Thursday
Meal Plan 1: Everyday Classics
Day 4 · Thursday
Today at a glance. Three beginner recipes, about 55 minutes of cooking in total. Lunch uses the chicken traybake portion left over from Tuesday, which has to be eaten today. Dinner is the second beef dish of the week, and a stir-fry goes fast, so have everything chopped before you turn the heat on. Every quantity below is for one portion, in metric with UK names.
Breakfast
Breakfast
Banana Oat Pancakes
Ingredients (1 portion, about 4 small pancakes)
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 eggs
- 40 g porridge oats
- 1 tsp olive oil
Method
- Peel the banana, put it in a bowl and mash it with a fork until there are almost no lumps. The riper the banana, the sweeter the pancakes.
- Beat in the eggs, then stir in the oats. Leave the batter for 5 minutes so the oats soak up some of the liquid and it thickens.
- Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Spoon in the batter in 4 small rounds, about the size of a digestive biscuit.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look set and bubbles appear on top. Turn them carefully with a spatula and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Beginner tip
These pancakes are softer and more delicate than flour ones, so keep the heat low and make them small. If one breaks while you turn it, just push it back together; it still tastes the same.
Why it is a healthy start
There is no added sugar or flour. The banana sweetens the batter, the oats add fibre and the eggs add protein, so it keeps you going for hours.
Swaps
Serve with a few berries or a spoonful of Greek yoghurt if you have some left from yesterday. A pinch of cinnamon in the batter is nice. Blend everything with a stick blender for a smoother, more pancake-like texture.
Shopping list for this recipeLunch
Lunch · Uses Tuesday's traybake
Chicken Traybake Salad Bowl
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 portion chicken and vegetable traybake left over from Tuesday
- 40 g baby spinach or mixed salad leaves
- ½ lemon, juiced (left over from Monday if it is still fresh)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Take the container out of the fridge. Smell and look at the chicken; if it smells off or is slimy, throw it away.
- Put the leaves in a bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl with the potatoes, carrots, onion and broccoli.
- Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together in a cup with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Pour it over the bowl and toss.
- Eat it cold, or, if you prefer it warm, heat the chicken and vegetables in the microwave until steaming hot all the way through and then add them to the leaves. Do not reheat it twice.
Why it is a healthy lunch
It is a ready-made lean meal with plenty of vegetables, and the lemon dressing uses only a little oil. All you add is some fresh leaves.
Swaps
Add any cucumber left from Wednesday, or a spoonful of hummus on the side. Use a splash of vinegar if you do not have a lemon.
Shopping list for this recipeDinner
Dinner · Beef
Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 150 g lean beef steak (sirloin or rump)
- 150 g broccoli (about half a medium head)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cm fresh root ginger
- 1½ tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 60 g brown basmati rice
Method
- Put the rice on first. Cook it in plenty of boiling water following the packet (brown basmati usually takes about 25 minutes), then drain.
- Trim any hard fat from the steak. Slice it across the grain into thin strips about 3 mm thick. Put the strips in a bowl with 1 tsp of the soy sauce and mix.
- Cut the broccoli into small florets, and slice the stalk into thin coins. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel the ginger with a spoon edge and grate it.
- Mix the rest of the soy sauce with 2 tbsp water in a cup. This is your sauce.
- Heat a large frying pan or wok over a high heat until it is very hot. Add 1 tsp of oil, then the beef in a single layer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning once, until browned, then tip it onto a plate.
- Add the remaining oil and the broccoli to the pan with 3 tbsp water. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and tender with a little bite.
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds. Return the beef and any juices to the pan, pour in the sauce and stir for 1 minute until everything is hot and glossy.
- Serve over the rice at once.
Why the hot pan matters
A very hot pan browns the beef quickly, so it stays tender. Cooking it in two batches if your pan is small keeps it browning instead of steaming in its own juices. If the pan smokes heavily, turn the heat down a little.
Why it is a healthy dinner
Lean steak gives protein and iron, and the broccoli is a good source of vitamin C and fibre. Little oil is used, and reduced-salt soy keeps the salt down.
Swaps
Egg noodles cook in about 4 minutes instead of the rice. Use pak choi or green beans in place of the broccoli, or add a sliced carrot with it for colour.
Shopping list for this recipeComing up tomorrow
Friday is the fish day, a baked salmon dinner with potatoes and green beans. Fresh salmon should be bought on the day or the day before, or buy frozen fillets and defrost them in the fridge overnight tonight.