Recipes | Leah Itsines

Gnocchi is something that's SOO fun to make, but can actually be a little hard to get it right!   A lot of the confusion comes down to the type of potatoes you use and how you cook them. Like for this recipe, I'm using "Spud Lite" Potatoes, which are light and creamy with a super soft inside when cooked which is so lovely for gnocchi.   The other thing to factor in is FLAVOURRRRR! I'm talkin' hints of rosemary, chilli, black pepper.. to make it go from ordinary to INCREDIBLE! Keen to give it a go?? Recipe below! Rosemary & Chilli Gnocchi Serves: 4Ingredients: 800g Spud Lite potatoes1 egg yolk2 cups of plain flour, sifted1/4 cup parmesan (optional)1 Tablespoon of dried rosemary, finely chopped1/4 tsp red chilli flakesextra flour for kneadingSmall Pinch Salt & Cracked pepperSauce: 1 400g can of crushed tomatoes1 cup of Pasaata sauce2 garlic cloves, crushed1 brown onion, diced1/2 small fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped3 Basil leaves, chopped2 tablespoons of Olive Oil1 teaspoon of dried oreganoSprinkle of salt and pepperDirections: Peel potatoes using a vegetable peeler. Using a large, deep saucepan, add potatoes and enough cold water to cover completely.  Boil the potatoes in water until soft (around 15 minutes). Once potatoes are cooked, drain them from the water and mash until super smooth. *Be careful not to over cook them, you don't want them to be flooded and become super watery. Add parmesan, rosemary, chilli flakes, salt and cracked pepper to the potatoes and mix thoroughly. Leave these to cool completely before moving to the next step. One cooled, Add the egg yolk, plain flour and mix (this is where you need to use your hands!). Transfer mixture to a floured surface and continue to kneed until it has formed into a soft dough (you don't want super sticky dough!) Roll the dough into a circle. Cut the circle in quarters. Using one quarter at a time, roll out into a sausage like figure. Cut the long roll into 2cm pieces. Using each little piece individually, roll into a small ball. Using a fork, press the fork into the gnocchi to give it that ridged look. This isn't necessary, but it sure makes it look good!  To cook the gnocchi, boil some water with a pinch of salt! The gnocchi only needs to be cooked for 1-2 minutes. They should float to the top of the water once they are almost ready!  After you've done all of that hard work, start making the sauce!  Into a deep saucepan, heat olive oil over high heat. Add garlic, onion, chilli and leave to simmer until the onion is translucent. Place the crushed tomatoes and Passata sauce and mix through. Add oregano and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add basil leaves and leave to simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened. Pair the sauce with the gnocchi and Serve hot! These can also be frozen for up to 4 weeks in an airtight container.  Hope you LOVED this recipe! Thank-you to the Spud Lite potatoes for being the perfect potato to use! If you do love this recipe, I'd love to see your recreations over on Instagram! Love, Leah x

Peaches are now in season, YAY! It's a summer fruit here in AUS and its one of my favourites to have in a big fruit salad, or something easy like this parfait!  Warm Peach Parfait:Ingredients:2 ripe, yellow peaches¼ tsp. coconut oil½ tsp. honey½ cup homemade muesli (see below for recipe)1 cup natural Greek yogurt2 tbsp. waterDirections:Peel peaches and remove pip, then cut into small pieces.Using a small non-stick pan, heat coconut oil in the pan over medium heat. Add peaches and cook for 10minutes or until peaches are soft.Mash peaches in the pan as they soften.Remove peaches from heat and let sit for 5 minutes to slightly cool.Using a tall glass, sprinkle a small amount of the muesli on the bottom, then layer with yoghurt and thepeach puree. Continue layering until you’ve reached the top!Eat right away, or leave overnight for the morning! Homemade Muesli recipe (this makes 3 cups of muesli so you can store for next time!)Ingredients:2 cups of rolled oats¼ cup chia seeds¼ cup sun flower seeds¼ cup pumpkin seeds¼ cup of slivered almonds½ cup warm honey Directions:  Pre-heat the grill to a high heat (180 degrees or a high setting)Line a large baking tray with baking paper.In a large bowl, mix the rolled oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds and warm honey. Pour mixture onto the lined baking tray and place under the grill for 1-2 minutes at a time. Ensure to check on it constantly as it can easily burn. Stir constantly, to ensure that all ingredients get a beautiful golden-brown colour. Once nice and golden, take out of the grill and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container for 4 weeks.

THIS potato salad is the PERFECT thing to bring to a party - and its super easy but majorly delicious. I used the same potatoes as i did with the gnocchi, They're called Spud Lite! They're a soft but creamy potato which makes them a perfect option for salads like these!  Ingredients: 1kg Spud lite Potatoes, peeled1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped1/4 cup spring onion, finely sliced1/4 Red capsicum, finely diced1/2 cup whole egg mayonaise1/4 cup Sour Cream1/4 tsp Olive Oil1 tsp Whole grain mustard seedsSprinkle of salt and pepper Directions:Chop peeled potatoes into bite sized pieces. Starting with a pot of cold water, add peeled potatoes into the pot and heat on a medium to high heat. Ensure that the potatoes are submerged under the water. Bring to the boil and leave them to simmer for around 15 minutes, continually checking on them to ensure they aren't over cooked! Whilst they are cooking, add mayo, sour cream, olive oil, mustard seeds, spring onion, parsley and capsicum into a bowl and mix - this is your dressing! Take the potatoes out of the pot once cooked, and leave them to completely cool. Pour dressing over the potatoes and mix throughly. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper and serve up!

Meal Prep is a FANTASTIC thing to do if you're short of time or you'd like to take a yummy meal to work! It's also great to ensure that you're keeping on track and eating enough to fuel your body for your day!  This meal prep idea makes around 6 meals! In each meal, I used; ¾ cup of salsa, 5 cooked meatballs and 3/4 cup of rice. This is a rough estimate of what i'd typically eat for a lunch/dinner but you're welcome to change it up and do it to your own preference of quantities!    Meatball Mix:Ingredients:600g Lean Beef Mince (uncooked)1 Zucchini, grated finely½ brown onion, grated finely2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped2 tbsp mint, finely chopped¼ cup carrot, finely grated (1 small carrot)1 tsp. salt1 tsp. pepper1 cup of breadcrumbs2 eggs1 tbsp. olive oilDirections:Add mince, zucchini, carrot, onion, garlic, mint, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and parsley to a bowl and mix thoroughly.Once mixed thoroughly, place mix in the fridge for 30 minutes.Using roughly a tablespoon of mixture at a time, roll the mixture into small balls. Heat a large fry pan over medium-high heat and coat with olive oil.Add meatballs to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes  or until browned and cooked through. Chicken stock Rice Ingredients:1 ½  Cups of Basmati rice (uncooked) (washed thoroughly)3 Cups/1L Chicken Stock1 tablespoon butter½ a brown onion, finely diced4 whole pimentos all spice3 whole clovesDirections:Preheat a deep pot over medium/high heat. Once hot, add butter to the pan and let melt for 1 minute.Wash basmati rice thoroughly until water runs clear.Into the pot, add cloves, all spice and onion to the pan and cook until onions are translucent.Add the basmati rice to the pan and mix thoroughly for 1 minute.Add the chicken stock to the pan and continue to mix thoroughly.Add a lid to the pot and wait until stock comes to a boil. Once boiling, turn to a low heat and set a timer for 12 minutes. Once times goes off, use a fork to seperate the rice. Bean and Corn SalsaIngredients:½ avocado, diced½ lime, squeezed½ red onion, finely diced2 tomato, diced1 400g can of corn kernels, drained1 400g can of black beans, drainedDirections:Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Hope you absolutley love love this! It's a great meal prep idea! Come a let me know over on instagram if you LOVED it! Love Leah x

Meal Prep is something super popular, but often paired with boring and bland foods. It doesn't have to be that way! I created these yummy spicy sweet potatoes and a delicious and easy chicken patty. I also added a small salad to go with it, but separated the containers so you can re-heat!  Ingredients:Sweet Potato:¼ teaspoon of rosemary¼ teaspoon of turmeric¼ teaspoon of pepper¼ teaspoon curry powder1 Tablespoon of olive oilSprinkle of cayenne pepperSprinkle of saltSprinkle of pepper1 Small sweet potato, washed, peeled and cut into circlesChicken Patties:500g chicken breast mince (uncooked)1/4 teaspoon turmeric2 spring onions, sliced thinly2 garlic cloves, crushed1/2 a zucchini, grated finely1 carrot, grated finely1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon pepper Salad Mix:2 Cups of lettuce leaves9 Cherry tomatoes9 Olives3 Button mushrooms1 Cucumber1 Carrot3cm of crumbled feta1 Lemon, cut into thirdsDirections:Pre -heat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut into ling strips or circles - whatever you fancy!Add all spices into a bowl and mix. Splash the olive oil on the sweet potato and add the spice mix. Coat well. On a lined baking tray - place the coasted sweet potato and place into the oven for 40 minutes or until soft. Add chicken, carrot, zucchini, spring onion, garlic, salt, pepper, turmeric to a bowl and mix thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are mixed through.On a non-stick pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-hight heat.Use roughly two tablespoons of mixture per patty and roll into a small ball and lightly flatten into a small patty shape. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden and completely cooked through.Cut one open to ensure patty is cooked through and mince is white inside.Divide salad mix by 3 into 3 seperate Tupperware containers.In the remaining 3 Tupperware containers;Add 4 chicken patties to each Tupperware container. Add 4-5 pieces of sweet potato to the each Tupperware container.Top with a natural greek yoghurt dressing. (i put coriander, lemon and salt in the yoghurt!) Hope you LOVED this recipe - and hope it spices up your meal prep! If you do make it, please send me a photo over on instagram or facebook...I'd love to see! Love, Leah

Soooo... have you ever grilled nectarines before? Because you should. Just trust me, its SO GOOD!! The natural sugars in the fruit just come alive and everything these nectarines touch just turn to GOLD! So take your banana nicecream to the next level with this AMAZING combo and add a little flair to a new summer-time treat!   Banana Nicecream Ingredients:4 bananas4 tbsp. almond milk4 nectarines1/4 cup of Maple syrup1/4 Tsp. of vanilla essence Directions:1.    Peel the bananas and place into a small freezer bag and freeze until frozen. If you have time, let them freeze overnight2.    Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.3.    Add bananas and almond milk to a food processor and blend until the mixture forms a soft ice cream like texture. Place into a container and back into the freezer for another 30 minutes (or until you’ve finished the nectarine part!)4.    Cut the nectarines in half, deseed them and place onto a baking tray. Pour over the maple syrup and vanilla essence and place in the oven for 20 minutes.5.    Once soft, place under a grill for 5 minutes to get a beautiful brown colour on the top of the nectarine.6.    Scoop the banana nice cream into a bowl and top with the maple nectarines.

These chicken burrito bowls are incredible! It's super filling, but more importantly - it's DELICIOUS! Say goodbye to boring lunches, this can be prepped and stored for those quick grab and go lunch or dinners!