Jamie Oliver unveils healthy January recipes so you lose weight with him (2024)

AFTER a month of ­indulgence, it can be a struggle to find cooking inspiration. But celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is here to reboot you with some delicious and nutritious recipes.

Sick of seeing expensive and confusing diet plans, Jamie has come up with the completely free Jan Plan. It gives you winning weekday dinners for the whole of January — and the online tool will even compile your shopping list for you.

The Jan Plan — which comes complete with a chatbot for any foodie or nutrition questions — promises to kick-start a healthy new year and empower you with the right food choices.

Jamie, 43, says: “I love New Year as much as Christmas, but I always feel there’s trepidation about January.

“It’s cold, there’s not much growing, people’s wallets are a bit depleted and you feel sluggish. But there’s a whole year in front of you so set your stall out as you mean to go on.

“What I’m trying to do with the Jan Plan is give you free, trusted recipes that work and get you excited.

“Whether you’re veggie, vegan, gluten or dairy-free, the Jan Plan has got you covered. And every meal is completely ­balanced nutritionally. I’ve tried to mix up the food. We’ve got classics and things people get really excited about such as healthy versions of takeaways — Chinese, Indian.”

Jamie admits he will be using the Jan Plan himself to lose a bit of weight.

He says: “I need to lean up after Christmas because I completely indulge.
“But I’d never cut out any food groups and nor does the Jan Plan.

“We keep it simple, keep it quick, keep it easy. And you’ll save some money. The recipes average out at £1.50 a portion — but some are only 80p.”

Here Jamie shares some of his favourites exclusively with Fab Daily.

Spicy Saag Aloo

(Serves 4. Cooking time: 40 minutes)

YOU NEED:

• 150g basmati rice
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander (30g)
• 2 onions
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons hot curry paste
• 800g potatoes
• 400g ripe tomatoes
• 2 gem lettuces
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 300g baby spinach
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

METHOD: Cook the rice according to the packet instructions. Drain, cover with a lid and set aside to keep warm.

Meanwhile, pick and roughly chop the coriander leaves, finely chopping the stalks. Peel and finely chop the onions.

Drizzle two tablespoons of oil into a large pan over a medium heat, then the onion and coriander stalks and fry for ten minutes, until golden. Stir through the curry paste and fry for a minute.

Turn down the heat and cook gently while you scrub and chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks. Finely chop the tomatoes, then add to the pan, along with the potato.

Pour in enough hot water to almost cover everything, then pop on a lid and cook for 15 minutes, until tender.

Trim and separate the lettuce leaves. Peel and crush the garlic, halve and deseed the chilli, then chop together until super-fine.

Test the potatoes with the tip of a sharp knife. If they are nearly tender, remove the lid, increase the heat and cook for another five minutes, until thickened.

Drizzle two tbsps of oil in a pan over medium heat, add the cumin seeds, garlic and chilli, then fry gently for two minutes, until golden and smelling fantastic.

Add the spinach to the potato, cover and cook for three minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Pour over half the garlicky chilli oil and stir through. Taste and season.

Divide the rice and curry between plates. Scatter with the reserved coriander leaves and serve with the lettuce. Dollop over the yoghurt and drizzle over the remaining chilli and garlic oil.

• NUTRITION: 517 calories, 16.2g fat, 2.7g sat fat, 13.4 protein, 85.7 carbs, 14.4 sugars, 1g salt, 10.7 fibre.

Sizzling steak stir-fry

(Serves 4. Cooking time: 25 minutes)

YOU NEED:

• 230g tenderstem broccoli
• 2 x 250g lean flank steaks
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 250g medium free-range egg noodles
• Sesame oil
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6cm piece of ginger
• Olive oil
• 3 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce
• 1 lime
• 1 fresh red chilli
• Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD: Trim the broccoli, cutting in half lengthways any larger stems, then place in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for ten minutes, then drain and put aside. Half-fill a pan with water and bring to the boil.

Slice the steaks against the grain into finger-sized strips and season with salt and pepper.

Pound the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar, or bash with the base of a pan, until fine. Sprinkle over the steak so they stick to it and give it a lovely, fragrant flavour.

Drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain, then toss with two teaspoons of sesame oil and return to the pan. Cover to keep warm.

Peel and finely slice the onion and garlic, then peel and finely chop the ginger. Heat a splash of olive oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat, then add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry for a couple of minutes, until the onions have softened slightly.

Add the seasoned steak and stir-fry for one to two minutes, then add the broccoli and fry for a further two minutes, stirring all the time.

Pour in the soy sauce and one teaspoon of sesame oil, toss in the pan until everything is well coated, then serve with the egg noodles.

Cut the lime into wedges for squeezing over, and finely slice the chilli (deseeded, if you like), then sprinkle over the top.

• NUTRITION: 512cal, 17.4g fat, 5.6g sat fat, 39.5g protein, 53.4g carbs, 6.3g sugars, 1.7g salt, 5.3g fibre.
• Dairy-free. High in protein and one of your five-a-day.

Chicken and black bean chowder

(Serves 6. Cooking time: 1 hour)

BLACK beans are a staple of South American cuisine, whether cooked up with rice or in a feijoada (a smoky meat stew). We’ve gone for this satisfying chicken chowder, with chunks of griddled sweetcorn.

YOU NEED:

• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander (15g)
• Olive oil
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 sticks of celery
• 250g free-range cooked chicken
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 x 400g tin of black beans
• 750ml organic chicken stock
• 2 fresh corn on the cob
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 75ml single cream
• 2 corn tortillas
• 1 lemon

METHOD: Pick the coriander leaves and set to one side, then finely slice the stalks. Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic, then finely slice the celery.

Place a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and pour in a good lug of oil. Add the onion, garlic, celery and coriander stalks, then saute for about 10 minutes, or until the veg is softened but not coloured.

Add the cumin and cayenne to the pan and fry for a further minute. Stir in the black beans, along with their liquid, and the chicken stock.

Cut the corn from the cob and add it all to the pan, along with the bay leaf. Gently bring it all to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

If you prefer your chowder to be on the smooth side, you could blitz it just a little with a stick blender, otherwise just leave it nice and chunky.

Shred the chicken and add it to the pan with the cream. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, then return to the hob for a further 10 minutes.

Toast the corn tortillas in a hot, dry frying pan until lightly golden. Cut them into large pieces and serve them wedged into bowls of the soup, finished with the reserved coriander leaves and wedges of lemon for squeezing over.

• NUTRITION: 287kcals, 11.5g fat, 3.3g sat fat, 21.2g protein, 22.1g carbs, 6.3g sugars, 0.58g salt, 9.2g fibre.
• Gluten-free.

Super-speedy steamed salmon

(Serves 4. Cooking time: 30 minutes)

YOU NEED:

• 2 red onions
• 1 red pepper
• 1 fresh red chilli
• ½ bunch of fresh basil
• Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 300g couscous
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 4 x 150g salmon fillets, skin on, scaled, pin-boned, from sustainable sources
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt

METHOD: Peel the onions, halve and deseed the pepper, then finely chop both. Halve, deseed and finely chop the chilli. Pick the basil leaves and finely chop the stalks.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium heat, add the basil stalks and chopped veg and cook gently for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Pound the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar or bash with the base of a pan until fine, then add to the pan with the bay leaf.

Place the couscous into a bowl with a pinch of salt and pour over 300ml of boiling water.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the pan with the softened vegetables. Season, then stir together and shake the pan so the veg is in one layer.

Drizzle the salmon with extra virgin olive oil and season lightly with sea salt and black pepper.

Tip the couscous over the vegetables and smooth out. Carefully pour over another 300ml of boiling water, then place the salmon fillets on top of the couscous, skin-side down.

Finely grate the zest of the lemon over it all and squeeze over the juice.

Cover the pan with a lid or tin foil, and cook on a low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the couscous has fluffed up and the salmon is just cooked.

Top each salmon fillet with 1 tablespoon of yoghurt, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roughly tear and scatter over the basil leaves, then place the pan in the middle of the table and enjoy.

• NUTRITION: 533.8kcals, 21.2g fat, 3.8g sat fat, 37.7g protein, 50.9g carbs, 10.0g sugar, 1.0g salt, 2.3g fibre.

The best vegan burger

(Serves 4. Cooking time: 30 minutes, plus chilling)

YOU NEED:

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas
• 1 x 340g tin of sweetcorn
• ½ a bunch of fresh coriander (15g)
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 lemon
• 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Rapeseed oil
• 1 small round lettuce
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• Tomato ketchup
• 4 wholemeal burger buns

METHOD: Drain the chickpeas and sweetcorn, then tip into a food processor. Pick the coriander leaves, adding half the leaves and all the stalks to the processor.

Add the spices, flour and a pinch of sea salt, finely grate in the zest from the lemon, then pulse until combined, but not smooth – you want to retain a bit of texture.

On a flour-dusted surface, divide and shape the mixture into 4 equal-sized patties, roughly 2cm thick. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the patties and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, turning halfway.

Meanwhile, click off, wash and spin-dry four nice lettuce leaves, then finely slice the tomatoes horizontally.

Squeeze a large dollop of ketchup onto the base of each bun (toast them if you like), then top with the burgers.

Layer over a couple of slices of tomato, a lettuce leaf, a few coriander leaves and finally the burger tops. Delicious served with a fresh green salad.

• NUTRITION: 417kcal, 7.1g fat, 1g sat fat, 18.1g protein, 74.6g carbs, 6.1g sugars, 1.3g salt, 11.7g fibre
• Dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian

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