5 Healthy Brunch Recipes That Honestly Anyone Can Nail (2024)

Those blissful 48 hours of unstructured time you know as the weekend? That’s the time to get creative in the kitchen.

And who better to look to for inspiration than Leah Itsines, Aussie food blogger (and yes, little sister to Kayla), who’s all about healthy meals that boost energy without skimping on taste.

Here are the best rut-busting recipes we found in her book, The Nourishing Cook. They’re what your weekend’s been waiting for…

5 healthy brunch recipes that honestly anyone can nail

1/ GINGER CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH THAI SALAD

This dish delivers a potent immunity-boosting trio of ginger, garlic and chilli.

Plus, the vitamin C in the red pepper and beta-carotene in the carrot increases its disease-fighting properties

CALS 348 | CARBS 16G PROTEIN 35G | FAT 16G SERVES 3

INGREDIENTS

Splash of olive oil
1 red pepper, finely sliced
2 cucumbers, deseeded and finely sliced
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 large carrot, julienned
1⁄2 red cabbage, shredded
large handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
large handful of fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

For the meatballs:

500g chicken mince
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2cm fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp curry powder
2 spring onions, finely sliced
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
salt and pepper

For the dressing:

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 small red chilli, deseeded and sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1⁄2 tsp brown sugar

METHOD

1/ Throw all of the meatball ingredients into a bowl, season and combine. Roll
into bite-sized balls, using about 1 tbsp of mixture for each.

2/ Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the meatballs in batches of 10 and cook (turning often) for 7 mins or until cooked through.

3/ Place the red pepper, cucumber, onion, carrot, cabbage, coriander and mint in a large serving bowl and stir to combine.

4/Place all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour over the salad, then toss. Divide between the plates, top with the meatballs and serve.

2/ ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SPICY AVOCADO DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

1 red pepper, thickly sliced
5 button mushrooms, halved
150g butternut squash, chopped into chunks
1 courgette, cut into 1cm rounds
olive oil, to drizzle
salt and pepper
handful of rocket
handful of baby spinach

For the spicy avocado dressing:

1 avocado
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small jalapeño pepper, deseeded
1⁄4 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

METHOD

1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2/ Spread the red pepper, mushrooms, butternut and courgette slices on the lined tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 40 mins or until the vegetables are tender.

3/ Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender, season with salt and pepper and whizz until smooth. Add 2 tbsp water and blend again.

4/ Place the rocket and spinach in two serving bowls, add the roast veg and place the avocado dressing on the side. Goodness, served.

3/ MUSHROOM AND HAM FRITTATA

Eating a protein- packed breakfast will help keep lunchtime hunger pangs at bay. Feta is higher in calcium than mozzarella, ricotta and cottage cheese, making it, erm, the big cheese -

CALS 363 | CARBS 10G PROTEIN 28G | FAT 27G SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp butter
1⁄2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g smoked ham, finely chopped
10 button mushrooms, finely sliced
2 vine- ripened tomatoes, diced
2 handfuls of baby spinach
10 eggs, whisked
100g feta, crumbled
salt and pepper

METHOD

1/ Before you even go near an egg, get prepped. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 22cm round baking dish.

2/ Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, ham and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins, or until the onion has softened.

4/ SALMON WITH SPINACH AND ALMOND PESTO SALAD

This recipe will make more than enough pesto. Save the rest in an airtight container and use it as a pasta sauce.

CALS 501 | CARBS 24G PROTEIN 34G | FAT 31G SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

1 red pepper, finely sliced
2 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced into thin strips
6 asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed
2 handfuls of green beans, trimmed
1 red onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and pepper
olive oil, to drizzle
2 salmon fillets, skin on

For the spinach and almond pesto:

100g fresh basil leaves
100g spinach
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
40g flaked almonds
40g pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp salt
juice of 1 lemon
160ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed

METHOD

1/ Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2/ Combine all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend to a paste.

3/ Place the red pepper, carrot, asparagus, beans and onion on the tray. Sprinkle the garlic over the top, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15 mins. Remove the tray and place the salmon on the bed of veg. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 mins or until the salmon is cooked to your liking.

4/ Divide the salmon and veggies between serving bowls and spoon 1 tbsp or so of pesto over each salmon fillet. Beautiful.

5/ LAMB SKEWERS, THREE WAYS

Clear a foggy brain and boost your mood with iron, found in red meat (including lamb, which is at its seasonal best right now). Pair with sources of vitamin C, like red peppers, to maximise absorption

EACH RECIPE MAKES 10 SKEWERS

ASIAN STYLE

CALS 140 | CARBS 2G PROTEIN 14G | FAT 9G MAKES 10

INGREDIENTS

500g lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon

METHOD

1/ Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to coat the lamb in all that saucy goodness. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 1 hr.

2/ Thread the lamb on to the skewers and place in a hot griddle pan. Cook for 12-15 mins, turning regularly, until cooked to your liking – for a kebab that doesn’t involve
a 3am queue.

CLASSIC

CALS 156 | CARBS 3G PROTEIN 14G | FAT 10G MAKES 10

INGREDIENTS

500g lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm cubes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp dried oregano
11⁄2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper, cut into 2cm squares
1 red onion, cut into 2cm pieces
1 courgette, cut into rounds

METHOD

1/ Place the lamb, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and oil in a bowl and mix well. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 1 hr.

2/ Thread the lamb cubes and vegetable chunks on to the skewers, place in a
hot griddle pan and cook for 12-15 mins, turning regularly, until cooked to your liking.

Tip: Parsley’s packed with nutritional benefits. It has high levels of the antioxidant apigenin, as well as an oil called eugenol, which has been shown to have strong anti- inflammatory properties. You herb it here first.

CHIMICHURRI

CALS 201 | CARBS 3G PROTEIN 14G | FAT 15G MAKES 10

INGREDIENTS

50g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
25g fresh coriander leaves
1 spring onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded
5 garlic cloves, roasted
1 tsp chilli flakes
1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper
100ml olive oil
juice of 4 limes
500g lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm cubes

METHOD

1/ To make the sauce, chuck the herbs, spring onion, jalapeño, garlic, chilli flakes, paprika, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper into a food processor and pulse. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and lime juice to make a thick sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

2/ Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the lamb, then thread the cubes on to the skewers. Cook in a hot griddle pan for 12-15 mins, turning regularly, until cooked to your liking. 3 | Top your skewers with the chimichurri sauce and serve.

Tip: Like it hot? Capsaicin, the compound responsible for chillies’ potency, has been proven to increase feelings of satiety, so these spicy skewers will keep you satisfied for hours.

Now that you know about healthy brunch recipes, read up on cheap vegan recipes

PHOTOGRAPHY | JERMEY SIMONS