Recipes | Leah Itsines

I love a good side salad - and this one is perfect for summer when beans are cheap! It's a great way to have them a little different then normal. It's SO delicious and is set to be a new fave! Serves: 4Ingredients:500g green string beans, topped and tailed 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup shredded coconut2 tablespoon crushed nuts  Dressing: 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon hoisin tamari2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 table spoon brown sugar  Directions:  Blanch the string beans or steam until just tender (you still want a little bite!) Combine all ingredients under "dressing" in a bowl and mix well.  Place the beans, onion, coconut and nuts into a bowl and pour over dressing.  Eat warm or cold! 

HOMEMADE BREAD 😍 Like seriously, what else you gonna do in self isolation other then become a professional baker???? 😂 I had a wonderful lady DM me this recipe (she said it’s doing the rounds!!) After posting this to the #gram I found it was @recipe_tins OG recipe, and I’ve added some flavourings to it 🥰🥰 When you’re having your yummy BARE breakfasts at home, maybe to make time fly a little faster, bake some of your own bread!  Ingredients:  3 cups plain flour 1.5 cups warm water 1 tsp dried yeast Pinch of salt flakes Pinch of dried rosemary Pinch of dried oregano Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 220° Celsius Mix warm water with yeast until dissolves. Add it into the bowl with flour and mix well. Lightly flour a bench and knead the bread until it forms a perfect little ball. Place back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel. Leave to rise for 2-3 hours. Remove from bowl, sprinkle herbs and then shape into a ball and place into a oven safe pot. Sprinkle salt flakes on top and cover with a lid. Cook in the oven for 30 mins, remove lid and cook for another 10. If adding olives or any other additions- add them in when you add the herbs - not beforehand so the bread can rise on its own. :) 

Ever wondered how my yiayia makes her incredible Dolmades? WELL. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many tries it took for yiayia to SLOW DOWN and actually take me step by step on how to make the perfect dolmades 🤣 (like probably about 15 hours of my life that I'll never get back) BUT ITS OKAY. BECAUSE, WE GOT THERE!   Here is her recipe on how to get the PERFECT Dolmades! Yiayia's Dolmades Ingredients: 1 Bunch silver beet OR large Spinach leaves1/4 cup dill - chopped1 cup parsley - chopped1 large onion - finely diced3 large garlic cloves - crushed8 Tbsp. Lemon Juice (more if you like!)1 cup basmati rice, uncooked and washed2 1/2 Cups of waterSalt & pepper to Taste  Directions: Preheat oven to 180degrees Celsius Saute dill, parsley, onion and garlic until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups of water and rice. Leave to simmer until liquid is almost gone. Take the pot off heat. Cut the stems off the silver beet. Make sure you cut a triangle shape upwards - If you leave the stem, they become SUPER hard to roll! Place leaves into a bowl and pour hot water over the top. These only need to stay for around 30 seconds. Work quickly, and take out the leaves one by one and hang them over the side of the bowl. Leave 5-10 smaller leaves (those maybe that are ripped or are harder to roll) and save them to place at the bottom of the dish. Dip these leaves in the hot water and fan these leaves out at the bottom of the dish. Using the hanging leaves, ensure to start from the BOTTOM to the top (big to small) and the underneath of the leaf needs to be facing you. Using a small spoon, grab a couple teaspoons of the rice mixture and place at the bottom of the leaf. Start to roll, as tightly as possible. roll in both sides and continue rolling until you reach the end of the leaf. Continue to use each leaf until all the rice has been used. You'll have some left over leaves but you'll need these! Stack the dolmades into the oven safe container super tightly next to each-other. Stack on-top if needed! Into a small mixing bowl, add 3/4 cup of water, 5 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 Tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper and 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  Mix together. Any remaining leaves, place over the top of the dolmades (just as you did at the bottom) Pour the lemon mixture over the dolmades and (this is optional) place a oven safe plate over the top, to press the dolmades down. Place into the oven for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and LEAVE the tray in the oven to cool down (around an hour). Take them out and place into a plate and EAT!   I love love LOVE them cold, but my family likes them warm. In Greece they serve them with tzatziki, which is extra delicious! However you eat them, I hope you love them as much as we do!!  Love, Leah x

Corn ribs for the win! I’m OBSESSED with these, they are so good. They can be done on the BBQ, the air fryer or even in a pan! Here is the air-fryer version 👇🏼   Air fryer Corn Ribs  Ingredients: 4 corn cobs 3 tbsp olive oilBig pinch of salt 1 tsp paprika (Smokey is delish!) 1 tsp garlic granules or fresh garlic 1 tbsp coriander, chopped Dressing: 3-4 tbsp kewpie Mayo 1/2 lime, squeezed 1 tsp hot sauce (or more if you like super spicy!)1/2 tsp paprika   Directions:  Slice the corn cobs lengthwise down the middle (use a sharp knife, this can be difficult!) then slice again into half lengthwise. In a small bowl, add olive oil, salt, paprika, garlic and coriander. Mix well and brush over corn ribs. Add to air fryer for 15 minutes on 180°C. Flip and cook for a further 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add together “dressing” ingredients and stir well Serve corn ribs with the Mayo!   Hope you loved this recipe! Don't forget to share on socials if you try it, I'd love to see!  Leah xx 

You want to know what my favourite thing to do is? Adding a little extra jazz to a usually-mundane veggie. These baked honey sesame carrots are so simple, but so bloody delicious! You seriously won't believe the taste!!   Baked Honey Sesame Carrots Ingredients: 600g carrots, peeled 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp fennel seeds2 tbsp honey1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp sesame seeds  Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl, except the carrots and sesame seeds. Combine mixture well. Place carrots onto a lined baking tray and pour mixture over.  Add into the oven for 30 minutes. At the half way point, turn over. Remove from oven and sprinkle sesame seeds.  EAT!  

There's nothing better then a side dish that has a speedy 2-minute-assembly and then straight into the oven it goes!    Roasted Tomato & Bocconcini Salad Serves 6 as a side dishIngredients:2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil1 garlic clove, crushed600g cherry tomatoes3-5 bocconcini large balls, drained and sliced1/4 cup small basil leaves1 tablespoon balsamic vinegarA pinch saltA pinch pepper   Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Combine the extra virgin olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and toss to coat. Add tomatoes onto a lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until tomato skins start to split. Leave longer if they're not yet beginning to soften.  Arrange the mozzarella onto a plater, then top with tomatoes and any juices from the tray. Scatter over the basil leaves.  Sprinkle the balsamic and squeeze with a bit of lemon for extra flavour!

I absolutely love cauliflower, especially as a side for dinner. But sometimes I feel like something that's a little on the crispy side.. you know? So that's where I sub a recipe like this in! I absolutely LOVE crispy veggies and this crispy roasted cauliflower is absolutely delicious!    Crispy Roasted Cauliflower w/ Garlic Aioli Ingredients: 1 whole cauliflower head, cut into florrets 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp nutritional yeast 1/2 tsp paprika Pinch of salt and pepper 2 tbsp breadcrumbs (panko if you have!)  Garlic Aioli: 4 tbsp fat free mayonnaise (this is typically vegan, but check!) or Vegonaise 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp vinegar pinch of salt and pepper  Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.  Pour mixture onto a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. At the half way mark, give them a good mix around to make sure they're all getting baked!  In a small bowl, add mayonnaise, garlic clove, vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well.  Serve with the crispy cauliflower! 

These are so simple to make on a busy night.. you just throw everything on an oven tray and let your oven do most of the work for you.. but what's even better, is that it's a bloody crowd pleaser! The ability to please even the fussiest of eaters is an art form I tell you what haha and these crispy potatoes definitely hit the nail on the head!   Garlic & Parmesan Potatoes Serves 4-6Ingredients:  15 white baby potatoes, washed (skin on!)2 garlic cloves, diced 2-3 tbsp. parmesan cheese or mozzarella 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped Salt and pepper, generous pinch2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. 1/4 lemon, juiced   Directions:  In a deep pot of water, boil potatoes with skin on for 15 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Line a baking tray and once potatoes have softened, place them on the tray.  Grab a fork and mash the potatoes lightly, pressing down firmly in the middle to break through. (Only press once per potato, we want chunky pieces, not mash!)  Sprinkle garlic, olive oil, salt, parsley, pepper and parmesan over the top and massage into the potatoes to ensure coated all over.  Place into the oven for 20 minutes until lightly golden.  Squeeze with lemon juice and serve! 

We are at Day 4 of this special Christmas series.. and today's recipe is straight from yiayia herself! Her marinated olives are seriously like no other and ALWAYS an absolute hit on our Christmas table... so obviously I had to share this one with you all too!! Let's get marinating 💃🏼 Ingredients: 1 garlic clove, slivered1 tsp thyme leaves1/4 tsp lemon zest1/2 tsp chilli, diced1 tsp olive oil1/2 tsp fennel seedsPinch of salt500g Olives (kalamata is great, but whatever you like!) Optional Extras:Fetta cubesRoasted yellow capsicum Directions: 1. Add olive oil, thyme, lemon zest, chilli, fennel seeds and salt into a pan and cook on a medium heat for 3 minutes. 2. Add olives and leave to warm for 3-4 minutes. 3. Take out of the pan and into a serving bowl.4. Add your optional extras like cubed feta or roasted yellow capsicum if you like and mix through before serving.      

Um excuse me, but who in the WORLD said you can't make friends with salad?! Because you absolutely can.. especially when there are crispy, maple-y, sugared pecans thrown in!! 💃🏼 Which brings us to the 2nd recipe in this Christmas series .. an EPIC Maple Pecan Christmas Salad! This will be an absolute HIT on the Christmas table, I can assure you! 🎄   Serves: 4-6Prep Time: 30 minutesCook Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup pecans2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 teaspoons brandy (optional) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 200g cherry tomatoes, sliced ½ bunch basil, leaves torn 200g bocconcini balls 1 small brown onion, sliced 2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced into rounds Dressing:2 tablespoons olive oil1 tbsp balsamic glaze Sprinkle salt Directions: 1. Heat frypan over medium heat, add pecans and toast for 2 minutes, stirring often. After two minutes, add the maple, sugar, brandy and cook for another 1-2 minutes until candied (be careful not to burn!).2. In a small bowl combine cucumber, tomato, red onion, bocconcini, basil and dress with the olive oil, balsamic and salt. 3. Top with pecans and serve!         

Oh yes you read that right, its SPICY hummus.  I LOVE hummus, but sometimes can be a little boring.....so I add a little bit of heat and it just MAKES the dip! Ingredients (makes 2-3 cups):2 x 400g Cans of Chickpeas 1 Tsp Cayenne pepper 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice2 Garlic Clove, crushed **1/2 Cup olive oil (more if needed) **Small handful of coriander (Optional)Sprinkle of Salt and Pepper1/2 tsp chilli flakes  ** Want to make this recipe FODMAP friendly?Leave out the garlic. Reduce olive oil to 1/4 cup. Add 1/4 cup of Garlic Infused Olive Oil - YUM!! Just like the real deal!   Directions:  Place ALL 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 bread.

SIMPLE SWAPS 🌟 How good are @Woolworths_au Macro Organic Chickpeas? So versatile and are my go-to swap when it comes to a veggie protein ✅ I made a really quick and easy Greek Salad and I would typically go for brown rice as my carbs in salads, but I swapped for chickpeas to add a source of protein 💪🏼 If you’re having a salad and are hungry 20 mins later (me lol) consider bulking out your meals with something simple like this - it stores on your pantry shelf for ages and they’re such a staple to go in ANYTHING! You can throw them in straight from the can for ease, or you can toast some in a pan with a few spices to heat through. 🌟 You’ll find them waiting for you on the shelf down the canned goods aisle (haha my old Woolworths self knows that’s aisle 6 on the left but who remembers that?? 🤣) Either way - make the swap and you’ll thank me later hehe!! #MacroWholefoodsMarket  Serves: 2Prep Time: Cook Time: Ingredients: 1 can Macro Organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed  4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 lebanese cucumber, sliced into rounds ½ red onion, sliced 4cm feta cheese, crumbled Drizzle of Olive oil Lemon juice, to taste Pinch of SaltPinch of Dried mint 4-6 kalamata olives Small handful rocket Directions: 1. Add all ingredient into a bowl and mix well. The chickpeas can be either had as they are out of the can, or toasted in a pan with a little pinch of chilli flakes for extra flavour.  2. Taste the salad and season accordingly.