Friday
Meal Plan 2: Around the World
Day 5 · Friday · Spain
Breakfast
Tomato and Avocado Toast
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 2 slices wholemeal bread
- 1 small ripe avocado
- 1 small ripe tomato
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Put the bread in the toaster.
- Cut the tomato in half across the middle. Hold each half cut side down over a bowl and grate it on the coarse side of a grater, until only the skin is left in your hand. Throw the skin away. This is how pan con tomate, the classic Spanish breakfast, is made.
- Halve the avocado, remove the stone and scoop the flesh into a small bowl. Mash it with a fork and add a pinch of salt and some pepper.
- Spread the grated tomato over the hot toast, drizzle with the olive oil, then spread the avocado on top.
Why it is a healthy start
Avocado gives you unsaturated fats and fibre, and fresh tomato adds vitamin C with almost no calories. The wholemeal toast keeps it filling.
Swaps
A pinch of smoked paprika or chilli flakes on top. A boiled or poached egg on the side. A squeeze of lemon juice stops the avocado going brown if you leave it standing.
Lunch
Spanish Potato Omelette with Salad
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 150 g waxy potatoes (new or baby potatoes)
- ½ onion
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp for the salad
- 40 g baby spinach or salad leaves
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Wash the potatoes and slice them as thinly as you can, about 3 mm. Peel the onion and slice it thinly. Beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and some pepper.
- Put the potato slices in a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water, cover with a plate, and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are nearly tender. Drain well. (Without a microwave, simmer them in water for 5 minutes and drain.)
- Heat the 2 tsp of oil in a small non-stick frying pan, about 18 cm across, over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes, turning, with a pinch of salt.
- Tip the potato and onion into the beaten eggs, stir, then pour everything back into the pan and flatten it with a spatula.
- Turn the heat to low, cover with a lid or a plate, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the underneath is golden and the top is nearly set.
- Finish the top under a hot grill for 2 minutes until it is set and lightly browned. Or slide it onto a plate and flip it back into the pan, if you are confident.
- Toss the leaves with the remaining 1 tsp of oil and a pinch of salt. Cut the omelette into wedges and serve with the salad.
Why it is a healthy lunch
The classic recipe fries the potatoes in a lot of oil. Pre-cooking them in the microwave means this one uses a fraction of it, and the eggs and potato together make a filling, balanced lunch.
Swaps
Add a handful of peas or some chopped red pepper with the onion. It is also very good cold, so you can pack a wedge in a lunchbox. Serve it in a wholemeal roll for a Spanish-style sandwich.
Shopping list for this recipeDinner
Basque-Style Cod with Peppers, Tomatoes and Potatoes
Ingredients (1 portion)
- 1 fillet cod, skinless (about 150 g)
- 150 g waxy potatoes (new or baby potatoes)
- 1 red pepper (about 150 g)
- ½ onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 200 g chopped tomatoes (half a 400 g tin)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 100 ml water
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Wash the potatoes and slice them into coins about 4 mm thick. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and slice it into strips. Peel the onion and slice it. Peel and chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a wide frying pan with a lid over a medium heat. Cook the onion and pepper for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic and paprika and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the potatoes, the tomatoes, the water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle bubble, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
- Pat the cod dry with kitchen paper and season it with salt and pepper. Nestle it into the sauce, spoon some sauce over the top, cover again, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
- The fish is ready when it is opaque all the way through and flakes easily with a fork. If it still looks glassy in the middle, give it another 2 minutes.
- Serve from the pan.
Why it is a healthy dinner
Cod is very lean, high in protein and low in fat, and the peppers and tomatoes make the sauce a serving of vegetables. Everything cooks in one pan.
Swaps
Any firm white fish, such as haddock, hake or pollock, works. Add a few olives or capers in the last 5 minutes. A pinch of chilli flakes with the paprika adds some heat. Frozen cod fillets work well if they are defrosted in the fridge first.
Shopping list for this recipe