Mini Mince Pies

I think I have resigned myself to the fact I will only be putting weight on between now and January. If I am very lucky, I may maintain my weight, but let's face it, it's Christmas and that ain't gonna happen. It's times like this in the year along with our summer holiday, that I will indulge, guilt free.  But that's ok, because following a plan like WeightWatchers or Slimming World means you can get back on track when the time is right. These sort of plans are a way of living and I couldn't imagine doing anything else.

I personally I am not a fan of all these quick fix diets. Yes of course you can drop a stone in a month, but who wants to live off microwave pouches 3 times a day. I've seen them. A cat gets fed more than that! And don't get me started on the fact that alcohol is completely banned. I understand these diets have their place but for me losing and maintaining weight has to be a way of life. It's the reason why I started food blogging in the first place. If you can Eat Healthy But Tasty most of the year, you are perfectly entitled to complete over-indulgence at certain times, and most especially, at Christmas...

I've been dabbling with homemade mince pies for the last couple of years trying out different recipes, including Nigella's ones from her Christmas book (which is one of my favourite books by the way). They were nice, however I never really 'got' what was so special about mince pies. But, my goodness, I never, ever thought I could love this Christmas speciality so much! I am absolutely delighted I have found a combination of winning recipes, that for me have produced the perfect mini mince pie. 

If you want to stick to your WeightWatchers plan during this period, these mere morsels are just 3 ProPoints, so one is definitely not out of the question. The 4 that I have eaten today though should not be recommended if you want to lose weight!

For the pastry, I used a recipe from BBC Good Food. If you read the reviews on this 'Unbelievably Easy Mince Pie', (and I always do, which is why I rave about this website so much) people have said it's amazing, but: it's too dry, they needed to add egg or found the pastry sticks to the tin. I followed the recipe to the T and it worked perfectly!. To make mini ones use a tart tin and not a muffin tin. I dug out my Pampered Chef mini muffin tin & tart shaper and took great joy in using this fabulous piece of kitchen kit.

The pastry works well rolled out too. Just choose an appropriate size cutter that will roughly make 30-36 mince pies. I made 34 from the pastry batch recipe.  I weighed out each ball of pastry to 18g each and used the tart shaper to produce a perfect shape tart. I then rolled out the remaining pastry and cut stars to go on top.

You can use any shop bought mincemeat of your choice, but I followed a recipe from the wonderful Kate at Turquoise Lemons. I particularly like this Mincemeat recipe as it is 'fat free' (no suet) and packed full of flavour. You just need to drop a teaspoon into the case and top with the star. I did do as the recipe said which was to lightly brushed with a beaten egg.

Into the oven they went (160c fan) for about 10 minutes. They were just starting to brown so I guessed they were probably ready. I let them cool in the tin for 5 minutes and the removed them using a teaspoon onto a wire rack.

They are seriously good. Especially with a dollop of thick brandy cream. Nom nom...

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Mince Pie: 3

Beef & Kidney Pie

Eating healthy wise, I have had the worst week for a long time.  Of course, none of it was my fault, I was just led astray...

It was half term and it started off badly on Wednesday where, under duress, (you know who you are) I took my 5yo to Burger King for the first time after water fun at the leisure lagoon.  Using my iPhone I scanned the WeightWatchers app and decided I was going to be 'good' with a chicken salad at just 2 points with some small fries for another 5. Not too bad for lunch, I thought.  Well of course it is a completely different story when you get there and the smell overwhelms you, not to mention you feel like a complete idiot ordering a salad! So a cheeseburger and small fries later oh and half of my boy's burger (as he didn't like it!)  I knew it was going downhill from there.

Rather than kid myself I was going to be good for the rest of the week, I thought sod it and just indulged, rather wholeheartedly. I feasted on chocolate, cheese, kids leftovers (we all do it sometimes!) naughty Halloween choccie cakes, takeaway pizza at a Halloween/fireworks party, finishing on Sunday in this wonderfully indulgent steak and kidney pie. It didn't end there either as to top it off we had an apple & blueberry crumble for pudding!

I blame the large consumption of red wine for the week on the nursery parents evening where they kindly offer you a glass of wine.  Of course this led to hubby & I polishing off a nice bottle of red with dinner and the week generally progressed to wine with dinner every night.  I didn't even make it to Zumba on Thursday.

The last person to blame in my week of eating hell is my lovely husband. We were on our way home after a lovely morning with the boys, walking through Alice Holt forest. I'd planned to make my healthy cottage pie but on the way home DH put out there that he really fancied a warming steak & kidney pie. A detour to Waitrose and a few ingredients later I was in the kitchen, ale in hand, cooking away.

Now a word on our choice of ale.  Admittedly we are not ale drinkers, although I reckon trying this has persuaded me otherwise, so in choosing an ale we selected Badgers Poachers Choice, a Hall & Woodhouse ale and H&W being one of our customers (Sendster) we thought this fitting. We were not disappointed by our choice as it was rich in flavour and certainly not just for making a good pie!

You'll notice there is no ProPoint calculation at the end of this recipe simply because I couldn't bring myself to work it out!  I should say that the stew I made for the pie was truly delicious, and consumed on it's own with some mash potato or even some crusty bread would actually not be too bad ProPoints wise, but the All Butter Puff Pastry topping just kills your diet.  But you know what? Life is too short to hold back EVERY DAY, so occassionally a bit of puff pastry is really not going to hurt. We are having the leftovers for dinner tonight but I have already binned the pastry and it will be served with brown rice as I am soooo back on WeightWatchers plan today!

You'll need for 4:

• 1 small to medium sized onion, finely diced
• 6 rashers of pancetta or streaky bacon
• 500g topside of beef, cut into small ish chunks
• 200g lambs kidneys, cut into button mushroom size
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 200g button mushrooms
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme, or a few fresh sprigs if you have
• 3 heaped tbsp plain flour
• Seasoning
• 1 beef stock pot
• Few dashes Worcester sauce
• 2 heaped tsp redcurrant jelly
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Half a bottle (250ml) of Badger Poachers Choice Ale
• 1 x 37g pack All butter puff pastry
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• Olive oil

What to do:

In a heavy bottomed casserole dish, sweat the onions slowly with 1 – 2 tsp olive oil and a knob of butter.  Add the chopped pancetta and sweat for 5 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Prepare the kidneys by slicing off the ends and working towards the centre bit, cutting away into large bite sized pieces.

Cut the beef into chunks.  In a food bag, place the flour and a good pinch of salt and ground black or white pepper.  Put the beef into the bag and toss carefully ensuring the beef chunks are all coated.  Then add the beef to the onions & pancetta and stir continuously to ensure the beef does not stick.  Once browned, slowly add the ale and stir continuously scraping the bottom on the pan to a get a smooth gravy like consistency.  Add the carrots followed by the beef stock pot and 750ml of boiling water to the pan.  Add the tomato puree, Worcester sauce, thyme and seasoning.  Bring to the boil and then reduced to a simmer allowing to cook for 1 and half hours.  Half hour before the end add the mushrooms.  If it looks a little dry add some more water.

10 minutes before the end of cooking, heat a frying pan and add a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the kidneys and fry for a couple of minutes on each side on a high heat.  Remove from the frying pan whilst they are still pink inside.  Add the kidneys to the pan.

You can prepare the stew to this point 24-48 hours in advance.  In fact this is a perfect entertaining dish as all this hard work is better done in advance and tastes better the next day!  Bring to room temperature for the next stage or if you have just cooked the stew, allow to cool until it is at room temperature.

In a pie dish or roasting dish, butter the sides and bottom lightly. Place the stew into the dish. 

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to approx 4mm thick or to slightly large then your pie dish.  Using a sharp knife, cut slices off and press along the rim of the dish all the way round.  Brush with a beaten egg.  Then use the remaining pastry to press down on top of the dish.  Using your fingers press the lid part to the pastry around the rim.  Seal using a fork to press together. Brush all over with the beaten egg and finish by using a sharp knife to make a couple of slits in the pastry lid to allow steam to escape.

Bake in a moderate oven (fan 180-190c) for about 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve with your choice of green veg - we had green beans and spinach and some new potatoes.

True comfort food and home-cooking at it's best!

Trout with Roasted Vegetables & Giant Couscous

Trout is the new salmon and giant couscous is the new couscous in our household! I have long been cooking my salmon with couscous and roasted vegetables and I didn't think it was possible to improve on it, but OMG! We are in food love with this new version!

Trout is a much under-used fish but I just love it's delicate flavour.  I prefer it over salmon and if you follow WeightWatchers you will be pleased to know it is slightly better on ProPoints then salmon. So give it a go!!

Until recently, I've only had giant couscous in a pre-bought salad type pot in the supermarket.  Since finding it in Waitrose (Merchant Gourmet brand is very good) I've been experimenting with it alot and love it's chewy texture.  It's very quick and easy to cook too but just like normal couscous you need to add flavour to it so I cook it in stock.

You'll need for 2:

• 120g giant couscous
• 2 x 120g trout fillets, skin on
• 1 small aubergine, chopped
• 1 courgette. chopped
• Half a punnet chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• Half a red onion, roughly chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• Seasoning
• Vegetable stock bouillon
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme

What to do:

Prepare all the vegetables and place them into your big roasting tray.  Season well and sprinkle with the thyme. You can prepare this in advance ready to roast later.  When left, the salted vegetables will omit moisture meaning they require less oil so this helps save ProPoints!  When ready, roast in a hot oven (200 fan) for a good 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so.

10 minutes before the end cook the couscous in a saucepan with boiling water and vegetable stock or 1tsp of vegetable bouillon and some salt.  Cook according to the packet instructions which is about 7-8 minutes. Drain once you have finished cooking.

While the couscous is cooking, heat a frying pan or griddle pan.  Lightly spray the skin of the trout fillets with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.  Place skin side down in the hot pan and leave for 3-4 minutes to brown and crispen.  Season the flesh side and then turn over to cook on the other side.  Depending on the thickness it should take a total of approximately 8 minutes although I do like mine a little pink inside.  If you find it's getting too brown in the frying pan, finish cooking in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and put the drained couscous into the roasting tray mixing well.  Serve the couscous and veg on the plate and top with the trout fillet.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 10

Tuna Nicoise

I tend to make this a fair bit for lunch using tinned tuna (especially when I have lunch guests) as it's quick and easy and healthy and tasty.  Whilst I completely love this dish I always feel ever so slightly guilty when I make it. My husband is not so keen on tinned tuna and although he doesn't complain (that much) I can't help but feel a bit bad. 

So this week I decided to splash out on some lovely fresh tuna steaks and up the quantities so we could have it for dinner.  Apart from over-cooking the tuna ever so slightly (I am blaming that on my husband for saying it was too thick a steak!) it was really delicious and so full of interesting flavours and textures.  Amazingly I also felt much less bloated this morning as it is protein laden with less carbs then other meals I cook.  Am thinking this is the way forward....

You'll need for 2:

• 2 fresh tuna steaks - approx 140g each
• 2 eggs
• Half a pack of green beans
• 10 or so olives (in brine if you really want to keep your PP to a minimum)
• 2/3 a bag of salad leaves.  I used a mix of rocket, watercress & spinach
• 10 or so cherry tomatoes, halved
• Fat free french dressing
• Seasoning
• 350g new potatoes, halved or quartered if large
• A chunk of cucumber, chopped

What to do:

In a large saucepan place your potatoes and cover with salted cold water.  Bring to the boil. Then gently add the 2 eggs.  Set your timer for 7 minutes and turn the heat down to medium so it is simmering.  After 7 minutes remove the eggs and place in a bowl with cold water to cool. This time will give you ever so slightly soft yolk but if you want it runny, reduce it to 6 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare your salad / veggies.  Chuck all the tomatoes, cucumber, salad leaves, olives in a big bowl. Trim your beans if need be but don't put them into the bowl.

Heat a griddle or frying pan.  Very lightly oil the tuna and season.  The potatoes should take about 18-20 minutes to cook until tender.  Five minutes before you think the potatoes are ready (keep prodding with a knife to see how tender they are), get the tuna cooking. It's hard to say how long it will take but keep looking at the steak to see it changing colour.  If you like it very rare, just sear on both sides and allow to rest.  Remember it will carry on cooking after you have removed it from the direct heat so err on the side of caution (unlike me!)

Carefully peel the eggs and slice in half.

Two minutes before you think the potatoes are ready add the green beans.  Drain the potatoes and beans and once dry-ish add to the salad mix bowl.  Toss in 2-3 tbsp of fat free French dressing and serve on the plate.  Add an egg onto each plate and place your tuna steak on top.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Who doesn't love a good spag bol? It's a firm family favourite, quick, easy and full of goodness. The supermarket is stacked with jarred sauces to make this meal even easier but you really don't need to use them as it's so easy to get a fantastic flavour by using good storecupboard and fresh ingredients.  The key is to pack in the veg and use a very lean mince beef so you can really stretch how far the sauce can go.

All this said, I've long struggled with finding the balance of bolognaise sauce & pasta, that meets my requirements; tasty, filling, max 12 ProPoints.  I am pleased to say that I think I am there! My tastebuds are tingling from the wonderful eating experience of this evening.  (Ok I admit, after a glass of red to wash it down, I may also be a tad tipsy!)

One last thing; the preparation of this was super-quick with the aid of my fabulous Pampered Chef food chopper. It really made light work of the prep and if you ever get invited to a Pampered Chef party, you won't regret this purchase!  No wonder it's one of their best sellers.

You'll need for 5 adults or 4 adults & 2-3 kids. (I usually freeze bolognaise x2 adult portion and x2 child portion)

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion,  finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
• 1 large courgette, finely chopped
• A few chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 500g extra lean mince beef, 5% fat
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• Approx 10 dashes of worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
• Handful of freshly chopped basil
• 425g spaghetti or your choice of pasta

Get a large, heavy bottomed saucepan on the stove.  I love using my cast-iron pan.  Heat the olive oil.  Gently saute the onion.  I tend to prep vegetables as I'm going and throw them into the pan as they are chopped. This often involves turning the heat on and off depending on how quick I am at chopping!!  Next add the carrots, celery, garlic, courgettes and then the mushrooms.  Keep stirring and add a little water if it looks a little dry.

Next, turn the heat up and add the mince, breaking it up with the wooden spoon and browning all over.  Add the 2 tins of tomatoes.  Fill one of the cans with water and add that to the pan too.  Keep stirring and add the worcestershire sauce, the tomato puree, salt & pepper and pinch of sugar. 

Now just leave it for a good 30 - 40 mins on a low simmer and add some freshly chopped basil at the end. 

Boil your pasta in salted water according to the packet instructions.  I work on the basis on 85g dried pasta per portion. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Serve up!

You can portion up the bolognaise sauce and freeze for later date

Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese for additional 1-2 PP.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

It's all about soup!

This is the time of year where I start eating a little less salad for lunch and I increase my intake of soup.  Unfortunately it's a bit more time consuming to make then knocking up a quick salad but at least you can make on mass and freeze or save for tomorrow.   If I am really pushed for time I have to admit that a WeightWatchers Tomato soup from Heinz is actually quite acceptable!

Soup Cooking

Of course nothing can beat homemade soups and my favourite has to be a broccoli and Stilton (more cheese, there's a surprise).  I've yet to make a broccoli and Stilton soup diet friendly although I think I am setting myself this challenge as I type...

Leek & Potato and Five Vegetable Soup have been on the menu these last 2 weeks so I thought I would share my recipes for these delightful, filling soups coming in at a very agreeable 2 ProPoints per decent sized bowl!

Leek & Potato Soup

For the Leek & Potato Soup:

• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 leeks, trimmed, washed and chopped
• 1 potato weighing 300g, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 150ml skimmed milk
• Approx 1200ml vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Seasoning

For the Five Veg Soup:

• Half onion, finely chopped
• 1 leek, washed and chopped
• Approx 350g swede, peeled and finely chopped

  

  Five Veg Soup

• 2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• Approx 200g potato, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Approx 2l vegetable stock
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Seasoning
• 2 small bay leaves or 1 large
• 150ml skimmed milk

The method for both these soups is pretty much the same. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan and saute the onions and leeks until soft.  Add the vegetables.  In the 5 veg soup, add the swede first, followed by the carrots as these take longer to cook.

Basically chuck all the vegetables into the pan and cover with the stock.  Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Season with plenty of black pepper.  Simmer for a good 30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft. 

Remove the bay leaves, add the milk and blitz.  I prefer to use a stick type blender as it saves a bit on washing up!  Taste and add more salt & pepper if need be.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 2

Lamb Koftas & Giant Couscous with Roasted Vegetables

I've got a thing about lamb at the moment.  My slow roast shoulder of lamb last week (it's not on this blog as not exactly WeightWatcher friendly!) was divine and we really enjoyed moussaka last week.  I'm always reluctant to have red meat as a mid-week supper as it does use up valuable ProPoints, but there is only so many times a week you can eat chicken!!

I was originally going to serve the lamb koftas with a tabouleh style dish but the weather changed so dramatically as the afternoon went on I wanted something more warming....then of course the sun came out again!  But never mind, couscous with roasted vegetables it was!

For the lamb koftas:

• 200g lean lamb mince
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 salt
• Sprinkling of cayenne pepper (optional)
• Half a small red onion, finely diced
• Handful fresh parsely, finely chopped
• Handful fresh mint, finely chopped

For the Couscous:

• 1 small aubergine, diced
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 8 or so cherry tomatoes
• A few mushrooms roughly chopped
• Half a red onion cut into wedges
• 120g giant wholewheat couscous
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• Seasoning
• 1 tsp olive oil

What to do:
Mix all the ingredients for the koftas together in a bowl.  With slightly damp hands shape around 4 wooden skewers.  I am a bit sad and weigh everything so I weighed the mix and divided it equally into 4 portions each weighing 74g!  (I told you I was sad!). If you are using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in cold water for 20 mins or so beforehand.  Refridgerate the skewers until required.

Chop your veggies up into bite sized pieces and place in a large roasting tray.  Use whatever veggies you like but I think this selection went really well with the lamb and couscous.  Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle over some dried rosemary.  Spray thoroughly using no more than 1 tsp olive oil.  Roast in a hot oven (200 fan) for a good 30 - 35 minutes turning every 10 minutes.

Heat a griddle pan until very hot.  Spray one side of the koftas with olive oil and place in hot pan.  Allow to sear and brown and the turn ensuring all sides are browned.  They should cook in about 10 minutes. 

Cook the couscous a saucepan following packet instructions.  I like to boil it in vegetable stock as it gives the couscous more flavour.  Drain well and mix into the roasting tray with the vegetables coating nicely in the juices that have been omitted in cooking.


WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Chicken Jambalaya

I was in a quandry over what to cook for dinner yesterday.  Usually it's a quick and easy pasta dish on Thursdays due to football / zumba but we both fancied something using rice and I'd already taken some chicken out of the freezer... So after researching a bit on the web I decided on a jambalaya style dish for the flavour and I like the idea of cooking using a one-pot method too.  I had most ingredients at home but really needed a pepper so off to Waitrose I popped.  £11.76 later (how does that happen??!) I bought some lovely sweet red Romano peppers and some cooking chorizo to add to my dish, amongst alot of other crap.

Chorizo is not what one would usually think of eating when dieting but it is all about portion control and chorizo gives you a whole lotta flavour for a very small amount.  I have to admit I did play around alot with the portion sizes to ensure that I got the right balance of vegetables, carbs & protein, that the meal was 12 ProPoints or under, and of course it was tasty!!  We both really enjoyed the outcome and it was a great meal for re-heating later as hubby ate his at 5pm before football and I had mine at 8.15pm after Zumba!

You'll need for 2:

• Half a medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 -2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
• 1 red pepper
• 35g chorizo, halved, then sliced thinly
• Half a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (more if you like it hotter)
• Seasoning
• 140g dried basmatti rice
• Approx 350ml chicken stock (you will need double the volume of rice)
• 2 tbsp frozen peas
• Half a punnet of chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 260g chicken breast cut into chunks

What to do:
Spray a good non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil (use about half a tsp). On not too high heat saute the onion till soft.  Add in the garlic and the chorizo.  The chorizo will omit some oil so don't worry if it looks too dry to begin with.  The chorizo will also flavour and colour the onions beautifully.

Next add the peppers and saute for a couple of minutes.  Turn up the heat and add the chicken to brown.  Add the mushrooms and continue to saute.  Sprinkle over the Cajun seasoning and add the rice.  Stir quickly to avoid the rice sticking until it is all nicely coated.  Next add your tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Then add nearly all the stock and turn down to simmer.  Stir well and cover turning down to a low heat so it is just simmering.

Do give it a stir every few minutes to ensure the rice is not sticking and add a little more stock if need be.  After 10 minutes add the frozen peas.  All in all the cooking time should take approximately 20 minutes but you will know when the rice has cooked through and absorbed the stock.  Taste and season as required.

I've got to say I REALLY enjoyed this meal.  It was sooo tasty (in fact I did scoff a few mouthfuls at 5pm!) and it's a great meal mid-week if you want something to prepare in advance.  I am sure it would freeze pretty well too, if any is left that is!

WeightWatchers ProPoints per serving: 12

Sesame Prawn Stir Fry

Today I really am starting to be good.  I indulged a little too much (again) this weekend but am determined to lose 2lb this week.  It doesn't help when we have an open bottle of wine from Sunday that just has to be finished off on Monday... fortunately hubby and I did the bottle of Red yesterday with his slow cooked veal ragu (v yum indeed) so there is no excuse tonight and no cheeky little glass of wine with our meal. 

I think the thought of a stir fry makes you feel healthy.  Seeing all those colourful vegetables gives you instant gratification that you are putting something good into your body.  I decided to couple my stir fry vegetables with prawns this evening as they are very low in fat and cook quickly.  I'm using a bag of frozen raw tiger king prawns from the supermarket which defrost during the day.  I've also discovered the convenience of supermarket packs of stir fry veg.  The pack I used (from Tesco) had lovely julienne carrots, tenderstem brocolli and pak choy.  Dinner tonight was literally thrown together in under 10 minutes!

You'll need for 2:

• 250g raw tiger prawns
• Half a punnet of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1 supermarket pack of stir fry mixed vegetables
• 120g dried egg noodles or other wheat based noodles (such as Udon)
• 2 tsp sesame oil or groundnut oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp root ginger, finely chopped or grated
• Pinch of chilli flakes or a fresh red chilli depending on how hot you like it
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 1 tbsp dark soy
• 1 tbsp light soy
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted in a hot dry frying pan

What to do:

Place the noodles in a pan with boiling water and cook according to the pack instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a wok or frying pan heat the oil. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir.  Next add the vegetables and stir fry on a high heat.  Add the prawns, the dark soy, honey and rice wine stirring until the prawns have turned pink and are cooked through.  Throw in the drained cooked egg noodles and toss together.  Finish with by topping with the sesame seeds and serve into bowls.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Fish n Chips

Friday night is traditionally a fish night.  Every local town has it's favourite chippie and it's always a good sign when you see queues out the door on a Friday at 6pm.  There is nothing more delicious than a lovely piece of cod or haddock battered served with luscious big fat chips, salt & vinegar and peas.  I'm salavating at the thought!  However we know it is just not possible to eat like this all the time and maintain or lose weight.  This is my alternative for a healthier fish and chips which does not compromise on taste!

You'll need for 2:

• 2 x 130g fillet of white fish
• 4 tbsp dried breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon
• Seasoning
• 1-2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 medium egg
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 500g potato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 160g frozen peas
• Handful of finely chopped fresh parsely.

What to do:
You can prepare the fish earlier in the day to save you time later on.  Get 3 plates / shallow bowls out.  In one beat an egg.  In the next place your flour and season it.  In the third place your breadcrumbs.  Season the breadcrumbs and add the zest of the lemon and the finely chopped parsely.  Give the breadcrumbs a good mix.

Dry the fish using a sheet or two of kitchen towel.  Dip into the flour first, shaking off any excess, next the egg, and lastly the breadcrumbs.  Ensure that every part of the fish is covered.  Place on a clean plate and repeat with the other fish fillet.

In a roasting tin spray the potato wedges with olive oil spray or low cal cooking spray and season.  Place in a hot oven (200 fan) for 30 - 40 mins turning occasionally.

In a frying pan heat the sunflower oil.  Place the fish fillet and allow to colour nicely.  Don't touch it for at least 2-3 minutes and it should be golden brown.  Turn it over and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side.  Depending on the thickness of your fish it will take 5-10 minutes.  If it is quite a thick piece say perhaps a loin fillet it will take longer and you can always pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes if you unsure if it is cooked through or not.

Boil the peas for a couple of minutes according to the pack instructions.

Serve with lemon wedges and tartare sauce.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving:  14

Carbonara

Having recently returned from Sicily I felt I simply had to post a pasta dish.  I have a problem with eating pasta when being strict on WeightWatchers in that you don't get much for your ProPoints so admittedly this is a bit of an indulgent supper and one which you may choose to save for the weekend.

Authentic carbonara is not made with cream.  Fact.  The creaminess is obtained by using a mix of eggs and some of the pasta cooking liquor and of course some good parmesan.  (You are already freaking out at the sound of eggs, pasta and parmesan in a WW friendly dish aren't you?!)  I promise that this is worth the extra couple of ProPoints and you really will enjoy this one...

You'll need for 2:

• 180g spaghetti or linguine
• 4 reduced fat bacon medallions or rashers with all fat removed, chopped
• Good sized handful of chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, bashed
• 2 medium eggs

What to do:
In a big saucepan cook the pasta according to the packet instructions in plenty of salted water.

Heat the olive oil in a big frying pan and add the garlic clove and saute for a few minutes.  Add the bacon and fry until cooked and brown.  You could substitute the bacon for a mix of wild mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with some black pepper.  Add the chopped parsley and half of the parmesan cheese.  Mix well (you could also add a glug of white wine to this for an even naughtier but nicer taste!)

Once the pasta is cooked drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking liquor.  Keep the frying pan on the hob but with the heat turned off.  Add the pasta to the frying pan with the bacon and garlic along with a couple of ladles of the cooking liquor until the pasta is nicely coated.  Remove the garlic at this point if you prefer.  Then add the egg mixture stirring continuously to coat. 

Pile into pasta bowls and finish with a sprinkling of the remaining parmesan cheese.  Yummy!

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 15

Turkey Fajitas

It's been a few weeks and I'm sorry for no recent post.  What with a wonderful Sicilian holiday I've been indulging somewhat and have also enjoyed a post-holiday binge.  I've eaten and drunken what I have liked and it's been fab!  But my body is crying out for me to start Eating Healthy But Tasty (not to mention I really need to shift that extra half a stone I've gained). 

I've worked out that I literally spend roughly half the year dieting and the rest of the time saying I'll start next week.  So all in all I don't think I have done too badly in terms of weight loss.  Over 4 years I have lost a total of 3 and half stone (well 3 stone if I take into consideration my current post-holiday weight).  During this time I have had another child so I think a small pat on the back is worthy.  Anyway enough deliberating about dieting and eating healthy.  I feel I have a food-hangover and just need to find the will power inside me to stick to it for a good few weeks. 

Lot's of new recipes coming over the next few weeks as I am bored of eating the same thing and I am well up for a bit of experimentation in the kitchen.  Turkey Fajitas is a favourite though and after gorging lots of pasta, garlic and tomatoes in Siciliy it is nice to come back and enjoy a different cuisine.

You'll need for 2:

• 265g lean turkey steaks or escalopes, sliced across the grain into strips
• 2 peppers (I like to use a mix of red / orange / yellow)
• 1 red onion
• Half a punnett of chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 8 or so cherry tomatoes, halved or a couple of regular ones chopped
• 4 WeightWatchers Tortilla Wraps
• 50g reduced fat Guacamole
• 2 tbsp fresh salsa
• 2 tbsp 0% fat Greek Yoghurt
• 40g grated cheddar, half
• 1 tsp Cajun mix (more if you like it hot!)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Place the turkey strips in a bowl and sprinkle with half the Cajun spice and 1 tsp olive oil. Mix well and leave to marinade for whatever time you have.  A couple of hours is good.

I like to prepare all my vegetables in advance making this a dish that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes.  Slice the vegetables and store in a plastic container in the fridge until required. 

When ready to cook, heat a griddle pan until it's really hot.  Spray your vegetables on the chopping board in olive oil spray or low fat cooking spray and throw into your piping hot griddle pan.  Stir frequently and allow the peppers to char.  This is a fab way to cook peppers and onions and if you are doubling up on this recipe you may need to stiry fry the veggies in batches.  Once cooked nicely through and tender, add the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp Cajun spice to coat nicely.  Move to a warmed dish. 

Add the turkey and stir fry quickly until cooked through.  This should be ready very quickly in minutes.  Add to the vegetables and serve allowing hungry eaters to serve themselves.

Heat the wraps as required for 20 seconds each in the microwave and serve with the condiments: Grated half fat cheddar, 0% fat yoghurt, reduced fat Guacamole and fresh salsa. 

Have several napkins to hand!

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Chicken & Vegetable Souvlaki Kebabs

I love a diversity of cuisines, but especially food from the Med.  So many fantastic ingredients immediately spring to mind; garlic, olive oil, herbs, lemons, tomatoes (need I go on?).  How can anything taste bad when it's prepared with these wonderful ingredients?  There is also something to be said about a Mediterranean diet.  Such low levels of cancer and a higher life expectancy must have something to do with a higher consumption of olive oil and all those lovely fresh vegetables.  At home we try to emulate this sort of diet as much as possible, minimising any excess fat to help with maintaining / losing weight.  With an Italian heritage it really isn't a hardship to eat like this, now all we need to do is emulate the weather!

But, given we have had a few nice sunny days I wanted to bring a little ray of sunshine to my plate.  These chicken & vegetable kebabs are perfect for Summer and require a very small amount of olive oil making it WeightWatcher friendly too...

You'll need for 2:

• 340g chicken breast cut into chunks
• 1 lemon
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• Seasoning
• Sprinkling of dried oregano and dried rosemary
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 courgette
• 1 pepper
• Half a red onion

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs together in a shallow dish.  Add the chicken and toss thoroughly.  Season and leave to marinade for a good few hours.

Slice the courgettes into 1/2 cm rounds, cut the pepper into bite sized pieces and cut the onion into wedges.

Skewer a piece of chicken followed by 1 each of the vegetables and repeat.  You should get 4 long metal skewers out of this.

BBQ or grill under high heat, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through. 

This dish goes with so many different things.  Some of my favourite sides would be: rice salad, roast potatoes, salad & pitta bread. Weigh out your choice of side for the correct ProPoints.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 5

Fennel & Paprika Chicken with Roast Veg

There is a whole lotta love for chicken in our household at the moment.  It's filling, healthy, a good source of protein and relatively low in ProPoints. I only buy free range chicken and I often buy corn fed free range chicken with its yellowy tinged skin.  I get very excited (saddo) to spot a pack of organic or free range chicken in the reduced aisle in the supermarket and I snap it up pronto. When I get it home I carefully portion out the chicken breasts into varying weights to cater for all manner of dishes some of which will include kids dinners.  We are also fond of chicken thighs and drumsticks and in every case I remove the skin before cooking.

Having talked about my love affair for chicken, having it 5 days out of 7 can get pretty tedious!  Therefore I am always interested in finding new ways and new flavours to pair up with our everyday bird.  This concoction is my own mix which has been perfected over the last couple of years.  It's really tasty and the flavours penetrate the chicken really well.

You'll need for 2:

• 450g chicken thighs & drumsticks, skin removed, flesh slashed
• 2 tsp runny honey
• 4g fennel seeds, crushed (bizarrely there is 1 PP to 5g tsp of fennel seeds, so use just under a tsp!)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 heaped tsp paprika
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• seasoning
• 1 tsp white wine or cider vinegar

For the Roasted Vegetables:

• 1 potato 200g once peeled
• 2 small - medium courgettes, roughly chopped
• half a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• Approx 10 cherry tomatoes
• Half a punnet of chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 medium aubergine, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Dried thyme and rosemary

Prepare the chicken by mixing the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish.  Add a tiny amount of water if you need to thin it out a little.  Toss the chicken ensuring it's fully coated.  Cover and marinade for a good few hours

Prepare all the vegetables and throw into the biggest roasting dish you have.  Season well and scatter over 1 tsp each of the herbs.  Finally add the olive oil and tpss well with your hands to coat all the vegetables.

The vegetables need approx 45-50 minutes in a hot oven (200 fan) and the chicken needs 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of the pieces.  Ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12

Harissa chicken with Giant Couscous & Roasted Veg

I have a new love in my life.  No not a new pair of killer hills (yeah right!) or a designer handbag (not that out of the question), but my BBQ!  I have realised how quick, easy, healthy and tasty it is to BBQ food. You may have noticed that I have gone a little skewer crazy this week, but I am truly loving the way you can add so much flavour to meat and it cooks so fast.  Admittedly I have a gas BBQ and that works great for me as you can simply light and go…

If you have never had giant couscous, you are missing out.  It's a treat in the mouth and is a very versatile, filling grain. Merchant Gourmet make a regular and wholewheat version and you can find it in Waitrose or Sainsburys.  You only need 50g per serving once paired with a decent amount of meat and vegetables which made tonight’s supper very WeightWatcher and Simming World friendly indeed.

You’ll need for 2:

For the chicken:

• 2 x 165g chicken breasts whole or cut into chunks
• 2 tsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp white wine or cider vinegar
• 1 tsp harissa paste
• Seasoning

For the Couscous

• 100g giant couscous (or 120g regular couscous)
• Half a butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 small aubergine, chopped
• Handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tbsp tinned chick peas
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Seasoning

What to do:

Mix the marinade ingredients together and add the chicken.  Leave to marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

Toast the fennel and cumin seeds in a dry, hot frying pan and then pound using a mortar and pestle.

Place the vegetables in a roasting tray and coat in 1 tsp olive oil and seasoning and the ground spices.  Roast in a hot oven (200 fan) for around 30 minutes turning occasionally.  If the tray looks a little dry spoon over a couple of tablespoons of veg stock to moisten.  The tomatoes will also help to add moisture.

Place the couscous in a sauce pan and cover with vegetable stock.  Add the bay leaf and boil for 8 minutes (or follow the packet instructions) then drain in a sieve.  Add the chick peas for the last 2 -3 minutes of cooking to heat through.  Toss the drained couscous and chickpeas into the roasted vegetables and stir thoroughly.

At the same time as cooking the couscous, skewer the chicken and place on the BBQ, turning once.  If you are cooking the breast whole it may need longer and always make sure the chicken is cooked through with no pink showing.  Enjoy!

WeightWatchers Points Per Serving: 12

Honey, Soy & Ginger Chicken with Stir Fried Rice & Veg

I look forward to my evening meal all day.  I was already thinking about tomorrow's meal as soon as this evenings' was over!  The thing is with WeightWatchers or any other 'diet' recipes is that they don't always meet my requirements for healthy but tasty evening meal:

• Fat friendly
• Filling
• Flavoursome

I have a huge collection of cookery books and I constantly browse the web looking for new ideas.  I've learnt to adapt standard and diet recipes to meet my requirements so I thought I would share a few tips on adapting recipes. 

1.  Ditch the low fat, calorie controlled cooking spray.  It tastes disgusting and you get the same low fat effect by using pure olive oil (or whatever your choice of oil may be) via a spray or by using 1 teaspoon oil (1 PP) between 2 people. 
2.  Really consider the carb element of the meal.  Seriously how can anyone be satisfied on 50g of potatoes?  Adapt it to a more sensible amount that will be filling and fat friendly.
3.  Go for fish and white meat where possible  I restrict red meat to once a week and then it has to be very tightly portion controlled and I have to heavily compromise on the carb element to ensure I stay within my ProPoint budget.
4.  Big up on PP free flavours!  Use more garlic, ginger, chilli, herbs & spices, lemon etc etc to your liking making your meal really tasty and flavoursome.

I decided last week to purchase the latest WeightWatchers cookbook 'Simply Enjoy'.  I am pleasantly surprised there are a number of recipes I would like to try, obviously with my own twist. The first of which I tried this evening and I have to admit I really enjoyed it!  The original recipe in the book is for Honey & Ginger Scallops and I used the marinade as a base for my chicken skewers.

You'll need for 2:

• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lazy ginger, finely chopped
• pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp groundnut oil (or any other flavourless oil)
• 300g chicken breast cut into chunks
• 125g dried basmati brown rice
• Lots of chopped Asian vegetables. I used: mushrooms, pak choi, baby corn, sugar snap peas
• Light soy sauce

What to do:
Mix the first 7 ingredients together in a shallow dish or a plastic container. Cover the chicken and refridgerate for at least an hour, preferably 2-3 hours. 

Cook and cool the rice according to the packet instructions.  These first 2 steps can be prepared in advance.

Chop all the vegetables and skewer the chicken.  When ready, skewer and BBQ until cooked through.  You can also grill for a few minutes until cooked through. 

Heat 1 tsp oil in a wok or frying pan and when hot stir fry the vegetables on a high heat turning frequently.  Allow to cook through and then add the remaining marinade and allow to bubble away for a few seconds.  Add the cooled, cooked rice and keep stirring.  Add some light soy sauce to season.  Once the rice is fully heated through serve onto plates and top with the chicken skewer.

WeightWatchers ProPoints Per Serving: 12