and fry until lightly golden.
Tip in the passata, add the chickpeas and half the juice from the tin, and let it bubble for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you slice the lasagne sheets into 2cm strips. Roughly chop most of the rocket, reserving a few leaves.
Scatter the chopped rocket and the pasta into the pan, then pour in enough boiling water to just cover the pasta – about 300ml. Let it bubble away for 4 minutes, or until the pasta has absorbed most of the water and you’ve got a nice sauce, stirring regularly. Turn the heat off and season to perfection.
Scatter over the reserved rocket and chilli, finely grate over the parmesan, and finish with a kiss of extra virgin olive oil, if you like.
Aubergine Involtini
Filled aubergines are submerged in a blipping sweet tomato sauce for a very tasty tea.
Serves 2
Total time: 50 minutes / 3 of your 7-a-day
Energy 396kcal / Fat 14.7g / Sat fat 5.5g / Protein 23.7g / Carbs 46.8g / Sugars 23.7g / Salt 1.5g / Fibre 19.2g
Serve with crusty wholemeal bread: Aubergine Involtini. Photo / David Loftus
Ingredients
• 2 aubergines (250g each)
• 30g fresh basil
• 400g tin of borlotti beans
• 100g ricotta cheese
• 20g parmesan cheese
• 1 lemon
• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 heaped tsp baby capers in brine
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 2 x 400g tins of plum tomatoes
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put a large, non-stick, ovenproof frying pan on a high heat. Slice the aubergines 1cm thick lengthways. Dry fry and soften in batches for 2 minutes on each side, then remove to your board.
Meanwhile, pick a few nice basil leaves and reserve in a bowl of cold water, then put the rest, stalks and all, into a food processor. Drain and add the beans. Add the ricotta, then finely grate in the parmesan and lemon zest, squeeze in the juice and blitz to combine, then season to perfection.
Once all the aubergines are done, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the empty pan. Peel, finely slice and add the garlic, along with the capers and cinnamon. Fry for 2 minutes, then tip and crush in the tomatoes.
Divide and spread the ricotta mixture between the aubergine slices, then roll them up and nestle them into the sauce. Transfer to the oven to cook for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling, then scatter over the reserved basil leaves. Nice served with crusty wholemeal bread for mopping up the sauce.
An edited extract from Eat Yourself Healthy, by Jamie Oliver (Penguin Michael Joseph, $65) © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited ‒ 2024 Simply Jamie).
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