I’ts Day 2 of my Pretox Challenge, and I’m feeling good. It feels great to prove to myself that even at this time of year it’s possible to eat healthy food and enjoy it. And it’s easy – temptation isn’t that hard to resist when it’s only for 5 days!
Athough my house isn’t looking particualrly festive or welcoming at the moment, I plan to improve the situation over the next few days. That’s my festive goal. Do you have a festive goal too? Personally I find short-term goals more achievable than longer-term ones, so even a goal for the next four days could give you a sense of achievement so you can enjoy your festivities with a comforting element of smugness.
Prepare your Shakshuka sauce in advance for super-quick meal
Today I needed to vary the planned menu. I have recently started to teach a class for young adults and I am planning to invite them to my home on Friday for a meal. Interestingly, during our last class they asked for Shakshuka, so that is what I’m going to make. Today, instead of Shakshuka, I had grilled fish with veggies, but I’m going to make the curry tonight as planned.
So today I have a pair of Top Tips for you, with the aim of making this plan flexible enough to fit in with your busy lifestyle, and with the fact that plans can change quickly, especially at busy times of the year.
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Make a big batch of the Shakshuka sauce (do the whole recipe until the point where you add the eggs). It will keep in the fridge for the duration of the challenge. Then if you suddenly need an instant supper you can whip it out of the fridge, heat it up, and add the eggs. Or you can braise some minced chicken or turkey and add the sauce, particularly if you don’t fancy making my letuce cups, which can be a bit spicy. Serve your mince with courgette or buttenut noodles. You can now buy these ready made in many supermarkets. The sauce freezes too, with or without the meat.
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Don’t feel that you have to do everything in the plan in the order it is written. I wrote this plan to be quick and easy, but if it doesn’t fit in with your lifestyle it’s not going to work for you. Don’t be afraid to change things around if you need to. For example, you could have a favourite meal on more than one day, or substitute one meal for another if there’s something you don’t like. I particularly like Middle Eastern and Oriental food, but if that’s not to your taste, feel free to use one of the other recipes. Incidentally, tomorrow’s lettuce cup recipe tomorrow involves minced chicken, but if you are vegetarian, use your favourite veggie mince instead – just a heads up in case you need to get some.
Of course, to batch-cook the Shakshuka sauce you need the recipe, and for that you need to be in the programme. You can get on board here. Even though you will only be doing 4 days, they could still make a difference. And if you prefer, you can wait until after the 25th and do a Pre-2017 Pretox. It’s up to you. Remember, flexibility is the key.
