When Leah Itsines brings out a new cookbook, you know it’s going to be good.
The food blogger boasts a following of 400k+ and is best known for her creative (and realistic) approach to cooking—and what we love most about her food philosophy is that she’s all about healthy eating but doesn’t shy away from a naughty dessert or two, either.
Earlier this year, she released an ebook called BARE (Balanced And Realistic Eating) which is a nutritional guide aimed to help women take the initial steps toward making a healthy lifestyle change.
Now, she’s compiled over 100 of her favourite recipes and turned them into a hardcopy book, The Nourishing Cook, which is filled with all sorts of fab foodie ideas that we can’t wait to get stuck into.
Keep scrolling for an exclusive recipe extract for her lamb skewers, 3 ways:
THE CLASSIC
Gluten-free • Dairy-free
Makes: 10 skewers
Prep time: 15 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Ingredients:
500 g lamb shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
11⁄2 tablespoons salt flakes
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 red capsicum, cut into 2 cm squares
1 large red onion, cut into 2 cm pieces
1 zucchini, cut into rounds
Method:
- Soak 10 bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.
- Place the lamb in a bowl, add the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and olive oil and mix well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Thread the lamb cubes onto the skewers, alternating with the capsicum, onion and zucchini.
- Heat your barbecue to hot, add the skewers and cook for 6–10 minutes on all sides, until they are cooked to your liking.
OYSTER & SOY
Dairy-free
Makes: 10 skewers
Prep time: 15 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
500 g lamb shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and fi nely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
Method:
- Soak 10 bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.
Place the lamb in a bowl, add the garlic, chilli, parsley, oyster and soy sauces, olive oil and lemon juice and mix well. - Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Thread the lamb cubes onto the skewers.
- Heat your barbecue to hot, add the skewers and cook for 6–10 minutes on all sides, until the lamb is cooked to your liking.
CHIMICHURRI
Gluten-free • Dairy-free
Makes: 10 skewers
Prep time: 15 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
20 g (1 cup, tightly packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves
15 g (1⁄2 cup, tightly packed) coriander leaves
1 spring onion, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno chilli, deseeded
5 garlic cloves, roasted (nicer taste but you can use fresh)
1 teaspoon chilli fl akes
1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt fl akes and freshly ground black pepper
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) olive oil
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) lime juice (about 4 limes)
500 g lamb shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes
leafy green salad and/or roasted potatoes, to serve
Method:
- Soak 10 bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.
- Place the parsley, coriander, spring onion, jalapeno, garlic, chilli fl akes, paprika, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor and pulse.
- While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and lime juice and process to a thick green sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the lamb, then thread the cubes onto the skewers.
- Heat your barbecue to hot, add the skewers and cook for 6–10 minutes on all sides, until cooked to your liking. Top your lamb skewers with the chimichurri sauce
and pair with a salad and/or potatoes.
Recipe extracts from The Nourishing Cook by Leah Itsines, published by Macmillan Australia, RRP $34.99.
