Join Simon Toohey and friends for Freshly Picked ideas

Sustainable, fresh, flavour-packed cooking is on the menu as Simon Toohey shares delicious plant-forward food.

Alice Zaslavsky and Simon Toohey in the kitchen on 'Freshly Picked'.

— See Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey on SBS Food, Mon-Fri 5.30pm 21 October to 9 December, with episodes available at SBS On Demand after they air. —

"If you're like adding a little bit of colour, excitement, a bit of fun to your food, well, I might have something for you," says Simon Toohey in an early episode of his feel-good-food show, Freshly Picked.

The former Masterchef star is passionate about sustainable, simple, tasty food (pop over to his Insta to see more) and in Freshly Picked, he's sharing delicious ways to make the most of fresh fruit and veg and other favourite kitchen ingredients.

Simon Toohey on the road in 'Freshly Picked'. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey.

Whether you're vegan, vegetarian or just looking for more ways to make the most of fresh produce, Toohey and his guests have plenty of great ideas, from quick breakfasts and lunch ideas to international street food and delicious desserts.

"When it comes to meal time, it's easy to get stuck in the same old rut. So if you're looking to add some colour and variety to your repertoire, then we've got all the inspiration you need," Toohey says.

Here's a taste of what's in the show:

Delicious recipes

Freshy Picked is all about tasty, fresh, sustainable and flavour-packed cooking, from breakfast through to dinner with snacks along the way.

Love a cafe breakfast? Create that feeling at home (and save some money!) with a veg-strong spinach pancakes with blistered tomatoes (Toohey serves these with plant-based feta, so it's a dish vegans and non-vegans alike can dig into).

Spinach pancakes with blistered tomatoes. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Make the most of veg-based protein in dishes such as satay tempeh with pan-fried bok choy.

Satay tempeh with pan-fried bok choy. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Or try a super-easy to make gluten-free banana bake, a recipe from guest Lynton Tapp – studded with nuts, seeds and dried fruit, it's like banana bread meets chewy slice.

Banana bake. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Friends in the kitchen

The delicious ideas come from both Toohey and his guests on the show: look out other keen cooks including Alice Zalavsky, Nadia Fragnito, Afik Gal, Tobie Puttock, Walleed Rasheed, Tim Bone, Thanh Truong, Anushka Zargaryan, Jerry Mai, Nonnie Berro, Tom Sarafian and more.

Nornie Bero joins Simon Toohey in 'Freshly Picked'. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Coskun Uysal gets cooking with Simon Toohey. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

Road trips

The show also takes Toohey on some 'see it at the source' travels, meeting growers and cooking in locations from greenhouses to tropical plantations. Along the way, he also learns about everything from native ingredients to great hummus and how diary-free cheese is made.

Simon Toohey in northern Queensland, with Cape Trib Farm owner Jeremy Blockey.

Looking for more plant-strong meal ideas? Explore SBS Food's vegetarian and vegan recipe collections.