Recipes | Leah Itsines

This is a super easy, veggie packed version of bolognese! It's also packed with protein with the mushrooms and the brown lentils! This batch is quite big, so if you're not feeding as many, freeze the leftovers into single serves for a quick and easy dinner :)Serves 6 - 8 (freezable!!) Ingredients: 1 carrot, grated 1 leek, finely sliced 2 medium zucchinis, grated 8 button mushrooms, sliced 400g canned brown lentils, drained1 brown onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup semi sun dried tomatoes, chopped 1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced 2 x 400g cans of crushed tomatoes 1 cup water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp Dried thyme leaves 2 dried bay leaves 1/2 tsp mustard powder 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Directions:  In a non-stick deep pot, heat olive oil over high heat.  Add onion, garlic, chilli and leek to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, or until leek begins to soften.  Add mushrooms, zucchini, carrot and cook for 15 minutes until veggies have complelty softened.  Add semi sun-dried tomatoes and brown lentils and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.  Pour in crushed tomatoes and water. Add salt, pepper, thyme leaves, bay leaves and mustard powder. Heat for 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning to your liking.  Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes. Serve with cooked pasta and  a sprinkle of nutritional yeast or vegan cheese! 

Because everyone is LOVING these Pasta Bakes so much, I thought I'd create another for you! This one is an epic Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake that packs all the beautiful flavours in a dish for the family to share!   Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake Serves: 6Ingredients:500g penne, cooked2 cups of Napoletana sauce300g chicken tenderloins, sliced into strips 200g provolone cheese250g button mushrooms, sliced thinly100g baby spinach1 brown onion, diced2 tbsp olive oil3 garlic cloves, crushedpinch of salt & pepper10g parsley (to top) Directions: Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Boil water and cook pasta to packet instructions (but minus 1 minute!). In a non stick pan, heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, salt, and pepper into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until mostly cooked. Add chicken tenderloins to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add spinach and leave to wilt for 2 minutes. Continue to stir.  In a large mixing bowl, add cooked pasta, Napoletana sauce and the mushroom mixture. Mix well, ensuring everything is combined. Sprinkle with salt and pepper here again Add to a large baking tray and sprinkle with provolone and parsley.  Place into the oven for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Serve! 

These Vanilla Overnight Oats are super easy, delicious and a huge time saver in the morning. Just take them out of the fridge and they're read to eat that morning. Breakfast in two minutes, convenience that tastes good! Serves: 2 (makes two breakfasts)Ingredients:1 cup of rolled oats2 tsp of black chia seedsSprinkle of ground cinnamon 1 cup of almond milk4 tbsp yoghurt1/2 tsp of vanilla extract2 tsp desicated coconut1 cup of blueberries or strawberries  Directions: Add oats, almond milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, yoghurt, vanilla extract and evenly throughout two containers and combine well. Top with fresh berries and desiccated coconut and then place in the fridge overnight. Enjoy for breakfast the next morning!

For those of you who have been following along... it's not exactly a well-hidden secret how much I love a good pasta 🤣🤣 And this particular recipe seriouuuusly has a frequent occurrence in our house.. it's just so quick and easy and impossible not to love! If prawns aren't your jam, you can absolutely replace them with chicken or even tofu.. BUT if you love prawns, trust me and just LEAVE THEM IN THERE 🤤 The flavour of the prawns with the roasted cherry tomatoes in this fresh weeknight dinner is out of this world! Serves 4Ingredients: 400g cherry tomatoes 250g green banana prawns, raw 1 tbsp olive oil (for tomatoes) 1 medium brown onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 long birds eye chilli, diced3-4 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 450g linguine (or enough for four people), uncooked 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped Directions:  Pre heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Set aside once cooked. Add cherry tomatoes onto a lined baking tray and splash 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and place into the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside. In a large nonstick pan, heat olive oil over a medium heat.  Add onion, chilli and garlic into the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes, until onion is soft. Add salt and pepper here.  Add prawns into the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through (you don't want to over cook!)  Add pasta and parsley to the pan and mix through. If you need a little more olive oil, add some in. Taste, and season with salt if needed.  Eat! 

This Spicy Chicken Tray-Bake is the perfect family meal, super easy and delicious. You can thank me later! Serves: 4Ingredients:1kg chicken thigh (skin on)3 garlic cloves, crushed2 red onions, cut into quarters1 red capsicum, chopped into large chunks1 yellow capsicum, chopped into large chunks1 green capsicum, chopped into large chunks1 broccoli, cut into florets1 limeMarinade for chicken:2 tbsp olive oil3 tbsp tomato paste1 garlic clove, crushed1/2 lime, juiced1/2 tsp paprika1/4 tsp cayenne pepper1/2 tsp salt1 tsp dried coriander Extra lime juice for topping.Salt and pepper for sprinkling.  Directions: In a large mixing bowl add chicken thigh and all ingredients under "marinade for chicken". Mix thoroughly and then place in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour (more if you can!)..  Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat a small splash of olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium to high heat. Once hot, place chicken in skin side down and cook for roughly 4-5 minutes, or until skin begins to crisp. Remember, the chicken will cook in the oven, we just want a crispy skin!  In a large baking dish, add onion, garlic, capsicum, broccoli and and dress with a small splash of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well, to ensure garlic infuses into all the veggies . Add chicken into the baking tray and for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Eat with rice or just by itself! 

This is a perfect little meal prep recipe that I created for healthy, but also really satisfying snacks! How boring is snacking on a couple of almonds?! No thankkkk you!! This recipe is super delicious, but dont let the egg white scare you! It makes the nuts super crispy and delicious.  Ingredients: 2 egg whites1/2 cup cashews1/2 cup peptia seeds 1/2 cup walnuts1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup peanuts 1 cup almonds1 tsp curry poweder1/2 tsp paprika1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper Directions:  Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer and beat egg whites until light and fluffy.  Add all nuts into the egg whites. Sprinkle curry powder, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and mix well.  Add nut mixture onto a lined baking tray and spread out evenly. Place into the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Place into an airtight container. Keep for up to 4 weeks!  Hope you absolutely love this! Its super easy and delicious - please please give it a go! You won't go back to eating boring almonds ever again! 

If I had to try and think of the last time I had steak WITHOUT this chimichurri sauce, it'd be a hard question for me to answer let's just say that 🤣🤣 It's the absolute perfect combination and you definitely need it's deliciousness in your life!     Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Serves: 4  Ingredients: 4 medium sized rump steak fillets 1 cup tightly packed parsley leaves½ cup tightly packed coriander1 spring onion stalk, sliced thinly 1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves½ tsp paprika Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup lime juice Directions: Season the steaks with a pinch of salt and pepper. In a food processor, add parsley, coriander, chilli, garlic, paprika, spring onion, salt, pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Blend until it’s well combined. On a hot grill plate, heat a small splash of olive oil over a high heat. Place steaks on the grill and cook to your liking. Take off the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the beef into thin strips. Pour a large spoonful of the chimichurri sauce over the top of each steak and eat! Pair with a delicious salad or some rice.

This Greek Style Roast Capsicum & Garlic is super easy and delicious as a snack or side. It'll stay fresh in the fridge for 4-6 weeks. Super quick and won't take more than 10 minutes to prepare. Serves: 10 Ingredients:  4 large red capsicums1/2 tsp salt 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly1/2 cup rice bran oil (or more, if needed)1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  (or more, if needed)Directions:  Preheat grill to 200 degrees (or a high setting)  De-seed capsicums and remove the remaining membrane.  Half capsicums, and place on a lined baking tray skin side up Splash a small amount of olive oil over the top and place under the grill for 10 minutes, or until the skins have begun to blacken.  Remove from grill and place capsicums into a plastic bag and tie a knot in the top of the bag, ensuring no air can escape. This will help steam the capsicums and assist in removing the skin. Leave to steam for 15 minutes.  Take capsicums out of plastic bag and remove the skin by pealing from edge to edge.  Place capsicums into a container and fill with olive oil and rice bran oil. Depending on the size of your container, you may need more or a little less.  Add salt and garlic into the container and give it a stir.  Place in the fridge and eat whenever! 

Potatoes are SERIOUSLY my favourite vegetable. They're so versatile and are perfect with almost anything. Who doesn't love potatoes? Ingredients: 8 medium white potatoes (1kg) 1 tbsp curry powder 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp salt1 tsp. dried rosemary 2 tbsp. olive oil Directions:  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Boil a large pot of water and sprinkle a pinch of salt into the water.  Cut potatoes into wedges and place them into the boiling water to par boil. Boil these for 15 minutes.  Drain potatoes and place onto a lined baking tray.  In a small mixing bowl, add curry powder, black pepper, paprika, salt and rosemary. Mix to combine.  Place seasoning over the potatoes and splash the olive oil over the top.  Mix with your hands (prepare to get your hands dirty!) to make sure all the seasoning is all over the potatoes.  Place into the oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden. If you want a little more crunch, place under the grill for 5 minutes. 

This spinach & Ricotta Pasta Bake is super delicious and easy when cooking for the family. Not to mention everyone loves a good pasta bake, especially during these colder months.Serves 6 Ingredients:1 egg500g penne, cooked250g frozen spinach, defrosted and excess water squeezed out2 garlic cloves, crushed500g ricotta cheese1/4 tsp all spice1/4 tsp nutmeg1 tsp salt1/4 tsp pepper4 cups of Napoletana sauce (check out my basic Napoletana here!) 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, finely grated More parmesan to top with10 fresh basil leaves  Directions:  Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius  Cook pasta according to packet instructions, but take 2 minutes off cook time! It will cook more in the oven.  In a large mixing bowl, add spinach, egg, garlic, ricotta, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix. Combine well.  Add cooked pasta to the ricotta mixture and mix through well, ensuring there are no large clumps of the ricotta mixture.  Pour Napoletana sauce over this mixture and mix through.  Place mixture into a large baking tray and sprinkle with extra parmesan and top with basil leaves.  Place into the oven for 20 minutes covered. Uncover and place back into the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly golden. 

Pasties from the little bakery are SO delicious - but homemade is always best! These have a delicious curry flavour, which make them seriously addictive! Makes 10 pasties Ingredients:2 medium carrots, diced 1/2 large swede, diced 1 brown onion, diced1 small sweet potato, diced 1/2 cup frozen peas 2 large white potatoes, diced 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 4 puff pastry sheets 2 eggs, whisked 1 tbsp paprikaDirections:  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius. In a deep pan, heat olive oil over a medium to high heat.  Add carrots, swede, onion, sweet potato, white potato and frozen peas into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.  Add curry powder, salt and pepper. If you like heat, add 1/4 tsp of chilli flakes! Stir for 2 minutes and remove from heat.  Using a small bowl, place upside down on the puff pastry sheet. Using a sharpe knife cut around the perimeter of the bowl, so puff pastry forms a clean circle.  Spoon 2-3 tbsp of mixture into the middle of the circle. Fold one edge of the circle to the other (now making a semi-circle) and press down and seal the edges. Using the tip of a fork, make little grooves in the edges to ensure the edging is closed.  Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and potato mixture. Place all pasties onto a lined baking tray, ready for the oven.  Using a basting brush, brush the whisked egg onto each pasty and cover entirely. Evenly sprinkle paprika over the top of the pasties for extra colour  Place into the oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Eat with a delicious tomato sauce! 

So egg and bacon....means these are technically okay for breakfast? haha KIDDING! but they're super delicious for a yummy dinner, and kids LOVE it!  Ingredients: 250g fried noodles 2 spring onions, sliced thinly3 bacon strips, diced 1 long red chilli, sliced and deseeded1/2 brown onion, diced 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 eggs  Directions:  Cook noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.  In a hot wok, heat sesame oil over a high heat.  Add onion, chilli, bacon, spring onion, and garlic. Cook for 5-6 minutes until bacon has cooked through. Stir to ensure garlic and onion does not burn.  Crack eggs into the pan and scramble. Once cooked, add noodles and stir.  Add soy sauce and oyster sauce to the mix and season with a small pinch of salt and pepper.  Add fresh parsley and cook for 1 minute. Eat!