Nadia Lim’s Good Food Cook Book - another winner from MasterChef NZ 2011

Nadia Lim’s Good Food Cook Book

Author: Nadia Lim

RRP: $49.99

Random House New Zealand

‘By good food, I mean food that is both delicious and nutritious. As a cook and dietitian it’s equally important to me that food tastes great and is just

as good for you.’ — Nadia Lim

A new collection of mouth-watering recipes from dietitian, nutritionist and MasterChef 2011 winner, Nadia Lim. Well-known for her enticing healthy recipes, she presents this ensemble of carefully thought-out meals you can cook for breakfast, lunch, dinner, including snacks and desserts.

‘I’ve created these delicious and simple recipes with a focus on lots of colourful seasonal vegetables and fruit, healthy grains and nourishing protein so they’re packed full of goodness that will look after you and your body,’ explains Nadia.

‘I want you to get off to a great start every day with a nutritious breakfast, look forward to a tasty and hassle-free lunch, and have fun cooking up and serving delicious, healthy dinners the whole family will love. I want you to get excited about cooking, eating and sharing good food every day!’

Nadia’s recipes are colourful with lovely modern flavours; they are easy to cook and they always work! Each recipe includes her trademark nutritional analyses and is beautifully photographed by Tamara West.

Nadia draws on her background as a dietitian and nutritionist and suggests Healthy Day Menus so that you can plan out your day’s eating and achieve a balanced diet. There are gluten-free, dairy free and vegetarian recipes as well as advice as to which recipes freeze well.

Nadia’s passion for food is infectious and her commitment to bringing Kiwis healthy, tasty and fresh food is relentless. This dedication first became apparent in her work in diabetes for Auckland District Health Board and has continued to shine through in her work with Regal King Salmon,  Avocadoes NZ, My Food Bag — a weekly home-delivery meal service — and it is ever apparent in her new book; with great messages on how to maintain a healthy diet.

This book — like her first cook book Nadia’s Kitchen — is a wealth of easy to make, affordable, healthy meals - book to covet!
And  last night i made a dish from the book for the family and it went down a treat. The publishers have kindl agreed to let me reproduce the recipe here:

Apricot Chicken with Mash, Broccoli and Almonds  ( Photo by Tamara West)

This is an old childhood favourite that my mum used to make. It may seem a bit retro, but classics like this never die. Kids and adults alike will enjoy this meal. It is a handy dish to freeze in portions for those busy nights when you just need to reheat your dinner.

Serves: 4-5

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25–30 minutes

Apricot Chicken

olive oil 2 tablespoons

onions 2, chopped                                                                                                                                   garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped

chicken drumsticks or thighs 10 skinless

tomato paste 3 tablespoons

sweet chilli sauce 1 tablespoon

mixed dried herbs 1 teaspoon

crushed tomatoes 1 x 400g can

apricot halves in juice 1 x 400g can

chicken stock 1 cup

salt

black pepper freshly ground

Mash

Agria potatoes 800g, peeled and chopped

butter knob of

milk ½ cup

Broccoli and Almonds

broccoli 1 head, cut into florets

roasted almonds ¼ cup chopped

1

Heat olive oil in a large frypan or saucepan on medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft, 3–4 minutes.

2

Add chicken, tomato paste, sweet chilli sauce, dried herbs, crushed tomatoes, apricots (including the juice) and chicken stock. Stir, cover and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove lid and simmer a further 10–15 minutes, uncovered, or until chicken is cooked through. Stir a few times throughout cooking to prevent sauce catching on the bottom. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3

Bring a large-sized saucepan of salted water to the boil. While chicken is cooking, cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender, 10–15 minutes. Drain and mash with butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste.

4

Steam, boil or stir-fry broccoli until bright green and just cooked through, 2–3 minutes. To serve, spoon some mashed potato onto each plate and top with 2–3 chicken thighs or drumsticks, some broccolini or broccoli and scatter over almonds.

Dairy Free     Gluten Free

(Dairy free without butter and milk)

Per serve

Energy: 2630kj (628 cal)

Carbohydrate: 61.0g

Protein: 39.4g

Fat: 26.5g

Saturated fat: 6.0g   

Recipe extracted with permission from Nadia Lim’s Good Food Cook Book

published by Random House New Zealand, $49.99