When the weather is this good no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking. Paddling pools need to be pumped up, lost sandals need to be found and beach bags full of sand need to be unpacked at the end of the day. Yet everyone still needs to be fed. All I want to make is ice cream cake, but that’s not the fuel my family needs, even though they would be delighted. Sugar seems to be everywhere, from cooling ice pops to shop-bought juices en route to the beach. So I’m looking for nutritious shortcuts. Substantial salads are always good. A piece of fried halloumi or a tin of quality tuna can make dressed salad leaves seem all the better. Try some feta or crumbled Gorgonzola over leaves with a balsamic dressing and some roast red onions, perfect with puy lentils. I’m making big salads that double up as lunch the next day. A base of sturdy beans, chickpeas or grains is always good.
Tins of adzuki, kidney beans, butter beans and black beans are all very handy to have in the cupboard. Quinoa,barley and farro are also on my must-have list. I don’t use cracked bulgar wheat or couscous too often, as I feel they’re not as nutritious. They are definitely better than stacks of buttered crackers before bedtime, though. My eldest tends to help himself to a bowl of tabbouleh if it’s in the fridge, a messy but healthy evening snack. I soak the bulgar wheat in boiling water, then add plenty of very finely chopped herbs. Huge bunches of parsley, mint or dill, anything that I have to hand. Then I add some lemon juice, olive oil, salt and some gorgeous ruby red pomegranate seeds. It sits in the fridge happily for at least four days. When it comes to salads you can make ahead, I find roasted vegetables are durable and delicious, while fresh fragile herbs can be added just before eating. I try to make sure there are good fats and protein in each salad. This is where amazing eggs really do shine. Eggs are powerhouses of nutrients, including plenty of protein and fat.
Complete with half an avocado, this bowl of goodness will ensure you are well satiated and ready for another few hours of fun in the sun.
CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO BOWLS: SERVES 4
Ingredients
2 x 400g tins cooked chickpeas
150g chorizo, sliced
200g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 lime
4 eggs
2 avocados, peeled, halved and sliced
4tbs sour cream
1tbs jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
Sea salt
Olive oil
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place on a large baking tray and dry the chickpeas with paper towels. Scatter with the halved tomatoes and place the chorizo slices on top. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and mix everything gently so that the chorizo oils coat the chickpeas and tomatoes. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the chorizo is crispy.
Place the eggs in a pan of cold water. Once it comes to a simmer, lower the heat and cook for four minutes. Drain and leave to cool a little before peeling.
Place a little chopped coriander into four bowls. Place a peeled, halved egg on top. Add half a sliced avocado to each. Drizzle with olive oil, a little lime juice and a pinch of sea salt. Divide the chorizo mix between the four bowls. Top with a spoonful of sour cream and some chopped jalapeños. Serve right away.
