We're one week into January and the memory of shouting "i'm going to be SO healthy this year, just watch me!" at all your friends on New Years Eve is slowly fading. It's cold, it's wet, it's dreary... it's pizza and wine weather. You can't be blamed for already feeling the temptation to throw away your 'easy healthy meals' cookbook and pretend you're resolutions didn't even exist, but if you're on the brink and wanting to keep up your resolve, we're here to help.
With 5 easy meals, from Turkey Larb in 10 minutes to healthy pizza in 15, this is your nutritious, delicious week of meals to make the first weeks of January that little bit easier...
Shopping list:
500g chicken, turkey or veggie alternative mince
2 balls mozzarella – normal or lighter
100g cooked peeled prawns
6 eggs
Small swede
2 carrots
1 onion
150g baby spinach
Sugar snap peas
1 aubergine
Little gem lettuce
Spring onions
Fresh basil
Garlic
Lime
Small piece ginger
2 red chillies
Frozen peas
1 tin tomatoes
Light soy sauce
Sugar
Sesame seeds
Sesame oil
2-4 flatbreads depending on size (I like the Crosta & Mollica ones in Waitrose – you’ll have one leftover but could have it with your parmigiana on Monday)
Tomato puree
Dried thyme
1-2 portions dried noodles of your choice
Worcestershire sauce
Flour
Olive oil
Rapeseed oil
Monday – Melanzane Parmigiana, 40 mins
This classic Italian aubergine dish should be everyone’s go-to for an easy, comforting meal. Serve with garlic bread for a treat, or salad for a low carb option.
Preheat the oven to 180C whilst you prep the sauce. Gently fry off a crushed garlic clove in a tablespoon of olive oil. When it starts smelling fragrant add in the tinned tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato puree and a pinch of sugar and salt. Bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer while you deal with the aubergine.
Slice the aubergine as thinly and evenly as you can, then brush each slice with olive oil on both sides and fry in the largest frying pan – or griddle pan if you have one – in batches until almost soft and very slightly charred. Once each batch is cooked stack them on a plate to one side. When it’s all done, slice the mozzarella as thinly as you can then begin constructing layers of the tomato sauce, aubergine, mozzarella and a bit of grated parmesan (in that order) and repeat until all used up. Scatter the top layer with half the basil, roughly chopped, then pop in the oven for 20 mins until the cheese is bubbling.
Tuesday – Turkey Larb, 10 mins
Larb is a kind of minced meat ‘salad’ found in certain areas of Thailand and Laos which, thrillingly, contains very little in the way of actual salad. Serve this light and zingy mince dish in lettuce leaves or with sticky rice.
Grate half the ginger, two garlic cloves and finely chop a chilli. Fry for a few minutes in rapeseed oil before adding half the turkey mince (or whichever you’ve opted for) and frying over a high heat until no pink remains. Stir in a few chopped spring onions, the rest of the basil, a teaspoon of sugar and a few shakes of light soy and serve.
NOTE: Make it vegan using vegan mince with a touch of lemongrass puree.
Wednesday – Fiorentina Flatbreads, 15 mins
The healthy-ish way to do pizza for January.
Preheat the oven to 200C and put a baking tray in on the top shelf to heat up. Take half the spinach and wilt in a dry pan for about two minutes. Squeeze out any excess liquid and spread all over the flatbreads with the other mozzarella ball, sliced. Place the loaded flatbreads on the tray and cook for five minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Crack an egg in the middle of the flatbread and return to the oven until the white is set – keep an eye on them. Serve with a green salad and parmesan.
NOTE: Swap mozzarella for goat’s cheese if you like
Thursday – Prawn and spring onion noodle pancakes, 25 mins
This is an adapted version of Jamie Oliver’s brilliant Stir Fried Veg Crispy Sesame Noodle Omelette from Every Day Super Food and is a brilliant way to eat eggs for dinner
Cook noodles according to packet instructions then drain and set aside. Slice the carrot into batons and finely slice a garlic clove then fry in a small frying pan over a high heat using a splash of sesame oil and a teaspoon of sesame seeds. Once cooked, set aside but retain the pan to make the rest of the dish. Finely chop the rest of the ginger, a chilli and the rest of the spring onions.
Add half the noodles to the pan and fry to crisp up with half the ginger, chilli and spring onions. Mix together 4 eggs and a splash of water (sparkling water is ideal if you have it) then pour half the mixture over the noodles, add half the prawns, stir briefly then leave to set. Once the eggs are set, slide onto a plate and repeat to make the second omelette with the rest of the mix. To serve, scatter half the stir fried veg over the top with a few splashes of soy sauce, a wedge of lime and plenty of sriracha.
NOTE: Make veggie by leaving the prawns out. Feel free to use whatever stir fry veg takes your fancy – the more the better.
Friday – Lighter cottage pie, 40-50 mins
A lower fat, lower carb, veg packed version of your standard cottage pie but actually good in its own right too. Make double and freeze for another day if you like.
Peel and chop the swede and boil in salted water until soft. Mash with butter and salt until smooth then set aside.
Chop the onion, last carrot and a clove of garlic and fry gently in a tablespoon of olive oil and pinch of salt in a medium sized saucepan. Once soft (about 10 mins) add in the rest of the turkey mince, a teaspoon of dried thyme and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and cook until no pink meat remains. Sprinkle in a heaped teaspoon of flour, stir through for a minute or two then add 100ml water or stock and simmer until you achieve a consistency you like. Add a handful or two of peas. Put into an ovenproof dish then top with the mashed swede. Bake for 15 minutes until just browning. Serve with the rest of the spinach, wilted.