4 Weeks to a New You: Week Four

Overnight oats are an excellent choice of meal that can be prepped a few days in advance. With just a few ingredients, not only is it super healthy, but also cost-effective and can be adapted to your liking! 

Ingredients:

• Rolled porridge oats 
• Natural or Greek yoghurt 
• Your favourite fruit 
• Your favourite sweetener e.g., honey or maple syrup 
• Nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew is our favourite)
• Ground cinnamon
• (Optional) Superfoods (chia seeds, goji berries or cocoa nibs work super well)
• Plant-based milk of choice (dairy milk and water also work well) 

Method:

1.  In a sealable jar, add your 50g of oats, 100ml of milk, nut butter, ¼ tsp cinnamon and sweetener and stir thoroughly. You can make up to 4 of these in advance as they’ll keep in the fridge. 
2.  Up to one day before serving, check the consistency of the oat mixture and add more liquid if needed. Top with yoghurt, your superfoods, fruit and seal.  
3.  If not refrigerated, consume within 24 hours.  
4.  Find your new favourite methods! 

For a warm, substantial breakfast with plenty of nutrients that can be made in advance, look no further! These small, fluffy pancakes can be customised to your liking and can go from pan to plate in less than 5 minutes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plan flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• Generous pinch of salt
• 1 cup milk of choice 
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or vegetable oil
• Small slices of fruit of choice (we love banana, cocoa nibs, blueberries and strawberries). 

Method:

1.  Whisk together your milk, egg and oil (or butter). Slowly add your flour and baking soda followed by a pinch of salt. Be careful not to overmix – it’s ok to have a few small lumps. 
2.  In a large ice-cube tray, pour your mixture into the large holes and add small chunks of your topping. You can squeeze in as many as you’d like by layering fruit then mixture, if you so wish.  
3.  Top tip: Add one chunk of fruit on top so you know which pancake contains which topping. Freeze until needed. 
4.  When cooking, heat a pan with a small amount of butter or oil. Add your pancake cube to the hot pan and cook on low heat until the pancake is melted and needs to be flipped.  
5.  Flip and cook on its second side for one minute. 
6.  Top with your favourite pancake topping or on its own and serve. 

A real winter warmer, this soup can be packed with seasonal veggies and its ingredients can be swapped out for whatever you have in the cupboards for a meal that’ll warm your cockles. Produce a dish that’s delicious yet different every time and will keep in the freezer for a quick lunch. 

Ingredients:

• One butternut squash, pumpkin or root vegetable of choice 
• 2 – 4 sweet potatoes 
• 3 – 4 carrots 
• 1 large onion 
• 1 red onion
• Cloves of garlic (measure with your heart)
• Olive oil (or melted coconut oil if you’re being strict)
• Your favourite spices (we use a combination of cumin, smoked paprika, chilli flakes, coriander, cayenne, basil, oregano, garlic powder, curry powder)
• Chicken stock as needed
• Tin of coconut milk 

Method:

1.  Preheat your oven to 190 degrees and peel your main root vegetable, carrots, sweet potato, red onion, garlic cloves. Slice into bite-sized chunks and add to your baking tray. 
2.  Add all of your spices to the vegetables followed by a generous drizzle of oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub all of the vegetables so the spice mixture is evenly spread. Add to the oven for 30 – 45 minutes or until the veggies are roasted.  
3.  5 minutes before taking out your roasted vegetables, dice your yellow onion and add to a soup pot with some oil. Cook until onions are softened and add the roasted vegetables to the pot, followed by the chicken stock. (This chicken stock should only just cover your vegetables for the best consistency) Bring mixture to the boil and simmer for a further 10 minutes. 
4.  Take your soup off the pot and add the tin of coconut milk. Using a stick blender, blend until the desired consistency is achieved and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve. 

Easily assemble a week’s worth of lunches in less than 10 minutes with our version of instant ramen. Instead of overloading on sodium, add your own favourite type of stock and add protein and veggies in its place for a meal that’s quick, easy and super healthy. 

Ingredients:

• Vermicelli noodles, uncooked 
• Flavour: Stock cube of choice 
• Base: Tom yum, gochujang, Chinese curry paste or Thai green paste (or paste of choice)
• Topping: Seasonal vegetables (e.g., mushrooms, Pak choy, spinach, peppers, carrots, spring onions)
• Fermented Element (Optional): Kimchi or sauerkraut 
• Extra Flavour: Herbs and spices such as garlic, coriander and/or ginger
• Sauce: Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, wasabi or similar
• Protein: Cooked meat or a hard-boiled egg 

Method:

1. Into a Tupperware box, add your noodle, chopped topping, stock cube, base, fermented element (if desired), herbs, sauce and protein to a box.  
2. Once you’re ready for your lunch, add the contents of your noodle dish to a bowl and pour hot water over the contents. Cover and leave for 5 minutes 
3. Serve 

Something exotic and filling that can be prepared in one tray? Sign us up! We love a hearty evening meal that we look forward to when we get home, made better by the fact it’s quick, easy and absolutely delicious. Filled with plenty of energy to see you through until breakfast, it also makes a fabulous leftover lunch! 

Ingredients:

• 250g lamb mince 
• 50g white breadcrumbs 
• 1 large egg 
• One white onion diced 
• One red onion chopped 
• Two courgettes, chopped 
• Two large potatoes, chopped into chunks (skin on) 
• Cherry or vine tomatoes, halved 
• Block of feta cheese 
• Olive oil 
• Handful of fresh mint, chopped 
• Handful of fresh dill, chopped 

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Add all of your chopped ingredients to a pan with a generous glug of olive oil. Sprinkle over salt, pepper, most of the mint and most of the dill and ensure all tray veggies are evenly spread. 
2.  In a separate bowl, combine the lamb mince, egg, breadcrumbs and the remaining dill and mint along with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Ensure the mixture is evenly combined and shape into 8 – 10 patties. Place these on top of the veggies in the tray.  
3.  Add the tray to the oven for 40 minutes. Once removed from the oven, crumble the feta over the top and serve. 

Made un under 15 minutes, this is a real tea-time life-saver. Perfect for weeknights, we’ll even show you how to make an aioli that’ll crank this dish up a few notches. Packed with protein, spice and veggies, prepare to wow at the dinner table. (Oh... and did we mention it’s a one-pot recipe?) 

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed 
• One ring of chorizo, finely sliced 
• One packet of green beans or asparagus 
• One courgette, finely sliced 
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika 
• 1 Cup chicken stock 
• Rice (two microwaved packets make for a quicker cooking time) 
• Mayonnaise 
• Lemon 
• Cracked black pepper 

Method:

1.  Add your chorizo to a large, deep frying pan and cook until the fat is rendered out of it. Add the chorizo to a separate bowl and add the cubed chicken to the pan so it cooks in the chorizo juices. Feel free to add some more oil at this point.  
2.  Once the chicken is white, add your choice of asparagus or green beans and cook for two minutes, followed by the thinly sliced courgette. 
3.  Add your cooked rice to the pan followed by two tablespoons of paprika. Stir in the pan until most of the mixture is an orange-red colour – telling you the paprika is evenly balanced. Return the chorizo to the pot and add the chicken stock. Stir this and cook on low for a further 2 – 3 minutes so the rice absorbs the rest of the chicken stock.  
4.  Meanwhile, add a few good dollops of mayonnaise to a bowl followed by lemon juice and cracked black pepper. Adjust the mixture until it tastes an even balance of creamy, bitter and spicy. This is your aioli. 
5.  Serve the rice in a bowl and drizzle on your aioli over the top.  

With these meals, you can adjust any of these recipes to make them suit you and your personal taste. Nourish your mind, body and soul with these balanced meals and find the version you love best by cooking intuitively with whatever’s in your kitchen cupboards.  

We hope you enjoyed the last segment in our 4-weeks to a New You, and don’t forget to check our other articles, such as Yoga Vs Pilates: What’s Right for You, How to Realistically Practise Mindfulness and 5-Minute Hobbies for Your Time-Out.