Saturday

Meal Plan 1: Everyday Classics

Day 6 · Saturday

Today at a glance. A weekend day with a bit more time. Three beginner recipes, about 1 hour 10 minutes of cooking in total. Breakfast and lunch each use half a tin of something, so the leftovers are noted in the recipes. Dinner is the third beef dish of the week. Every quantity below is for one portion, in metric with UK names.

Breakfast

Breakfast

Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce

15 minutes1 pan5 ingredientsVegetarian

Ingredients (1 portion)

  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g chopped tomatoes (half a 400 g tin)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 slice wholemeal bread, toasted
  • Salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
  2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan that has a lid, over a medium heat. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Pour in the tomatoes, add a pinch of salt and some pepper, and let them bubble gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and no longer watery.
  4. With the back of a spoon make two small dips in the sauce. Crack an egg into each one.
  5. Cover the pan with the lid, turn the heat down to low and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites are completely set. The yolks will still be soft; cook for 2 minutes longer if you prefer them firm.
  6. Slide onto a plate and serve with the toast for dipping.
Leftover tomatoes
Tip the other half tin into a covered container, keep it in the fridge and use it within 2 days, or freeze it in a small freezer bag for the next time you need a splash of tomato sauce.

Why it is a healthy start

Eggs give protein, the cooked tomatoes are rich in a plant compound called lycopene, and the whole thing uses almost no oil.

Swaps

Wilt in a handful of spinach with the tomatoes, or add a pinch of chilli flakes for heat. If you have no lid, cover the pan with a flat baking tray or large plate.

Shopping list for this recipe

Lunch

Lunch

Greek-Style Chickpea and Feta Salad

10 minutesNo cookingVegetarian

Ingredients (1 portion)

  • 120 g chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about half a 400 g tin)
  • 100 g cucumber (about a third)
  • 100 g cherry tomatoes
  • 30 g red onion (about a quarter of a small one)
  • 40 g feta cheese
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Cut the cucumber into small chunks and halve the cherry tomatoes. Peel the onion and slice it very thinly.
  2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and tip them into a bowl with the cucumber, tomatoes and onion.
  3. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and some black pepper in a cup and pour it over the salad. Toss.
  4. Crumble the feta on top. You do not need extra salt, because feta is already salty.
Leftover chickpeas
Keep the other half tin of chickpeas in a covered container in the fridge and use it within 2 days. Sunday's roast vegetables suggest a good place for them.

Why it is a healthy lunch

Chickpeas make the salad filling and add fibre and protein, while the fresh vegetables keep it light. Feta gives a lot of flavour from a small amount.

Swaps

Add a handful of olives if you like them. A splash of red wine vinegar can replace the lemon. Add a wholemeal pitta on the side if you are very hungry.

Shopping list for this recipe

Dinner

Dinner · Beef

Homemade Beef Burger with Sweet Potato Wedges

15 minutes prep35 minutes cooking1 portionOven plus 1 pan

Ingredients (1 portion)

  • 150 g lean beef mince (5% fat)
  • 1 medium sweet potato (about 250 g)
  • 1 wholemeal burger bun
  • ½ tomato, sliced
  • 1 small handful salad leaves or spinach
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Scrub the sweet potato and cut it lengthways into wedges about 2 cm thick. Put them on the tray with 1 tsp of the oil, the paprika and a pinch of salt, and toss until coated. Spread in one layer, skin side down where you can.
  3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning them over once halfway, until browned at the edges and soft inside.
  4. About 15 minutes before the wedges are done, put the mince in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and some pepper. Mix it with your hands, as little as you can, then shape it into a patty about 2 cm thick. Press a shallow dip into the middle with your thumb, which stops it puffing up. Wash your hands well.
  5. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the burger for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. It must be cooked all the way through: no pink in the middle, and the juices run clear.
  6. Split and lightly toast the bun, on the pan after the burger if you like. Fill it with the salad leaves, tomato and burger, and serve with the wedges.
Cook mince all the way through
Unlike a whole steak, minced beef can carry bacteria all through the meat, because the outside gets mixed into the middle. Always cook burgers until there is no pink left, and wash your hands, the board and anything else the raw mince touched.

Why it is a healthy dinner

Lean mince and a wholemeal bun make a burger with much less saturated fat than a takeaway one, and baking the wedges instead of frying them uses a fraction of the oil. The sweet potato adds fibre and the salad adds some vegetables.

Swaps

Wrap the burger in a large lettuce leaf instead of using a bun. A teaspoon of mustard or ketchup in the bun adds flavour. Use ordinary potatoes for the wedges if you prefer.

Shopping list for this recipe
Coming up tomorrow
Sunday brings apple and cinnamon baked oats, a mushroom and spinach omelette and a roast pork tenderloin with root vegetables. The pork needs about 40 minutes in the oven, so plan dinner a little earlier than usual.