Tuesday
Meal Plan 2: Around the World
Day 2 · Tuesday · Mexico
Breakfast
Black Bean Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 wholemeal tortilla wrap
- 2 eggs
- 100 g black beans from a tin, drained and rinsed (a little under half the tin; lunch uses the rest)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Drain and rinse the beans. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and some pepper.
- Heat half the oil in a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the beans and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, mashing about half of them roughly with a fork. Tip them onto a plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and pour in the eggs. Stir slowly with a spatula for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are just set but still soft. Take the pan off the heat.
- Warm the wrap for 15 seconds in the microwave, or for 20 seconds each side in a dry pan, so it folds without cracking.
- Spoon the beans and eggs along the middle of the wrap. Fold in the two sides and roll it up tightly. For a crisp finish, put it back in the pan seam side down for 1 minute.
Why it is a healthy start
Beans and eggs together give a lot of protein, and the beans add fibre, so one burrito keeps you going until lunch. Wholemeal wraps add more fibre than white ones.
Swaps
A spoonful of grated cheddar inside the burrito, or a splash of hot sauce. Add a handful of baby spinach to the eggs. Wrap it in baking paper and it travels well.
Shopping list for this recipeLunch
Sweetcorn and Black Bean Rice Bowl
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 60 g brown basmati rice
- 140 g black beans, the rest of the tin, drained and rinsed
- 80 g frozen sweetcorn
- 1 medium tomato
- 30 g red onion (about a quarter of a small one)
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Cook the rice in plenty of boiling water following the packet (brown basmati usually takes about 25 minutes). Add the sweetcorn to the same pan for the last 3 minutes, then drain both together.
- While the rice cooks, peel the onion and slice it very thinly. Chop the tomato into small pieces.
- Put the drained beans in a small pan with the paprika, a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Warm them for 3 minutes over a medium heat, stirring.
- Mix the lime juice and oil in a cup with a pinch of salt and some pepper.
- Spoon the rice and sweetcorn into a bowl and top with the beans, tomato and onion. Pour the lime dressing over the top.
Why it is a healthy lunch
Rice and beans make a complete, filling meal on their own, and brown rice and the beans give plenty of fibre. It is vegetarian without feeling like a compromise.
Swaps
A spoonful of Greek yoghurt on top instead of soured cream. Chopped fresh coriander if you like it. A pinch of chilli flakes for heat, or half an avocado on the side.
Shopping list for this recipeDinner
Chicken Fajitas with Peppers
Ingredients (1 portion, 2 fajitas)
- 150 g skinless chicken breast
- 1 large red pepper (about 150 g)
- ½ red onion
- 2 small wholemeal tortilla wraps
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ lime, juiced
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 40 g plain Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Cut the chicken into strips about 1 cm thick. Put them in a bowl with the paprika, cumin, half the oil, the lime juice and a pinch of salt, and turn until every piece is coated. Wash your hands, the board and the knife.
- Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and slice it into thin strips. Peel the onion and slice it thinly.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft with a few browned edges. Push them to the side of the pan.
- Add the chicken to the empty half of the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until golden. Cut into the thickest piece to check: there must be no pink inside.
- Stir everything together for 30 seconds. Warm the wraps for 20 seconds each side in a dry pan or for 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Spoon the chicken and vegetables into the wraps, add the yoghurt, and fold or roll them up.
Why it is a healthy dinner
Chicken breast is one of the leanest meats, and half the filling is peppers and onion. Yoghurt stands in for soured cream, so the fat stays low.
Swaps
Use sliced courgette or mushrooms alongside the pepper. Serve in lettuce leaves instead of wraps. Thin strips of steak work in place of the chicken and cook in about 3 minutes.
Shopping list for this recipe