2 High-Protein Recipes From Joe Wicks’ New Cookbook

Are you getting enough protein? It’s one of the biggest topics in the health space right now – social media is awash with talk of daily macro targets, while brands are hopping onto the trend by releasing ‘high-protein’ versions of their products. But we don’t necessarily need to be getting wrapped up in the numbers, fitness guru Joe Wicks stresses. He’s on a mission to encourage home cooking rather than relying on highly processed bars and shakes, hence his latest cookbook, Protein In 15, a collection of unprocessed, high-protein recipes. We’ve nabbed two below – ideal for hosting friends and family over the festive season.

Protein In 15: 2 Joe Wicks Recipes

Moroccan-Style Lamb and Butternut Squash

This is a proper crowd-pleaser, with unbelievable levels of flavour from the flaked almonds and crumbled feta cheese. It’s all these little extra touches that really make this a standout dish for me. Friends and family will be well impressed if you make the effort with this.

• Serves 4
• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 12 lamb chops, fat trimmed 
• 500g peeled and diced butternut squash, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 2 tsp ground cumin 
• 2 tsp ground coriander 
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the couscous 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 onion, thinly sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed 
• 250g couscous 
• 500ml boiling-hot chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube) 
• Handful of mint leaves 
• Handful of coriander leaves 

To finish 

• 30g feta cheese, crumbled 
• 15g flaked almonds, toasted 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas mark 6) and line your largest baking tray with baking paper (or two smaller trays if your largest can’t fit everything in a single layer). 
2. Put the lamb chops, squash, olive oil, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and chilli flakes into a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then massage the spices into the whole lot with clean hands. Spread out the spiced lamb and squash evenly on the large tray and roast in the oven for 26–30 minutes until the lamb is cooked and the squash is tender. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare the couscous base. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes until the onion deeply caramelises and turns golden. Keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally: you may need to reduce the heat to avoid the onion burning. Stir in the garlic in the last 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. At the same time, make the couscous. Put the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the hot stock. Cover and leave for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Stir in the caramelised onion and garlic mix. Thinly slice most of the mint and coriander leaves and stir in (setting aside some whole leaves to garnish). 
5. Spread the couscous out on a large, warm serving platter and place the lamb and squash on top of the couscous. Drizzle the delicious juices in the roasting tray over the whole lot. 
6. Sprinkle with the crumbled feta, toasted almonds and the remaining herbs and serve.

Tip: To air-fry the seasoned lamb chops, cook in the air fryer at 190°C for about 12 minutes until tender and the fat has rendered and becomes nice and crispy. 

Chicken Marsala Pasta with Mushrooms

Marsala is a fortified wine, originally from Sicily, known for its rich flavour and versatility in cooking. If you’ve never cooked with it before, don’t worry – it’s great. It delivers such a rich flavour with the chicken and mushrooms. Be brave, give this one a go and break away from the traditional pasta sauces. I’m confident you’ll be making this one again and again.

• Prep: 10 mins
• Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 2–3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 
• 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or 8 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 800g), cut into 1-1.5cm strips 
• 350g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2–3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked, plus extra to garnish 
• 180ml dry (secco) marsala or dry sherry (or just use dry white wine) 
• 100g crème fraîche 
• 300g high-protein spaghetti or tagliatelle 
• 4 tsp finely grated Parmesan cheese 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Handful of curly parsley leaves, chopped, to serve

Method:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, add half the chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, set aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding a drizzle more oil. (Cooking it in batches avoids overcrowding the pan.) Season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. 
2. Put the same pan back over a medium-high heat and add another drizzle of oil. Tip in the mushrooms and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden and caramelised. Add the garlic and thyme in the last minute, then immediately pour in the marsala (or sherry) to deglaze the pan: it will simmer and lose its raw alcohol flavour. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and return the chicken pieces to the pan (along with any the juices from the bowl). Simmer for 8–10 minutes – there should be very little moisture in the pan – then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche to warm through. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions (usually in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 8–12 minutes). Drain and toss with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the spaghetti or tagliatelle among four warm bowls. Top with the creamy chicken and mushrooms and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and the extra thyme leaves and parsley.  

Protein in 15 is out now