What’s for dinner? It’s the three words that send a shiver up the spines of many people across the nation. Preparing a nutritious and delicious meal shouldn’t be a terrifying experience. With a little bit of expert guidance, anyone can be their own chef de cuisine, but what you do need is the right recipe.
That’s where Nadia Lim and My Food Bag can help. Nadia is an accredited dietician and My Kitchen Rules NZ judge. Her simple to follow ‘nude food’ philosophy has won her many fans in Australia and New Zealand, leading to the launch of My Food Bag.
“Real, healthy food comes from the ground, the sea and the sky,” she says, “it’s fresh and free range, not from factories. ‘Nude food’ is about learning to trust your instincts and following some simple common sense guidelines about what’s healthy and works best for you.”
My Food Bag is an Australian-based food service that provides recipes and ingredients to time poor residents in Sydney and Melbourne. Since it’s inception three years ago more than 7.2 million meals have been enjoyed.
Now My Food Bag and Nadia Lim have put together their 80 most popular recipes with the release of Easy Weeknight Meals along with the launch of My Own Bag – the dinner delivery service for time-poor singles.
“My Own Bag aims to show that living alone doesn’t need to mean uninspired nights in on the couch – the kitchen left bare and unwelcoming. Cooking for one can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and most of all is an important way to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need to power your busy life.”
Whet your appetite with this tasty Silverbeet, Leek and Ricotta Lasagne.
READY IN: 45–50 MINUTES PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME: 35–40 MINUTES
SERVES: 5–6
TOMATO SAUCE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
2 cups tomato passata or canned, crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
LASAGNE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, trimmed and finely sliced
1 bunch (about 600g) silverbeet, tough stalks removed and leaves finely sliced (after trimming you should have about 300g)
500g ricotta cheese
100g grated parmesan teaspoon each salt and pepper
teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
400g fresh lasagne sheets
1 cups grated mozzarella
TO SERVE
leafy green salad
METHOD
PREHEAT oven to 200°C.
1 Heat olive oil in a medium fry-pan on medium heat. Cook onion until soft, 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook for a further 1 minute. Stir in tomato passata and tomato paste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large fry-pan on medium heat. Cook leek for 5–6 minutes until soft and caramelised, then add silverbeet and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes until wilted.
3 Mix ricotta, parmesan, salt, pepper and nutmeg together. Add to leek and silverbeet and mix well.
4 Grease a deep baking dish (roughly 30cm x 20cm x 7cm) with olive oil and line with one lasagne sheet (you may need to trim the lasagne sheet to fit). Spread one-third of the ricotta and vegetable mixture on top, followed by ½ cup of tomato sauce. Place a second lasagne sheet on top. Repeat this process two more times, finishing with a lasagne sheet. Top with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle over mozzarella.
5 Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top. Allow to stand for 5–10 minutes before cutting.
TO SERVE cut lasagne into six pieces. Place a portion of lasagne on each plate and serve with salad on the side.
ENERGY 2440kJ (581kcal)
CARBOHYDRATE 51.6g
PROTEIN 34.1g
FAT 26.2g
From Easy Weeknight Meals by My Food Bag and Nadia Lim, published by Allen & Unwin, RRP, $35.00, available now.