Good Food Made Simple by Leah Itsines
Leah Itsines is the creative cook and co-founder of the popular BARE Guides. She lives and breathes healthy eating and a lifestyle that supports wellbeing. Yet she also comes from a big, Greek family where food is always at the forefront of every gathering. So how to you combine the two?
You make Good Food Made Simple. If you don’t feel very confident in the kitchen or if your relationship with food has seen its ups and downs, this may well be the book to ease you back to a balanced way of eating that is both satisfying and fun. Because good food was never meant to be hard. Buckle in for some seriously delicious, nutritious and mouthwateringly satisfying food that is healthy but doesn’t compromise on taste, ever!
Chorizo and vongole baked risotto
SERVES 4–6 | PREP TIME 10 MINUTES | COOK TIME 40 MINUTES
If you’re looking for a simple seafood dish that really hits the spot, this is it! If you can’t find vongole or clams, use mussels instead. Or swap them for some firm fish or a different meat – perhaps bacon or Italian sausage.
| INGREDIENTS: | |
| 1 tablespoon olive oil 1½ tablespoons (30 g) butter 2 leeks, pale parts only, thinly sliced 2 x 125 g (4½ oz) chorizo sausages, chopped 1 tablespoon thyme leaves 1¾ cups (400 g) arborio rice 1 cup (250 ml) white wine | 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock 300 g (10½ oz) baby tomatoes, halved 2 zucchini (courgettes), grated 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) vongole or small clams Chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve Lemon wedges, to serve |
METHOD:
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2 Heat the oil and butter in a large ovenproof pan over medium–high heat. Cook the leek, chorizo and thyme for 10 minutes, stirring often.
3 Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil, then pour in the wine and let it boil for a couple of minutes until almost evaporated. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Stir in the tomatoes and zucchini and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
4 Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the vongole. Cover and return to the oven for a few minutes or until the rice is cooked and the vongole have opened. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley, with the lemon wedges on the side.
Find more recipes from Leah Itsines in our Spring Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.
