This week's meal plan includes a spiced spinach, lentil and mango roti wrap that can be whipped up in a flash, plus an indulgent tuna and avocado jacket potato for your mid-week pick me up.
Shopping List
300g diced lamb
Approx 250g cod, plaice or haddock fillets
250g diced chicken breast or thigh
150g natural yoghurt
Approx 500ml chicken stock (a concentrated stock pot or cube mixed up is fine)
1 aubergine
2 large jacket potatoes
1 mango
3 carrots
1 lime
1 pepper
3 red chillies
5 red onions
1 avocado
Small piece ginger
1 bunch coriander
1 bunch mint
Garlic
Frozen spinach
Couscous
1 tin, packet or jar cooked lentils (approx. 200g drained weight)
1 tin tuna
1 tin butterbeans
6 rotis or chapatis
Tomato puree
Ghee
Vinegar (white wine, apple cider or even malt is fine)
Preserved lemons (in all big supermarkets)
Star anise
Ground cinnamon
Paprika
Saffron
Cumin
Chilli powder
Dried crushed chillies
Garam masala
Ground coriander
Turmeric
Olive oil
Monday – Spiced spinach, lentil and mango roti wrap, 15 mins
A veg and protein-packed wrap perfect for a quick meatless Monday dinner – and it’s easily made vegan too.
Defrost 4 or 5 pucks of spinach and squeeze out any excess water. Set aside. Make the filling for the wraps by finely chopping a red onion and frying in a tablespoon of ghee (use oil for a fully vegan meal) until softened. Add three crushed garlic cloves to the pan along with one sliced chilli and a teaspoon each of turmeric, garam masala and ground coriander and fry for about 30 seconds before adding in the spinach and the drained lentils to warm through for a minute. Pile onto two wraps and top with one grated carrot and the mango flesh sliced into matchsticks. Scatter over plenty of mint and coriander then serve with yoghurt if you like.
NOTE: If you have any extra spinach and lentil mix leftover serve as a side next time it’s curry night or mix with rice for a speedy lunchbox item.
Tuesday – Chicken and Mediterranean veg couscous, 40 mins
You can’t go wrong with a big bowl of roasted veg and chicken couscous; this one is gently spiced with saffron and finished with tangy preserved lemon.
Roughly chop a red onion and the pepper into chunks along with half the aubergine and a carrot. Place on a baking tray with the diced chicken and a few cloves of garlic, halved. Sprinkle over a tablespoon of paprika, a teaspoon of cumin and lots of salt and pepper then drizzle over two tablespoons of olive oil and roast for 30 mins at 200C, turning halfway.
Boil the kettle to mix up the 500ml of stock and stir in a pinch of saffron. Pour half of the stock over 200g of couscous in a bowl, then cover with a plate and leave to steam. Leave the stock to cool then refrigerate for Thursday.
Finely chop a preserved lemon, then once the chicken and veg are cooked, stir everything into the couscous and finish with a good handful each of chopped mint and coriander.
NOTE: Swap the chicken for any choice of protein. Also great cold for lunch - you can even freeze it.
Wednesday – Tuna & avocado jacket potato, 1 hour 15 (for oven baked)
Dodge the mayo and sweetcorn and treat yourself to a supercharged veggie tuna jacket potato instead
Rub your potatoes with a tiny bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt then bake for an hour and 15 or so at 200C. While the potatoes are baking, make the filling by combining the tin of tuna with a chopped avocado, grated carrot, half a finely chopped red onion, half the rest of the coriander and a level teaspoon of yoghurt. Squeeze in the juice of a lime, add a teaspoon of dried chilli flakes, salt, pepper and mix well. Serve atop the baked potatoes.
NOTE: Add cheese if you like (I do)
Thursday – Spinach, butter beans and cod with preserved lemon, 40 mins
A fragrant one-pot fish supper that leaves little washing up
Place the fish at the bottom of an oven proof dish. Pour in the drained butter beans. Dice the carrots, one garlic clove and a preserved lemon and add to the dish. Sprinkle over a teaspoon of cumin. Place four pucks of frozen spinach on top then pour over the rest of the stock and season well. Bake for 35 minutes then serve drizzled with olive oil.
Friday – Lamb and aubergine vindaloo, 45 mins
A highly spiced – and very spicy – Friday night curry to start the weekend with a bang
Slice two red onions and fry in a tablespoon of ghee (if you don’t have ghee then a flavourless oil is fine) for ten minutes but don’t let them brown. Add two finely sliced garlic cloves and the lamb and continue to cook for a few minutes then spoon in a tablespoon each of cinnamon, chilli powder and chilli flakes and a teaspoon of cumin. Combine the spices with the lamb mix and add in the remaining aubergine half, chopped into 2cm chunks. Add a tablespoon of tomato puree to the pot, two star anise, the two chillies (leave whole) plenty of salt, two tablespoons of vinegar and 100ml water and simmer for 45 minutes. Chop the rest of the coriander and sprinkle it over. Serve with the rest of the rotis and the yoghurt to cool things down.
NOTE: Vegetarians can swap the lamb for cooked lentils, potatoes or chickpeas. Beef could be used as an alternative.