Monday to Friday recipe ideas

When Monday dawns, the prospect of full linen baskets and a supermarket trip loom for me. Sometimes it can be tricky to get up any enthusiasm, especially after a relaxing weekend. So I thought you might like these five Monday to Friday recipe ideas that are healthy, appetising and easy to prepare. Just click on the Print icon and you’ve got a ready made shopping list…

MONDAY

INDIAN SPICED PRAWNS

Ingredients serves 2
250g large prawns
¼ tsp chilli powder (to taste)
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp tamarind paste (or ½ tbsp mirin or juice of half a lime)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick, broken in two
½ 400g tin chopped tomatoes
100g spinach (frozen or fresh)

How to prepare Marinate the prawns in the chilli powder, turmeric and tamarind paste for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and sauté the onions until softened then add the garlic and cinnamon stick. After 2-3 minutes, add the tomatoes and the marinade (not the prawns). Check the seasoning and cook the sauce on a moderate heat until it thickens. Then turn the heat to low and stir in the prawns and spinach. Cook prawns until they change colour if using fresh or for 5 minutes if they are already cooked, stirring occasionally. Serve with cauliflower rice (steam a whole chopped cauliflower for 8 minutes with a finely sliced leek, then drain and mash with 2 tbsp creme fraiche or 1 tbsp olive oil) or stir-fried shredded cabbage. • CALORIES 190 •

TUESDAY

COQ AU VIN

Ingredients serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken legs
10 shallots
50g pancetta, or smoked bacon lardons
1 garlic clove, crushed
200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried thyme
2-3 bay leaves
1 tbsp cornflour
400ml red wine
300ml chicken stock
Bouquet garni
1 carrot, cut into batons
Handful of parsley, chopped

How to prepare Preheat the oven to 180c. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the chicken until golden all over. Add the shallots, pancetta, garlic, mushrooms and herbs and cook gently for 5 minutes, then scatter over the cornflour. Add the wine and stock, bouquet garni and carrot. Stir well. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes. Scatter over the chopped parsley. • CALORIES 500 • Serve with cauliflower mash (steam a whole chopped cauliflower for 8 minutes with a finely sliced leek, then drain and mash with 2 tbsp creme fraiche or 1 tbsp olive oil).

WEDNESDAY

SALMON WITH LEMON & DILL

Ingredients serves 4
3 peppers (red and yellow) chopped into large pieces
2 courgettes, roughly sliced
2 red onions, chopped into wedges
Drizzle of olive oil
1 small egg
Zest of 1 lemon
Handful of dill, finely chopped
1 tbsp walnuts, crushed
2 tbsp ground almonds
4 salmon fillets

How to prepare Preheat the oven to 180°c. Put the peppers, courgettes and onions in a baking dish or tray, season and drizzle the olive oil. Start baking them in the oven while you prepare the fish. Beat the egg in a bowl and mix in the lemon zest, dill, walnuts and almonds, then season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Remove the vegetables from the oven after 10 minutes and place the salmon on top, leaving a gap between each fillet. Spoon the nut crumb mixture evenly over each fillet and return them to the oven for another 15- 20 minutes. Serve with the roasted vegetables. • CALORIES 370 •

THURSDAY

CHILLI SQUID WITH LENTILS

Ingredients serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
250g pack ready-cooked Puy lentils
Juice of half a lemon
4 medium-sized squid, cleaned
4 generous tsp sweet chilli sauce or 3 large red chillies, diced and mixed with 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned

How to prepare Sweat the onion in olive oil until it starts to brown. Stir in the lentils and simmer for a few minutes to heat them through. Season with salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
Cut each squid tube open, lay it flat and score the inner surface with a sharp knife in cross-hatch lines about 1cm apart. Season and cook on a very hot griddle with the cross-hatched side down for 1-2 minutes, then turn them over — they will curl up almost immediately, indicating that they are cooked. Serve the squid on top of the lentils, each with a tsp of chilli sauce.• CALORIES 160 • This dish goes well with a rocket salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.

FRIDAY

AUBERGINE LASAGNA

Ingredients serves 4
50g spinach, chopped
50g Parmesan, grated
100g cottage cheese
½ red pepper, deseeded and chopped
200g mushrooms, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
300ml passata
1 tbsp olive oil
200g aubergine, sliced in ½cm strips
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
50g Cheddar, grated

How to prepare Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix the spinach with the Parmesan and cottage cheese, and season to taste. Place the chopped red pepper and mushrooms in a separate bowl along with the garlic, herbs, passata and olive oil. Season well. Spread half of the tomato and veg mixture over the bottom of an ovenproof dish, followed by alternating layers of sliced aubergines and the cheese and spinach mix. The last layer should be aubergines. Spread the rest of the tomato mix over the top and dot with the cherry tomatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the aubergine is soft. Remove the foil and sprinkle grated cheese over the top then return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. • CALORIES 200 •

Recipes from the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book, created by GP Dr Clare Bailey and nutritionist, Dr Sarah Schenker.