The Midlife Kitchen is written by two self-confessed ''midlifers'', food writers Mimi Spencer (co-author of The Fast Diet) and Sam Rice, with nutritional advice from registered dietitian and nutritionist Dr Sarah Schenker.
They believe there are many ''midlifers'' out there who want to improve their diet. They may have had a health scare, lost a parent or have a partner with high cholesterol levels and are putting on weight around the middle.
''So small alarm bells ring and something tells us it is time to act.''
The pair see the book as a time to overhaul and fine-tune a person's daily diet to ''access peak performance for the years ahead''.
Firmly ''pro-ageing'', they aim to avoid the buzzwords like superfoods and the ''clean eating'' advice to offer ''sensible advice'' based on seven principles including variety, balance, taste, ease of preparation, making small changes and ''less sugar, better fat and good carbs''.
Each recipe is star rated for its role in digestive health, blood-sugar balance, hormone harmony, energy boosting, skin and immunity, bone and joint health, heart health and mind, memory and mood.
Many of their recipes are based on what they call ''midlife must-haves'' - such as a spice mix, raw seed mix, an LSA, a granola, a dukkah, sweetener, salad dressing and curry paste among others.
Along the way, the health benefits and other tips are pointed out in recipes that follow the traditional breakfast, lunch, dinner and treats layout.
Photos: Supplied
Pot roast chicken with lentils, sage, rosemary and thyme
This is one-pot Midlife cooking at its best: lots of lean protein, plenty of slow-burn carbs, bags of herby flavour and a solitary pan to wash up at the end.
Make this your new Sunday roast and you'll be able to stick it in the oven, play a game of tennis or tiddlywinks and return to a complete family meal. Job done.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
225g red lentils, rinsed
a handful of thyme sprigs, tied with string
5 sage leaves
750ml chicken stock, plus extra if needed
juice of 1 lemon (retain the squeezed lemon halves)
1 medium free-range chicken, about 1.5kg-1.8kg
2 tsp butter, softened sea salt flakes and freshly
ground black pepper
a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
Method
Preheat the oven to 180degC.
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish, add the onions and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for a further 3 minutes, then stir in the lentils, thyme, sage leaves and stock. Stir in the lemon juice and add the squeezed lemon husks.
Smear the chicken with the butter and season well. Nestle it into the lentil mix and bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife.
Check occasionally that the lentils aren't too dry (if they are, add a little more stock or boiling water and give it a stir). Remove the chicken from the casserole and leave to rest.
Check the lentils for seasoning, remove the lemon husks, stir in the sticky bits from the side of the dish and add plenty of chopped parsley. Carve the chicken and serve with the lentils.
Midlife hack
If you crave leafy greens with this, try some oven-baked kale.
Empty a bag of sliced kale into a roasting tin, toss in a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a scatter of sea salt flakes, then pop in the oven about 15 minutes before the chicken comes out.
Health tip
Herbs are a wonderful way to add multi-layered flavour without resorting to salt, sugar or fat.
What's more, the vitamins and antioxidants in these Scarborough Fair herbs can benefit midlifers on many levels, including giving a boost to cognitive function.
Chickpea, leek and Parmesan soup
This super-savoury soup has a great depth of flavour, thanks to the leeks and Parmesan. The Midlife LSA thickens and adds a welcome nutty, nutritious dimension. You can blitz it to a smooth soup or leave it chunkier for a good rustic bowlful.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
sea salt flakes
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Midlife LSA (see below) or ground almonds
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
freshly ground black pepper
70g Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra to serve
To serve
a grating of nutmeg
a small handful of parsley, chopped
Midlife LSA - Makes approx. 12 Tbsp
6 Tbsp flaxseeds (another name for linseeds)
4 Tbsp sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp whole almonds (skin on)
Method
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the leeks, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute gently for about 5 minutes until tender.
Add the chickpeas and cook for a further minute, then add the LSA or ground almonds and the stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Season and stir in the Parmesan.
If you prefer a smooth soup, blitz in a blender or use a stick blender. Reheat the soup, if necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a grating of nutmeg, a scatter of parsley and extra grated Parmesan.
Midlife hack
Add the rind of the Parmesan to the stock as it simmers to kick up the flavour in this soup. Just remember to remove it before you blitz . . .
Health tip
Leeks contain significant amounts of the flavonoid kaempferol, together with plenty of the B vitamin folate and antioxidant polyphenols, all known to protect and support the cardiovascular system.
Midlife LSA
Simply use a 3-2-1 ratio of flaxseed (linseed), sunflower and almonds. Using a coffee grinder or spice mill, pulse the seeds and almonds in batches until finely ground.
Transfer the mix to an airtight jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 months.
Midlife hack
You're better off making it at home, as the oils shouldn't be heat treated (which would destroy their potency). Due to the high oil content of ground flaxseeds, LSA should be kept in a dark jar in the fridge to prevent it turning rancid.
Health tip
This combo is rich in antioxidants, vitamin E and a host of good-for-you minerals. Flaxseed is a tough little dude, so it is best consumed in its ground form, which breaks down the shell and releases the nutrients within.
