Saturday

Ingredients (1 portion)

• 2 tomatoes
• 80 g mushrooms
• 2 eggs
• 1 slice wholemeal bread, to dip
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 pinch black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Halve the tomatoes. Wipe the mushrooms and cut them in half if they are large.
2. Put the tomatoes (cut side up) and mushrooms in a small ovenproof dish (about 18 cm), drizzle with the oil and add pepper. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Take the dish out, make 2 gaps among the vegetables with a spoon and crack an egg into each. Return to the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft.
4. Toast the bread. Bring the dish to the table and eat it straight from the dish, dipping the toast into the yolk.

Why it is a healthy start

Roasted tomatoes and mushrooms are rich and savoury with only 1 tsp of oil, and two eggs give protein for the morning. It is a lighter way to have a weekend cooked breakfast.

Swaps

A handful of spinach under the eggs. A sprinkle of Cheddar or feta. Baked beans in the dish for a bigger breakfast.

Ingredients (2 portions)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 red peppers
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tin (400 g) chopped tomatoes
• ½ cube reduced-salt vegetable stock cube
• 300 ml hot water for the stock
• 1 slice wholemeal bread, to serve (Sunday's slice is listed on Sunday)
• 1 pinch black pepper

Method

1. Peel and chop the onion and garlic. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and chop them into 2 cm pieces.
2. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onion and peppers for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and just starting to colour. Add the garlic and paprika for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes and the hot stock. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the peppers are very soft.
4. Blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season with pepper.
5. Ladle half into a bowl and serve with the toast. Cool the other half quickly, within 1 hour: pour it into a shallow container, leave to steam for 10 minutes, then cover and chill it in the fridge. It is Sunday's lunch.

Why it is a healthy lunch

Peppers are full of vitamin C and make the soup sweet and bright, with no need for sugar or cream. It is mostly vegetables with only 1 tsp of oil per portion.

Swaps

A spoonful of Greek yoghurt swirled on top. A tin of white beans, blended in, for protein. A pinch of chilli flakes.

Ingredients (2 portions)

• 300 g braising or stewing beef (such as chuck or shin), cut into 3 cm chunks
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp massaman curry paste (or Thai red curry paste)
• 1 tin (400 ml) reduced-fat coconut milk
• 100 ml water
• 400 g potatoes (2 to 3 medium), peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• 60 g baby spinach
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (from a fresh lemon)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Prep (about 15 minutes)

1. Trim any big pieces of hard fat from the beef and cut it into 3 cm chunks. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 cm chunks. Keep the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until you need them.

Cooking (about 1 hour 45 minutes, mostly hands-off)

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot with a lid over a medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, and lift it out onto a plate.
2. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the curry paste for 1 minute. Pour in the coconut milk and water, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom, and return the beef and its juices.
3. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, stirring now and then.
4. Drain the potatoes and add them to the pot. Cover and simmer for another 35 to 40 minutes, until the beef is very tender and the potatoes are soft. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
5. Stir in the spinach for 1 minute, until wilted. Take the pot off the heat, add the lemon juice, and taste.
6. Serve half in a bowl. Cool the other half quickly, within 1 to 2 hours, into a lidded freezer container.

Why it is a healthy dinner

A slow-cooked curry made in one pot, with reduced-fat coconut milk and potatoes, so there is no rice to cook. Braising beef is cheap and becomes tender, and the spinach adds a vegetable at the end.

Swaps

Chicken thighs in place of the beef (cook for 25 minutes in total). A sweet potato in place of some of the potato. A few peanuts on top.