Food & Drink

Now Christmas is done and dusted and the turkey leftovers are cleared from your fridge, what on earth are you going to eat this week?

As the New Year hits, many of us will want to give our food repertoire a little refresh.

And that refresh will focus on health, we reckon, if only to help soothe the lingering bloating and lethargy from eating stodge the last month.

NHS-backed healthy eating plan Second Nature is here to help, with breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes that are nourishing, delicious, and require little faff.

So if you’re drumming up your week’s meal plan right now, perhaps give these a go.

Breakfast: Peanut butter jam oats

Prep and cooking time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

For one serving

  • 40g rolled oats
  • 250ml milk (oat, soy, almond, or dairy – your choice)
  • 2 tsp chia seeds or milled flaxseed
  • 60g frozen berries
  • 60ml water
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter

Method:

Breakfast: Weekend scrambled eggs

Prep and cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

For one serving

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3 medium or large eggs
  • 1 tsp fresh chives or basil

Method:

Lunch: Halloumi chermoula traybake

Prep and cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For four servings

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 large handful fresh coriander (stalks included)
  • 1 large handful fresh parsley (stalks included)
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 ½ tbsp (40ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 courgettes, cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 red peppers, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 1 red onion, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained
  • 1 block halloumi, sliced
  • ½ lemon, juiced

Method:

Lunch: Roasted cauliflower and fennel soup

Prep and cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For four servings

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small fennel bulb, roughly chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 2 cloves, garlic minced
  • 150mL water
  • 800mL chicken stock (or veg stock if you’re meat-free)
  • 300mL single cream
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 150g bacon, diced (leave this out if you’re veggie – it’ll still taste great)
  • 60g hazelnuts
  • 1 small handful of chives, sliced

Method:

Dinner: Beef bourguignon

Prep and cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For four servings

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 800g beef flank or skirt, diced
  • 3 carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 200g pearl onions
  • 200g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 500ml beef stock
  • 300ml red wine (or extra 300ml stock)
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method:

Dinner: Bacon and borlotti bean stew

Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For four servings

(again, you can leave out the bacon for a veggie option)

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 leek, finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced or minced
  • 220g bacon rashers, finely sliced
  • 200g button mushrooms, finely sliced
  • 2 small courgettes, diced
  • 2 x 400g tins borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 80ml cream or coconut milk
  • 2 large handfuls kale
  • 1 large handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Method

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Source: Read Full Article