Fitness

Post-workout picnics will never be the same again with recipes from Joe Wicks, aka the Body Coach, and his new book Joe’s Family Food. 

There’s only three things we really want from our post-workout meals in summer: delicious food, packed with essential nutrients, that’s easily transported to a picnic blanket. Don’t just rely on fancy supermarket hampers to get you through your outdoor plans – a homemade spread will always rank higher for both flavour and nutrient density.

The recipes that tick all these boxes come from, of course, Joe Wicks. He not only kept the entire country moving through lockdown with his live streamed PE lessons, but was also working on his tenth book.

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Joe’s Family Food is an ode to accessible, delicious eating for everyone – packed with 100 recipes for every occasion and diet. He’s shared three of his favourite meals to devour with friends and family wherever the British weather allows it. 

Get ready for spiced burgers that have a refreshing plant-based twist on boring beef for family BBQs; grown-up friendly chicken strippers that are served with a fresh salad for a high-protein picnic; and ‘hand pies’ that will give you a good dose of healthy fats while lounging in the park.

Indian spiced chickpea burgers with cauliflower raita and mango chutney

Joe Wicks Chickpea Burger

Serves 3-4 

Ingredients

  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tsp shop-bought curry paste (korma works well)
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 10g coriander, stems finely chopped and leaves roughly chopped
  • ½ red onion, finely chopped
  • 80g breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

    FOR THE CAULIFLOWER RAITA

  • 300g cauliflower
  • 150g natural yoghurt
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 10g mint leaves, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper

    TO SERVE

  • 4 burger buns, toasted
  • 4 tbsp mango chutney
  • 4 lettuce leaves
  • 4 tbsp shop-bought crispy fried onions 

Method 

Place the chickpeas, curry paste, lemon zest and fresh coriander in a food processor and blitz until the mixture comes together. If you don’t have a food processor you can mash the mixture with a fork instead.

Mix the red onion and breadcrumbs into the chickpeas and shape into four patties.

Shave the raw cauliflower with a mandoline or sharp knife into thin slices and place in a bowl. 

Mix together the yoghurt in a bowl with the lemon juice and mint, season to taste with salt and pepper and fold into the cauliflower.

Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, add the burgers and cook for three to four minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.

Assemble the burgers by spreading the base of the toasted buns with mango chutney, then topping with the lettuce followed by the chickpea patties. Pile the cauliflower raita on top of each burger and sprinkle with the crispy fried onions. Place the bun lids on top and squash down a little with the palm of your hand to serve.

Oaty katsu chicken strips

Joe Wicks Oaty Katsu Chicken

Serves 6 

Ingredients 

  • Olive oil spray
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 100g porridge oats
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic granules
  • 380g chicken mini fillets

FOR THE KATZU SAUCE

  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 165ml tin coconut milk
  • 1 heaped tsp dark roasted
  • peanut butter
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 60ml apple juice
  • 1 tsp cornflour mixed with
  • 1 tsp water

Method 

Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan/gas mark 7), line a baking tray with foil and spray it evenly with olive oil spray.

Place the cornflour on a small plate and season with salt and pepper. Place the beaten egg in a small bowl and season with salt. Place the oats on another plate and mix with the paprika and garlic granules. 

Dust the mini fillets in the cornflour, then dip them in the egg, and finally roll the fillets in the oats to coat. Place them on your prepared baking tray.

Spray the top of the oaty fingers with an even coating of spray oil and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked through and golden on the outside.While the chicken cooks, make the katsu sauce. 

Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat, add the curry powder and garlic and ginger paste and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. 

Add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the cornflour, and heat through until hot. Whisk in the cornflour mixture and allow to thicken a little before removing from the heat.

Salmon and spinach triangular ‘hand pies’

Joe Wicks Salmon Pies

Serves 4

Ingredients 

  • 150g spinach, washed
  • Plain flour, for dusting
  • 500g block of puff pastry, removed from the fridge 20 minutes before needed
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 150g cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 x 350g skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4cm (1½in) cubes
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds – optional

1 tbsp nigella seeds – optional

Method 

Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6) and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Put the washed spinach in a microwaveable bowl, cover and zap on high for two minutes or until well wilted, or wilt it in a dry pan. Place the spinach in a sieve and press it with a spoon to remove as much water as possible. Roughly chop and leave to cool a little.

Dust a clean work surface with a little flour and roll out the pastry into a large square about the thickness of a pound coin. 

Cut the square of puff pastry into quarters to form four smaller squares.

Mix the cooled spinach in a bowl with the lemon zest, cream cheese and chives, and season with a little salt and pepper.

Place the four squares of pastry on the lined tray and divide the cream cheese mixture and cubed salmon between them, placing it towards the edge of one corner of each of the squares.

Brush the beaten egg around the edge of the pastry and then fold the opposite corner of pastry over the filling to form a triangular shape. 

Press the edges together with a fork and brush the tops with more egg wash.

Sprinkle the tops of the pies with the seeds (if using) then bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from the oven, let them cool a little (so the pies aren’t too hot for little hands) and serve.

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Recipes and images courtesy of Pan Macmillan. 

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