Joe Wicks shares six mouth-watering meals from his new book you can make in less than 30 minutes

JOE WICKS is back – but you can put down the dumbbells. Instead of exercises, the ­fitness guru is now focusing on hearty home cooking.

Joe’s 30 Minute Meals, right, features 100 recipes that can be ready in half an hour. Unlike his last best-seller Lean In 15, the Body Coach’s latest book does not feature workouts – but the dishes are still perfect for keeping trim.

And The Sun is featuring his tasty recipes this week.

Joe, 31, who became a dad last month when partner Rose Jones gave birth to daughter Lily, said: “My aim is to inspire people to cook quick and healthy recipes.”

Here are the first six exclusive dishes from Joe’s book.

Chicken & aubergine pizza

(Serves 2)

YOU NEED:

• 2 aubergines
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 10g tomato puree
• 200g chopped tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt and black peppe
• 2x180g skinless chicken breasts
• 100g ­taleggio or mozzarella
• Rocket, to serve.

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C/gas mark 6)
• Cut each aubergine lengthways into 8-10 slices, roughly 5mm thick.Heat a large griddle pan over a high heat and drizzle the aubergine slices with a little olive oil.
• Griddle the aubergine slices in batches, cooking them for about 1 minute on each side – they should be nicely marked by the pan and just cooked through.
• While the aubergine slices are cooking, slide the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, garlic clove and dried oregano into a food processor and blitz until smooth. ­Season with a little salt and pepper.
• Put each chicken breast between two pieces of clingfilm and, using a rolling pin, lightly beat until slightly thinned to an even thickness. Brush each side with olive oil and cook on the hot griddle pan for 6-8 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
• Slice into the chicken to make sure the meat is white all the way through. Build your “pizza” by creating a circle, about 20cm in diameter, with some of the aubergine slices, then cover the middle with a few more.
• Spread over about a third of the tomato sauce then lay the remaining aubergine ­slices on top, overlapping them to create a roughly even circle. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top, lay the cooked chicken on then dot with taleggio.
• Bake the pizza in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with rocket and cut into wedges.

Tandoori cod burgers with sweet potato fries

(Serves 2)

YOU NEED:

• 2 large sweet potatoes (600g), scrubbed clean
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 40ml rice vinegar
• 2g caster sugar
• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced
• ¼ red onion, finely sliced
• ¼ ­cucumber (80g), de-seeded and cut into thin half-moons
• 2 x 200g skinless and boneless cod fillets
• 30g tikka ­masala curry paste
• 2 burger buns.
• 1 tbsp fat-free Greek yoghurt
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp ­coriander, chopped

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C/gas mark 6).
• Cut each sweet potato in half lengthways, then cut into eight long, thin wedges and scatter over one layer on a ­baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil along with a good pinch of salt, toss to mix then roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
• Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, red chilli, onion and cucumber in a small bowl and leave to steep, giving it a mix every now and then.
• Coat the cod fillets in the curry paste then place on to a baking tray lined with ­parchment and roast in the oven for 15 ­minutes, by which time they should be just cooked through. When the fish has only 5 minutes to go, cut the buns in half and place in the oven to toast.
• To build the burger, spread a little yoghurt on to two bun halves, load up with sliced tomato, lay the fish on top then scatter the cucumber mix over (drain off the excess vinegar).
• Finish with the coriander and squash the remaining bun halves on top.
• Serve with the sweet potato fries.
  Feel free to use any type of white fish or even chicken breast instead of the cod fillets.

Sausage & mushroom pie

(Serves 4)

YOU NEED:

• ½ tbsp coconut oil
• 12 ­sausages
• 2 large onions, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and diced
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, brushed clean and roughly chopped into quarters
• salt and black pepper
• 200ml chicken stock
• 200ml ale (I use London Pride)
• 30ml Worcestershire sauce
• 10g cornflour
• 3 large sheets of filo pastry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp nigella seeds
• ­Buttered greens, to serve

METHOD:

• Melt the oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over a medium to high heat, then roll the sausages into the pan and brown all over. Don’t worry about cooking the sausages through at this point – all you want is for them to go dark brown. Remove the sausages from the pan then add the onions.
• Cook the onions for about 8 minutes or until softened and caramelised. Add the carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf and cook for a further 2 minutes, ­stirring frequently over a high heat.
• Add the chestnut mushrooms along with a good pinch of both salt and pepper, and continue to stir-fry for another couple of minutes, then add the stock, ale and Worcestershire sauce.
• Bring the liquid slowly up to the boil (rapid boiling makes it taste bitter), then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Mix the cornflour with just enough water to make it into a liquid, then pour into the mix and stir to thicken.
• Tip the mix into a 29x20cm baking dish and preheat the oven to 190C (fan 170C/gas mark 5). Let it cool just a little in the baking dish then take the sheets of filo, scrunch a little and cover the filling. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the nigella seeds.
• Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, by which time the pastry will be crisp and coloured on top and cooked through underneath. Serve up with ­steaming buttered greens.

Paprika lamb kebabs with whipped herb ricotta

(Serves 4)

YOU NEED:

• Barbecue; drizzle of olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper
• 700g lamb steak, cut into 3cm chunks, hard fat removed (if any)
• 350g ricotta; 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Small bunch of chives, finely chopped
• ½ bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 3 cooked beetroot, drained and cut into large chunks
• 4 handfuls of rocket
• 40g walnuts, roughly chopped

METHOD:

• Fire up the barbecue or put a heavy-based griddle pan on to heat over a medium to high flame. Mix the oil, cumin and paprika along with a big pinch of salt and pepper.
• Thread the meat on to four long skewers – you want the meat to touch, but don’t squash it on or it won’t cook well.
• Swoosh the skewered meat through the spice mix, trying to ensure a thin, even layer all over. Lay the kebabs on the outer, slightly cooler part of the barbecue, or the hot ­griddle pan and fry, turning every 2–3 ­minutes for about 10 minutes, or until the meat is lovely and browned on the outside and just cooked through on the inside. Remove the meat to rest for at least 5 minutes.
• While the meat is resting, tip the ricotta into a bowl and add the olive oil with a good pinch of salt. Whip the ricotta with a whisk for about 30 seconds or until it is totally smooth. Stir through the chopped chives, parsley and lemon juice then divide over four plates.
• Place a lamb skewer on to each plate, then divide out the beetroot, rocket and walnuts.

Chicken & saffron ragu

(Serves 4)

YOU NEED:

• ½ tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5 sprigs of thyme
• 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs (600g total), each cut into 4 large chunks
• 300g wholemeal fusilli pasta
• 8g tomato puree; small pinch of saffron
• 75ml red wine
• 250ml passata
• Large bunch of basil, roughly chopped
• 50g pitted black olives, chopped

METHOD:

• Put a large pan of water on to boil. Melt the oil in a large, high-sided frying pan over a medium to high heat, and when it is melted and hot, add the red onion, garlic and thyme and fry, stirring regularly for 5 minutes until the onions have softened. Crank up the heat to maximum and add the chopped chicken thighs to the pan.
• Without letting the other ingredients burn, try not to stir the meat too much so it has the chance to brown in places. Cook the chicken for about 2 minutes – your aim here is not to cook it through. This is probably a good time to drop the pasta into the boiling water to cook.
• Squeeze in the tomato puree, add the saffron and mix the whole lot together, frying and stirring for about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and let it bubble, then add the passata and bring it up to a simmer. Cook the ragu like this for about 10 minutes or until you are happy the chicken is fully cooked through. Check by slicing into the chicken to make sure the meat is white all the way through with no raw pink bits left.
• If you feel the pan is cooking dry, then just scoop out a little of the pasta cooking water and add to the pan. When the pasta is done and you’re happy the chicken is fully cooked through, drain the pasta then tip it straight into the pan with the sauce.
• Add the basil and olives and stir to ­combine everything.

Chicken & squid orzo paella

(Serves 4)

YOU NEED:

• 1 chicken stock cube
• Pinch of saffron
• 1½ tbsp coconut oil
• 2 red onions, peeled and diced
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and cut into thin slices
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 5 medium tomatoes (320g), roughly chopped
• 10g tomato puree
• 300g orzo
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika
• 125g frozen peas
• 300g baby squid, cleaned and prepped
• 2 x 200g chicken breasts, cut into 1cm-thick slices
• Bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 lemons, cut in quarters, to serve

METHOD:

• Put a kettle on to boil and preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C/gas mark 6). Pour 500ml of boiling water over the stock cube and add the saffron.Leave to steep. Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over a high heat in a large ovenproof pan or flameproof casserole dish, then add the chopped onions, red pepper and garlic and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the fresh tomatoes and the tomato puree and continue to stir-fry for a further 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to break down. Stir in the orzo, paprika and frozen peas, and finally pour in the infused chicken stock along with the bits of saffron. Bring the liquid to the boil, clamp on a lid and slide the pan or dish into oven. Bake for 15 ­minutes.
• While the orzo is cooking, take the baby squid tubes and cut in half lengthways. Score inside of the flesh at 5mm intervals in one direction, then turn 45 degrees and score again to create a diamond pattern.
• Repeat the scoring with the remaining squid. Melt half of the remaining coconut oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, then fry the chicken for about 4 minutes or until you are happy it is totally cooked through.
• Try not to stir the meat too much to allow it to brown. Scrape the chicken out of the pan into a bowl, wipe the frying pan with a piece of kitchen roll and place straight back on to the heat with the remaining coconut oil.
• Melt the oil until it is blisteringly hot, then carefully add the squid and stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until just cooked through.Remove the paella from the oven, ­carefully take off the lid then top with the fried chicken and squid.
• Finish with a generous scattering of chopped parsley and lemon wedges.