Get Inspired to Cook and Reduce Food Waste with Max La Manna's New Book

One on One Podcast

Get Inspired to Cook and Reduce Food Waste with Max La Manna's New Book

A conversation with Max La Manna

18 April 2023

Join host Antoine Abou-Samra in episode 50 of the One on One podcast with special guest Chef and Author Max La Manna. In this fascinating episode, Max shares his journey from the US to the UK, his new cookbook release "You Can Cook This!", and his passion for reducing food waste. He discusses the contrast between American and British cuisine and how he wants to guide people towards cooking mouth-watering plant-based meals without waste. In an exclusive revelation, he unveils the source of his inspiration for creating unique recipes. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation with Max La Manna. Tune in now!

Photo by Lizzy Mayson

Max La Manna

Chef and Author, UK

Max La Manna is an award-winning chef, author and presenter. He started cooking at a young age in his father's restaurants and has worked in Michelin-starred establishments. He was named 2022 Digital Creator of The Year by Fortnum & Mason.

With over 15 years of cooking experience, Max is best known for his captivating, super simple plant-based recipe videos. Max has been featured on Food Network, Guardian Feast, Vogue, The Times, and recently appeared on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen.

Inspired by asking his followers what their most-wasted ingredients are, his new book, "You Can Cook This!" is designed to help you champion the food you already have in your fridges and cupboards and find exciting new ways to cook the meals we crave the most.

Max lives in the Cotswolds with his wife and their 33 houseplants.

Recipe

Marinated Beets with Toasted Pistachios, Orange, and Mint

INGREDIENTS

4 yellow or red beets
1⁄2 cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
4 Tbsp olive oil
1⁄4 cup water
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 orange, zested, then segmented
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 cup raw pistachios, toasted and chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 cup thick yogurt (or oat or coconut
salt and black pepper

Baked until tender, the beets are then marinated with shallot and ginger. Orange segments, cinnamon, toasted pistachios, and fresh mint are added just before serving on creamy yogurt to make a complex, sweet autumnal salad.

PREPARATION

1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2 Put the beets in a baking dish. In a small bowl, mix 1⁄4 cup of the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the water, and salt and pepper. Pour over the beets and toss until well coated. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until soft and tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5–10 minutes, then trim, slip off the peels, and cut into quarters while still warm.

3 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the shallot and ginger with the remaining vinegar and olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt. Add the warm beet quarters, toss to coat, and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 45 minutes and up to 3 days.

4 To serve, add the orange segments, cinnamon, and most of the pistachios and mint to the beets and gently combine.

5 Spread the yogurt over the base of a serving plate, top with the marinated beets, and sprinkle over the orange zest and the remaining pistachios and mint.

Tips
Marinate the beets up to 2–3 days ahead, cover, and chill.
If you buy beets with their green tops, you can chop the greens and cook them like spinach, or use the greens instead of carrot tops.

Published by Rodale Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.