These cheesy one-tray chicken tenders from Sarah Pound will feed the whole fam

Sarah Pound’s no-fuss, veg-forward approach to family cooking has won her a legion of online fans. Since launching her platform in October 2021, the Victorian nutritionist and recipe writer has developed a reputation for fresh, healthy and flavourful dinner ideas that anyone can cook, regardless of budget or time constraints.

Now Pound has launched her first cookbook, Wholesome by Sarah, filled with one-tray recipes, clever spins on pantry staples and adaptable salads for all ages.

She’s also come on board as Good Food’s new healthy recipe columnist. Each month Pound will explore a different theme, such as gut health and fibre, and whip up three recipes for you to cook.

“I want to show you that ... healthy food doesn’t need to be boring and getting meals on the table definitely shouldn’t be a struggle,” she writes.

Here are four to try.

One-tray cheesy tomato and basil chicken strips

Oh how I love these beauties. These little pillows of heaven are a really easy and wonderful dinner for the kiddies – great for adults, too. They take 10 minutes to prepare, then go straight into the oven.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 chicken tenderloins
• 125g (½ cup) store-bought pasta sauce
• 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 1-1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 100g (1 cup) finely grated parmesan
• 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
• salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful of basil leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
• 75g (½ cup) freshly grated mozzarella

METHOD

1. Essential prep. Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the chicken on the tray. Spread the pasta sauce over the tenderloins, then sprinkle on the panko breadcrumbs and drizzle on the olive oil.
3. Season and bake. Mix together the parmesan, dried herbs, salt, pepper and
   chopped basil in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mix on each tenderloin, then bake for 10 minutes until the breadcrumbs start to brown. Remove the tray, sprinkle on the mozzarella and bake for a further 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling. Scatter the extra basil over top and serve.

Serves 4

TIP

You can also use four chicken breast fillets for this recipe. If they are very thick, place each chicken breast on a chopping board, hold your knife parallel to the board, and carefully slice through the middle horizontally, separating the breast into two thinner pieces. They will require 5-10 minutes of further cooking.

Mediterranean baked fish with cherry tomatoes and olives

This recipe – my ode to Sicilian cooks, their less-is-more mentality and their love of good-quality ingredients – shows how effortless it can be to prepare a beautifully flavoured dish. Serve with some crusty bread, as the Sicilians do, so you can soak up all the delectable sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 80g (½ cup) pitted green Sicilian or kalamata olives
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
• 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed and drained
• 80ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, chopped
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 x 175g barramundi fillets, skin on (see Tips)
• 1 tbsp lemon and herb seasoning
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• cooked rice or pasta or steamed green beans, to serve

METHOD

1. Don’t forget to … Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).
2. The joy of one pot. Place the cherry tomatoes, olives, garlic, parsley, capers, olive oil, white wine, butter and a good pinch of black pepper in a large baking dish and mix well to combine. Sprinkle the lemon and herb seasoning onto the fish fillets, then arrange the fish on top. Bake for 20 minutes until the fish is cooked through and white in the middle.
3. Now for the finishing touches. Scatter on the extra parsley and the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon juice over the fish. Season with some more pepper, if you wish, and serve with some rice or any small pasta shape or simply with a side of green beans.

Serves 4

TIPS

You can use any firm white fish you like for this dish – cod and snapper work well.

I’ve found 20 minutes is usually perfect for this dish, but this is for fillets that are about 5cm thick. If you have thin fish fillets, you may want to bake the cherry tomato base for 10 minutes, then add the fish and bake for a further 15 minutes.

Shortcut pork and fennel meatball rigatoni

I’m a fan of meatballs but sometimes just can’t be bothered to make them – and that’s how this simple and speedy dish was born.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 good-quality pork and fennel sausages
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 golden shallots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g can whole peeled tomatoes
• 700g tomato passata
• 350g dried rigatoni pasta
• salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 large handfuls of basil leaves
• 1 fresh burrata or buffalo mozzarella ball, to serve

METHOD

1. Start with the easiest meatballs ever. Squeeze the pork from the sausage casings and shape into roughly 32-36 rustic meatballs.
2. Time to cook. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep-frying pan over high heat. Add the sausage meatballs and brown on all sides for 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Now for the tomato sauce. Turn the heat down to medium. In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil for 1 minute. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine, then add the tomatoes and passata and give everything a good stir. Place the meatballs in the sauce, turn the heat right down to low and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is reduced and thick and the meatballs are cooked through. (The sauce can spit, so feel free to cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar.)
4. Meanwhile, cook your pasta. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 250ml (1 cup) of the pasta cooking water.
5. Season the pasta sauce well. Add half the basil leaves, then tip in the cooked rigatoni and gently stir to combine. Feel free to add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if you like a thinner sauce consistency.
6. Time to dish up. Serve in the pan with the burrata in the middle to break open at the table. Or serve in individual bowls and tear the buffalo mozzarella over the top. Scatter on the remaining basil leaves for colour.

Serves 4

TIP

You can use chicken, lamb or beef sausages in this dish instead of pork if you prefer.

Syrian chicken with lemon, currants and ginger

This is my variation of a Karen Martini recipe that I’ve made for years and it’s irresistible. The flavours are a refreshing take on a traditional chicken casserole.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tsp salt flakes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1kg boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4cm chunks
• 100ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, thickly sliced
• 3cm piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1 long red chilli, split and de-seeded
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 5 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
• finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp honey
• 100g currants
• 2 tsp chicken stock powder
• 1 large handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

Quick couscous

• 280g (1 ½ cups) instant couscous
• 375ml (1 ½ cups) boiling water
• pinch of salt flakes
• 1 tsp unsalted butter
• 1 handful of coriander leaves and/or mint leaves, finely chopped
• 80g (½ cup) pistachios, toasted
• juice of ½ lemon

METHOD

1. Combine the salt, ground spices and pepper in a large zip-lock bag. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken in the spices.
2. Place a large, heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Add the olive oil, then, once hot, add the chicken in batches (you don’t want to overcrowd the pan) and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Now to build some flavours. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli to the pan. Cook, stirring now and then and adding a touch more oil if needed, for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the tomato, cumin seeds and thyme, stir and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Return the chicken to the pan. Add the lemon zest and juice, honey, currants and stock powder, then enough water to just cover the chicken. Cover with the lid and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer for a further 15 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, make the quick couscous. Place the couscous in a large bowl, pour on the boiling water and add the salt and butter. Cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Stir through the herbs, pistachios and lemon juice.
6. Serve it up. Stir the coriander leaves through the chicken, then serve with the couscous.

Serves 4

This is an edited extract from Wholesome by Sarah by Sarah Pound, published by Plum, RRP $44.99, photography by Mark Roper. Buy now. Follow Sarah Pound’s Good Food column. Each month she’ll explore a different theme, such as gut health and fibre, and include three recipes.