Recipes | Leah Itsines

This Easy Chicken and Mushroom Pie is my new favourite! So quick, simple and healthy but super delicious.  It's a cheap dinner idea and great way to use up leftover roast chicken (and so good that you can take out that extra whole step of cooking chicken) This is a great recipe for the kids and the whole family you enjoy, and maybe even a good one if you have a roast chicken left overs!  Serves: 4Prep Time: 8 minutesCooking Time: 25 minutes  Ingredients:500g rotisserie chicken, shredded 2 cups Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced 1 medium brown onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 bunch asparagus (8ish spears), sliced into 2cm pieces 4 tbsp chives, chopped1tsp thyme leaves, chopped 1 cup of chicken stock (may need more, just enough to cover chicken)1/3 cup sour cream (can add more for more creaminess!)1 egg, whisked 1 sheet puff pastry 2 tsp sesame seeds Salt and pepper to taste  Thicker: 2 tbsp corn flour 2 tbsp water   Directions:  Preheat the oven to 180C. In a deep pot, add a splash of olive oil and then then onion, garlic and thyme into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Season with salt and pepper.  Add mushrooms, asparagus and chives into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have become soft.  Stir the sour cream, chicken stock, shredded chicken and cook for 10 minutes on a low heat. Season again with salt and pepper to your liking.  Cut pastry 1cm larger than your pie dish. To thicken the pie mixture, add corn flour and cold water into a small bowl and mix. Add this into the put and stir through, allow to thicken for 5 minutes.  Once the pie mixture is thickened to your liking, Fill the pie dish with chicken mixture. Brush the rim with egg and top with pastry. Press the edges down to seal. Brush the pastry with more egg, sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds. Place in the oven for 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden. 

BBQ COMING UP? These are my number one, super quick Mediterranean beef skewers I absolutely love to make! They're super quick to make, and perfect for a family! I use beef at least twice a week in my cooking because its a great source of protein, and also super versatile! The marinade for the beef skewers is packed with flavour, making it a delicious healthy alternative that is perfect served with a fresh salad or some flat bread & Tzatziki! Yum!Makes: 4-6 Shaslicks  Ingredients:600g Australian beef steaks, diced (I used eye fillet)1 Red capsicum, cut into cubes1 yellow capsicum, cut into cubes 1 Red onion, quartered3 garlic cloves, crushed¼ teaspoon pepper½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon ground paprika 2 tbsp. olive oil4-6 bamboo or metal skewersOptional: Lime juice squeeze (when they come off grill)Sesame seeds as garnish  Directions: Dice the steak in small cubes and place in a small mixing bowl. Add all dry spices and fresh garlic to the mixing bowl and mix through thoroughly. Leave to marinate for 1-2 hours if possible. (overnight is great!) Slice capsicum and onion into small cubes. Thread the cubes of meat onto a skewer and alternate between meat, capsicum, onion, until all ingredients are used up. Cook skewers on a BBQ or a grill plate for 5-10 minutes or until cooked through to your liking. Serve with flat bread & some Tzatziki! 

Greek Easter is coming...and this year we're doing it at yiayia and papou, and I'm SO EXCITED, we haven't had a big cook up there in years and It's going to be amazing. SO...what to bring? FETA OF COURSE! And let me tell you, @dodoni feta is the BEST feta you'll find. I've been using it for years, as has my mum AND the don (yiayia) so, you know it's good! Both this whipped feta and marinated feta are two simple bring along recipes you can do OR like I said, a little feta gift?! How CUTE! Thank you @dodoni.au for being incredible, AND giving me brownie points with yiayia this easter!  Whipped Feta Dip: Makes: 1 cup Ingredients:1/2 cup Dodoni feta cheese1/2 cup cream cheese1/2 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tbsp chopped oregano 1 garlic clove  Directions:  Add all ingredients into a small blender and blend until smooth. If you need, you can add a little water into the blender to assist blending.  Serve with a few olives on top and fresh oregano.  Marinated feta: Ingredients:250g Dodoni Feta, cubed1/4 lemon, sliced 1-2 dried chillies 1-2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1tsp dried oreganoJar with a lid* Light olive oil - to cover  Directions:  Sliced the feta up into cubes and add to your jar. Place the lemon slices, chillies, thyme, oregano and ensure its evenly spread around.  Cover with olive oil and tightly close the lid.  This will last in the fridge for 3-4 weeks if the feta is covered in oil. These are also the perfect little gift to people on easter!   

Yiayia's Meatballs are an all time favourite of mine,  a recipe packed with flavour that is surprisingly super easy to make. Perfectly paired with some freshly cooked veggies and some rice. Serves: Makes 20 meatballs Ingredients: 250g beef mince250g pork mince1 brown onion, grated1/4 cup of parsley, finely chopped8-10 mint leaves, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 tsp salt1/2 tsp pepper1/2 cup of breadcrumbs1 egg1 small tomato, grated Directions: Add mince, onion, garlic, mint, egg, breadcrumbs, tomato, salt, pepper and parsley to a bowl and mix well.  Using roughly a tablespoon of mixture at a time, roll the mixture into small balls. Into a deep saucepan, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Cook meatballs for 7-8 minutes or until completely cooked through. Eat by themselves, or for extra tastiness - add them to a sauce and serve with pasta! 

Are you ready for the choc protein bread of your dreams? This is seriously delicious and I promise you, worth the mess in the kitchen!  Choc Banana bread Serves: 8 Cook time: 30 minutesIngredients:  3 ripe bananas, mashed ¾  cup almond meal ¼ cup plain flour 1 tbsp cocoa powder 2 scoops Yes Please Chocolate Protein Powder 3 eggs¼ cup honey or maple syrup 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon powder ½ cup choc chips Coconut oil spray - for the tin  Directions:  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and oil a bread tin with coconut oil spray.  Place all ingredients in a bowl together, except the chocolate chips and combine using a spoon.  Once the mixture is thick in consistency, fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour into the pre oiled baking tin and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until brown. Using a skewer, poke it deep into the cake; if it comes out clean, it’s ready!

Spring-time vegetable soup with olive oil drizzle Serves: 8 Cook Time: 30-minutes  Ingredients 2 chorizos, sliced 4 garlic cloves, crushed  4cm ginger, grated 2 spring onions, sliced 1 large leek, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped  2 zucchini’s, chopped  3 large celery stalks, chopped  2L beef stock  1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, sliced  400g canned kidney beans 1 handful kale 2 handfuls baby spinach  EVOO to finish Method Cook off chorizo in a pot until lightly browned and remove Add a splash of olive oil and cook garlic, ginger, and spring onions until lightly browned Add leek, zucchini, carrot and celery and cook until they begin to soften Add beef stock and cook for 10-minutes Add tomatoes, kidney beans and the chorizo back into the pot and cook for a further 10-minutes  Lastly, add kale and baby spinach and leave to wilt Serve straight away or freeze in single serve containers Finish with a Drizzle Finish with a drizzle of olive oil for peppery pop of flavour.

Homemade HummusServes: 4Cook Time: 2-minutes Ingredients  2 x 400g cans of chickpeas  3 tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed * 1/2 cup olive oil Sprinkle of salt and pepper 1/2 tsp chilli flakes  1 tbsp tahini EVOO to finish 1 Tsp cayenne pepper  Small handful of coriander EVOO to finish * Make this recipe FODMAP friendly by leaving out the garlic. Method Place all the ingredients minus the olive oil into a food processor and begin to blend. Stop every now and again to wipe down edges to make sure everything is being blended nicely Pour olive oil slowly into the blender, until mixture is to your desired consistency Pair with carrots, cucumber or pita breadFinish with a Drizzle Finish with a dusting of cayenne pepper and a final drizzle of olive oil for an extra layer of taste and amazing presentation.

It’s almost our Greek Easter time and I’m excited!!! We LOVE Easter in our family and of course it’s always a food celebration. These lamb skewers or baked vegetables are a Papou and yiayia special, and you just know they’re going down a TREAT! @australianlamb has got us covered this easter, and I’ve come to you with a REALLY easy few dishes that you can bring if you're on dish duty.  Baked vegetables, with a delicious grated tomato over the top to keep it from drying out and a delicious lamb skewer that you can make into small little bite ones or the big, main serve ones :)  Baked vegetables: Serves: 6Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes 1 zucchini, sliced into large rounds3 potatoes, sliced into bite sized pieces3-4 mushrooms, quartered 1 red onion, quartered2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped2 tomatoes, 1 quartered and 1 grated Salt & Pepper to tasteOlive oil, drizzle  Directions:  Pre heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  To a large mixing bowl, add all vegetables and season with olive oil,  garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and top with the grated tomato. Mix well to ensure everything is well coated.  Pour onto a tray and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. If you need mid way, give the vegetables a mix so ensure they cook evenly.  Serve with lamb skewers Lamb Skewers: Makes: 8-10 Large Skewers Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes  2kg lamb shoulder, bone out 1 large rosemary sprigSalt, Pepper, Dried Oregano1 Lemon, juiced (but keep the half!)Olive oil 10 wooden skewers  Directions:  Soak skewers in water for as long as you can (this helps them not burn on the BBQ!) Remove excess fat from the lamb shoulder, and slice into bite sized pieces. This may take some manoeuvring, so take your time in getting the right pieces.  Add to a bowl and season with fresh rosemary, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Season to your liking - lamb is a really flavourful meat and takes on whatever you give it, so don’t be shy here!  Begin to skewer the meat, adding however much you like per skewer. If you wanted to get a little more vegetables in, you can switch each piece of lamb, with a piece of a vegetable like capsicum or zucchini, and then repeat with the lamb so you have a more colourful skewer.  Once all finished, cook on a BBQ of your choice (coal or gas) until lightly pink in the middle.  Serve with the vegetables. 

IT’S DAY THREEEE! Recipe heaven over here haha! Who doesn't LOVE an easy weeknight bowl for dinner? And even better, who doesn't love a meal that you can prep in advance and have waiting in the freezer for you to grab and prep in 10! I’m using the fabulous @birdseye Spring veg mix and I’ll tell ya….frozen veg is where it's at for convenience, ease and simplicity in your day! The @birdseyeau are snap frozen to lock in the taste and natural vitamins & minerals! Seriously, grab a bag when you’re next at the shops and whip this meal up for the family - everyone will LOVE you for it! Serves: 2 Cook time: 15 minutesPrep time: 15 minutesIngredients:  1 large chicken breast, sliced lengthways into schnitzels 1 cup panko bread crumbs 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 small red chili, chopped 1cm ginger, grated 1 large garlic, crushed1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted 2 cups birds eye seasonal veg, defrosted Spray oil, for cooking 2 tsp soy sauce, for veggies Rice:1 cup basmati rice, uncooked and washed 2 cups chicken stock2 balls allspice 3 whole cloves ½ brown onion, diced Directions:  To make the rice, In a medium pot, heat a small touch of butter or spray oil over medium heat. Add brown onion, whole cloves and all spice and cook until lightly softened. Add washed rice, and chicken stock.  Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a light simmer and put a timer on for 15 minutes. Remove once timer goes off.  Meanwhile, add soy sauce, chilli, ginger, garlic and sesame seeds into a bowl and mix well. Dip chicken breast pieces in here and coat well (if you can, marinade for 2-3 hours!).  Once dipped in the soy sauce, place the chicken into the panko crumbs to coat completely.  In a nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add chicken pieces into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden, and cooked through.  Meanwhile, heat another pan with spray oil over medium heat. Add the frozen veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes, until warmed through. Add soy sauce and stir to coat well.  Serve with rice, chicken sliced and veggies! 

DAY TWO RECIPES! Yeeehhaaa!! Fritters are my FAVE - I genuinely could eat a hundred in a row and love it haha this recipe is such a simple, fun and fresh way to have fritters but also - I LOVE how chunky the veg is, makes for such a delicious fritter! For these wonderful fritters, I used the fabulous @birdseye Spring veg mix which are SUCH good quality, beautiful veggies that have been snap frozen for your convenience and to lock in taste and natural vitamins and minerals (I freaking love it!)! Serves: 2Cook time: 5 minutes Prep time: 5 minutesIngredients: 2 cups of birds eye spring veggie mix, defrosted & chopped finely 100g ham off the bone, diced 3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped½ cup flour 2 eggs, whisked Salt and pepper 100g halloumi, grated Olive oil spray  Directions:  In a large mixing bowl, add ALL ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want a little extra here, you can add a little garlic, paprika and some corn kernals if you're feeling like you want some extra colour!  Spray a non-stick pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add a could tbsp of the mixture at a time into the pan and flatten (similar to a pancake!). Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Remove, and eat!  Hope you absolutely love this recipe! Thank you @birdseye for collaborating with me for this recipe! 

WOOHOO We’re on DAY ONE! So…who doesn't love a burger?! I absolutely love it when my family comes over for burgers, it's such a fun meal because everyone can choose their own ingredients and build their own fun. If you're someone looking for a plant based meal in their week, then CHOOSE BURGERS! It's such an easy way to slip into your week without feeling like you're missing out and it actually tastes GOOD! Grab this recipe on my website - I promise you'll love it! Serves: 2Cook time: Prep time: Ingredients:  300g Birds Eye Plant Based Chicken Burgers2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 2 burger buns, or 4 slider buns  Thai Slaw: 1 cup Purple cabbage, thinly sliced  1 medium carrot, finely julienne½ red capsicum, finely sliced 1 small cucumber, finely sliced 4-5 fresh mint leaes, finely sliced  4-5 fresh coriander, finely chopped½ long chili, finely sliced2 tbsp fried shallots  Dressing:  2 tsp Sesame oil 1 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp Rice vinegar1 tbsp Soy sauce1 tbsp Honey1 garlic clove Jalapeno aioli: Juice of 1 lime5 large spoonfuls of whole egg mayonnaise1 full lime rindCracked salt and pepper½ jalapeno, sliced thinly Directions:  In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients under “thai slaw” and mix well.  Add ingredients under “dressing” into a small bowl and mix well. Pour dressing ingredients over the slaw mixture and toss to combine.  Heat a large pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil. Place the chicken style burger patties in and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly golden. Just before removing from the pan, add the sweet chili sauce into the pan and coat the chicken burgers.  Toast burger buns and top spread with jalapeno aioli. Top with chicken style burger, slaw and a touch more aioli if needed! Thank you Birds eye for collaborating with me on this recipe!  Love, Leah x 

Here's a delicious FREE BARE Lean 2.0 recipe that you'll love! If you love Muesli or or delicious breakfasts... This recipe is for you! Tip: Swap biscoff for peanut butter or another nut or biscuit spread V, VegServes: 9-10Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: • 500g oats or rice puffs• 125g coconut flakes• 1–2 teaspoons ground cinnamon• 60ml maple syrup• 2 tsp vanilla essence• 50g biscoff spreadPer serve• 135ml reduced-fat milk (of your choice)• 3 strawberries, halved• 50g reduced-fat Greek yoghurt• 80g biscoff muesli Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.2. To a large bowl add oats and coconut flakes and mix well.3. In a seperate bowl, add cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla essence and biscoff spread and whisk until smooth and runny. Pour over the oat mixture and mix to combine well.4. Transfer the oat mixture onto the baking tray and spread out evenly. Place in the oven to toast for about 20 minutes, tossing halfway. Keep a close eye on it to ensure it doesn’t burn.5. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.6. Serve with milk, strawberries and yoghurt