Congratulations are again to renowned celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. He turned 50 years old while publishing his 30th cookbook. Eat Yourself Healthy: Food to Change Your Life includes 120 recipes that feature Oliver’s well-researched ideas about what we should be eating. “Food can make an absolute difference in your life,” he writes. “What you eat can change how you look, how you feel and how you are, even how your brain functions.”
Oliver stresses the importance of getting seven servings of fruit and vegetables each day, with a helpful rather than scolding tone. He doles out information in small, clear, distinct ways that were easily absorbed as I read most of the book one cold winter night. I appreciated his overview of pantry staples and kitchen tools, shopping and sleep suggestions. He also has helpful tips for how to balance your plate, hydrate and determine healthy portion sizes. Perhaps most useful in our household, his list of “50 healthy snacks” has provided some new ideas.
A key feature of Eat Yourself Healthy is a “kickstarter” two-week menu gleaned from the recipes in the book. Each daily menu includes a minimum of seven fruits and vegetables; an average of 30g of fibre and 50g of protein per day; one portion of dairy or dairy alternative; and a variety of carbohydrates. Each recipe is designed for two people (I’ve got in the habit of cooking at least two meals at a time, no matter how simple!), with both prep and cooking time clear at the start. The index at the back of the book has nutritional info detailing the protein, carbs, fibre, energy, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt of each recipe.
I enjoyed Oliver’s book, both as a read and while making the recipes. I chose three for this review — an entrée, a salad and a dessert — but the whole book looks delicious and inviting. There are great photographs for each recipe. I’m not a food stylist, but my results looked pretty similar!
MEATBALL BAKE
Loved this recipe. The tastes, the warmth and the deep colours on the plate. The combination of whole tinned tomatoes and jarred roasted red peppers was delicious. This proved to be a great meal to serve friends, who cleaned their plates.
CHOPPED RAINBOW SALAD
Loved how this salad came together so quickly. Oliver says 11 minutes, and I think that is generous. The brilliant colours and the flavour combination would be welcome at any table for any occasion. Taste preference in our home means less mint for us next time, but it would be a mistake to leave it out completely.
BANANA & ALMOND CAKE
A great dessert. The almond flour makes all the difference if you are thinking this looks like a traditional banana bread recipe. It’s much lighter. Unlike a loaf of banana bread at our house, this cake was nothing but crumbs by the end of the day.
Eat Yourself Healthy is ideal for someone who wants to eat in a healthier way, but it also works for anyone who is busy and just wants to try tasty new recipes without a lot of ingredients. That seems to be Jamie Oliver’s recipe for success in the kitchen.
SUE GORDON has taught baking to high school students, including running an alternative school’s commercial bakery in Carcross, Yukon. Now a retired nurse and educator, she is enjoying trying new things in her kitchen and garden.
MEATBALL BAKE
Using an old friend like meatballs to get some beans into your life is a tasty, nutritious win
SERVES 4 | PREP 10 MINUTES | COOK 1 HOUR
-
1 large bulb of fennel (12 oz)
-
2 red onions (12 oz)
-
4 carrots (12 oz)
-
1 x 15-oz can of cannellini beans
-
1 lb ground beef or pork
-
1 teaspoon dried oregano
-
1 x 28-oz can of whole tomatoes
-
1 x 16-oz jar of roasted red peppers
-
1 lemon
-
2 oz feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the fennel, reserving any fronds, peel the onions, then cut it all into wedges and add to a deep roasting pan. Peel, halve, and add the carrots. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, and roast for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain the beans and pulse a couple of times in a food processor. Add the meat and oregano, season, and pulse until just combined. With clean wet hands, divide the mixture into 12, roll into balls, then place in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil and cook until golden all over, turning regularly.
Pour the tomatoes and peppers, juices and all, into the processor (there’s no need to clean it). Finely grate and reserve the lemon zest, then squeeze the juice into the processor, season, and blitz until smooth.
Remove the pan from the oven, pour the sauce over the veg, then evenly space the golden balls around the pan. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
To serve, crumble on the feta, sprinkle with the reserved lemon zest and any fennel fronds, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Great as it is, or with whole wheat toast, couscous, rice, or spaghetti.
VEGGIE LOVE
Ground meat alternative works very well in place of the ground beef or pork.
CHOPPED RAINBOW SALAD
SERVES 1 | 11 MINUTES
-
3 oz each: pomegranate seeds, yellow bell pepper, ripe tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, drained canned chickpeas, radishes, ripe avocado, little gem lettuce
-
1 oz dried mango
-
½ a bunch of mint (about ½ oz)
-
1 lime
Leaving the pomegranate seeds and chickpeas whole, trim, peel or seed and finely chop all the veg and fruit, along with the dried mango and the mint leaves. Dress with the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and serve.
Delicious just as it is, or paired with couscous or a steaming baked potato.
BANANA & ALMOND CAKE
Brilliant bananas and almonds take center stage in this deliciously moreish chuck-it-all-in cake
SERVES 12 | PREP 11 MINUTES | COOK 45 MINUTES
-
3 ripe bananas (about 1 lb)
-
2 large eggs
-
2 cups almond flour
-
1 tablespoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
½ cup plain yogurt, plus extra to serve (scant)
-
½ cup maple syrup, plus extra for brushing
-
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a deep 9-inch springform pan with olive oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Put 2 of the peeled bananas into a food processor, crack in the eggs, and add all of the remaining ingredients. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a small pinch of sea salt and blitz until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Slice the remaining banana and arrange on top, then bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, brush with a little maple syrup, and let cool for 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edge of the pan, then release and remove the sides of the pan and transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool, or serve warm.
LEFTOVER LOVE
Slice the cake, wrap each portion, and stash it in the freezer for another day (up to 3 months). Simply thaw when you want a slice, and enjoy!
