POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 – per serving = 6 points or 534 cals, 22.9g fat, 30.2g carbs, 47.5g protein

Ingredients

800g extra lean diced beef steak

1 onion, peeled and finely sliced

80g chorizo, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

2 red peppers, deseeded and sliced

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp each of paprika and dried oregano

125ml red wine

2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

1 beef stock cube made up with 500ml boiling water

2 bay leaves

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and pepper

For the potato top

600g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cubed

50ml skimmed milk

1 tbsp light butter

½ beef stock cube, crumbled

80g gruyere cheese, finely grated

Method

1. Take a large ovenproof pan with a lid. Spray with low-calorie cooking spray, add the beef (you may need to do this in batches), season with salt and pepper and fry until sealed. Remove the beef from the pan.
2. Spray the same pan again with low-calorie cooking spray, add the onion and chorizo and fry for 5–6 minutes until the onion starts to soften and the chorizo oils release. Add a little water to the pan if it starts to get dry.
3. Add the peppers, mushrooms, garlic and chilli flakes and fry for another minute. Add the paprika and oregano, fry for a minute, then pour in the red wine. Simmer for a few minutes until the wine starts to reduce and then add the tomatoes, stock and bay leaves.
4. Add the beef back to the pan, season, stir and bring to the boil, then pop on a lid and reduce to a simmer. At this point, you can either simmer the stew on the hob on low for 2 hours, stirring regularly, or pop in the oven at 180°C for 2 hours. Either way, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking to thicken the stew up a little.
5. While the stew is simmering, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 15 minutes until they are soft. Drain the potatoes and add to a large bowl, then mash (or preferably rice) the potato until smooth.
6. Warm the milk with the butter and add to the potato. Mix until the mash is nice and smooth. Don’t overmix as you don’t want the mash to go gluey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Once cooked, pour the stew into a large baking dish and let cool (for around half an hour if you have time) – this will stop the mash sinking into the beef. Next, add the mash to the top of the stew (or pipe on if you are feeling fancy).
8. Crumble over the half beef stock cube, sprinkle over the Gruyère and then pop back in the oven (on 180°C fan) for 30 minutes, so the top of the mash goes nice and crispy.
9. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before you serve.

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Mac and Chorizo Bake

Serves 6 = 13sp per serving on BLUE, GREEN and PURPLE

(if you omit the chorizo this works out at 11sp per serving on every plan)

Ingredients

40g light lurpack

40g plain flour

2 tsp Dijon mustard

450ml skimmed milk

160g reduced fat mature cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Crushed chillies to taste (optional)

360g macaroni, dried

100g garden peas, frozen

50g chorizo, peeled and diced

Small punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved

16g panko breadcrumbs

Method

Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions (mine needed boiling in salted water for 11 minutes). Add the peas for the last 5 minutes. Drain once cooked (reserve a little of the pasta water) and pop to one side.

Meanwhile, take a medium sized sauce pan and add the lurpack. Melt on a medium heat and then add the flour and mustard. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Reduce the heat to low and then begin to gradually add the milk, again keep stirring all the time. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add 100g of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and add the paprika, cayenne pepper and crushed chillies (if you are having them). Stir to combine and pop to one side.

Next take a small frying pan, spray with 1kal and add the chorizo. Fry on a medium heat until the chorizo starts to sizzle and the oils begin to release. Using tongs remove the chorizo from the pan and pop into the cheese sauce (leave the oil in the frying pan).

Add the tomatoes to the frying pan and fry in the chorizo oil on a high heat for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes are a little charred.

Give the cheese sauce a stir and if its a little thick add a small splash of the pasta water to loosen then add the macaroni, peas and tomatoes to the cheese sauce and stir everything together.

Add the mixture to a large baking dish.

Top with the rest of the cheese, the breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of paprika and a twist of salt and pepper.

Pop in the oven for 15 minutes until the top is nice and golden.

Serve and enjoy!

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This recipe makes four big portions of cottage pie so is perfect for Sunday lunch or, for tea for 2 with leftovers for 2 the next day.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 7 points or 520 cals, 18.7g fat, 46.6g carbs, 34.7g protein

Ingredients

For the filling

400g extra lean beef stewing steak, raw, cubed

1 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 beef stock cube (made up with 500ml boiling water)

300ml Brown Ale (I’ve used the good old Newcastle Brown Ale and Aldi’s own – both were good!)

Pinch of sugar

½ sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)

Handful of fresh thyme, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

For the mash top

600g potatoes (suitable for mashing, I used Maris Piper), peeled and roughly cubed

80g Blue Stilton cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp light crème fraiche

100ml skimmed milk, warmed

To serve

200g frozen peas

Method

1. Fill the kettle and pop on to boil. Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan).
2. Put the beef in a large bowl, add the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Coat the beef completely in the seasoned flour. Add the oil to a large saucepan, heat, and then add the beef. Fry for 4–5 minutes until the beef is sealed but not cooked through. Remove the beef from the pan and pop into a bowl to one side.
3. To the same pan add the onion, garlic, carrots and mushrooms. Fry for4–5 minutes until the onion starts to soften, adding a little water if the pan starts getting a bit dry. Add the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce, fry for another minute, and then add the beef stock and brown ale with a pinch of sugar. Add the beef back to the pan with the rosemary and thyme, stir, and then bring to the boil.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer the pie mixture for 1 hour until the beef and carrots are soft and the sauce has reduced nicely. Remove from the heat and let the pie filling cool (for around half an hour if you have time) – this will stop the mash sinking into the beef.
5. While the filling is cooling, make the mash. Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft, then mash (or preferably rice) in a large bowl until nice and smooth.
6. Add the Stilton and crème fraîche and mix, pouring in the warmed milk until the mash is nice and smooth. Don’t overmix as the mash will become gluey. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Take a large pie dish and pour the filling into the base, then spread (or pipe) the mash over the top. Pop in the oven for half an hour so the top of the mash goes nice and crispy.
8. After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to rest while you make the peas. Pop the peas on to boil for 3–4 minutes and then drain and season.
9. To serve, add the pie to a nice deep bowl and eat with the peas.

The post Steak, Brown Ale and Blue Stilton Pie first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Its nice and easy to prepare, quick to cook and tastes so, so good. The cashews and pomegranate seeds that finish the dish really make this meal so if you can get hold of them they are worth adding. If you don’t fancy the cashews, simply omit and count as 12sp per person rather than 13sp.

For those of you who aren’t fans of lamb mince, you can make this with the same amount of lean beef mince (5%) and the points are 10sp per serving with the cashews or 9sp without.

(n.b I forgot to add the pomegranate seeds before taking the picture however I added them before digging in!!)

Aromatic Lamb and Giant Cous Cous

Serves 4 = 13sp per person (Flex)

Ingredients

500g lean lamb mince (10% fat – I got this in Sainsbury’s)

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Either 2 tbsp Ras el Hanout powder (or if you can’t get this replace with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and ginger, 1 tsp ground coriander and cumin and 2 tsp paprika)

1 tsp crushed chillies (optional if you want to add a bit of spice)

2 tbsp tomato puree

½ tbsp. honey

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 lamb stock cube diluted in ½ litre boiling water

200g giant cous cous, dried

Handful of fresh parsley and mint, finely chopped (reserve a little to garnish at the end)

4 tbsp fat free natural or greek yoghurt

Small pack of pomegranate seeds

20g cashews, toasted (optional – adds a bit of crunch- if omitted the dish is 13sp per serving)

Method

Spray a large frying pan with 1kal and then fry the mince, onion and garlic for 5 minutes until the mince is browned, then add the spices and fry for another minute. Next add the tomato puree, honey and lemon zest and fry for 2 minutes. Then add half lamb stock and cook on high until the liquid starts to reduce. Add the rest of stock gradually. As it reduces the sauce should thicken and so shouldn’t be too watery.

Cook the cous cous according to packet instructions (mine needed to be simmered in boiling water for 8 minutes). Drain the cous cous and add to lamb mixture with the parsley, mint and the juice of one lemon (the lemon you previously zested). Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if required.

If you are having the toasted cashews, pop on a baking tray and under the grill for a few minutes. Remove and roughly chop.

To finish pop the cous cous and lamb into a nice big bowl, drizzle with the yoghurt and top with the parsley and mint you reserved along with a sprinkle of cashew pieces and pomegranate seeds.

Enjoy!

The post Aromatic Lamb and Giant Cous Cous – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 13sp each (Flex)

1 onion, finely chopped

2 small cloves of garlic, finely chopped

100ml white wine

100g Arborio rice

700ml vegetable stock (made with 1/2 stock cube)

4 spring onions, sliced

80g frozen garden peas

Large handful of spinach, shredded

120g smoked mackerel, skin removed and flaked (I used Aldi’s)

20g parmesan

Seasoning to taste

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Method

In a large saucepan fry the onion in 1kal until nice and soft (6-7 minutes). Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes.

Add the rice and wine, stir and simmer for a minute or two and then add half of the vegetable stock and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes adding a little stock at a time when the rice starts absorb the stock. Stir regularly to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Next, add the spring onions, spinach and peas, cook for a further five minutes, again adding a little stock at a time until it is all used up (I used all of it but it varies depending on the heat of your hob).

Next flake in the mackerel, give a good stir and cook for a further five minutes (or until the rice is cooked). Remove from the heat, add the parmesan and a good squeeze of lemon, season to taste and give another stir.

Serve piled high in a nice bowl and enjoy!!

The post Smoked Mackerel Risotto – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Smoked Bacon, Kale and Gorgonzola Pasta

Serves 2 = 13sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

100g tagliatelle

150g kale

5 smoked bacon medallions (I used Sainsbury’s), roughly chopped into bitesize chunks

½ large onion, finely chopped

Small box of mushrooms, sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

75ml white wine (optional)

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp crushed chillies (optional, we like things with a little kick)

80g gorgonzola, roughly chopped into large chunks

2 tbsp light single cream (I use Elmlea)

Method

Pop the pasta on to cook. When it has four minutes left, throw in the kale. Once cooked, drain.

Meanwhile take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal and add the bacon. Fry for around 5 minutes until it starts to go a little crispy. Add the onions and fry until soft (another 5-6 minutes), then add the mushrooms and garlic frying another 2 minutes. Add the wine and bay leaf and simmer until the wine has reduced by half. Then add the gorgonzola and leave to melt into a lovely sauce. Then add the crushed chillies and cream, stir and season to your taste (I like a little salt and a good twist of black pepper). Simmer on low for a few minutes until the sauce thickens a little. Then tip in the cooked pasta and kale, tossing together until the pasta is well coated. Leave to simmer another minute and serve.

Enjoy!

The post Smoked Bacon, Kale and Gorgonzola Pasta – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 4 = 13sp per serving (Flex)

For the koftas

400g lean lamb mince (16% fat)

2 tsp ground cumin and ground coriander

¼ tsp chilli powder and ground cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

Zest of one lemon

Large handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

6 metal skewers (or 6 wooden skewers, soaked in water)

For the tabbouleh

75g bulgur wheat, simmered in water for 15 minutes, drained and left to stand for 10 minutes in the pan

4 spring onions, sliced (or ½ red onion, finely diced)

3 large tomatoes, roughly diced

½ cucumber, finely diced

½ bunch of fresh parsley and mint, finely chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Mint Yogurt

½ cucumber, grated and water squeezed out

2/3 bunch of mint, finely chopped

Juice of half lemon

200ml fat free natural yogurt

Serve with

4 x pitta breads

Method

Pop the bulgur wheat into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Once cooked, drain and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Pre heat the grill on a high heat.

Whilst the bulgur wheat is cooking you can get on with making the koftas. Pop all the ingredients together, season well and, in either a bowl or food processor, combine well together. Split into 12 evenly sized balls and roll with your hands into sausage shapes. Thread two koftas onto each skewers. Spray a baking tray with 1kal and pop the kofta skewers on top.

Pop under the grill for around 12-15 minutes, turning regularly until nicely browned and cooked through. Slide off the skewers.

Whilst the koftas are cooking, pop all the ingredients for the tabbouleh in a large bowl and mix well.

Mix together all the ingredients for the yoghurt.

Toast the pittas and once nicely warmed through, split in half and split open. Spread a little of the mint yogurt inside the pitta, add some salad leaves and a kofta (top with a little chilli if you fancy). Serve on with the tabbouleh, mint yogurt and some extra salad leaves.

Enjoy!

The post Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Tabbouleh and Greek Yogurt – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

If you don’t fancy the smoked sausage, or can’t find it, you can always replace with another sasuage (just be sure to amend the points accordingly). If you use 8 Heck Chicken Italia sausages instead, this would make the dish 11sp on all plans.

Making for a small person?

This is a really easy recipe to make for kids. Just omit the chillies and salt and add at the end for the adult.

Smart Points and Nutritional Information

Serves 4 = Per Serving

• 13sp on BLUE and GREEN and 7sp on PURPLE (if you use wholewheat pasta)
• 470 cals, 16.9g fat, 53.6g carbs, 21.1g protein

Ingredients

200g smoked pork sausage,  sliced (I got mine in Aldi)

1 large onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 pepper (any colour), diced

1 chilli, finely chopped

450ml chicken stock (made from 1 stock cube)

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp crushed chillies

½ teaspoon salt and black pepper

4 x tbsp single cream

240g pasta, whatever shape you fancy (wholewheat if you are on PURPLE)

3 spring onions, finely sliced

80g half fat cheddar, grated

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c.

Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and pop in the sausage, onion, pepper and chilli. Fry for around 5 minutes then pop in the garlic, smoked paprika and crushed chillies and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, season with salt and pepper, stir and then add your pasta.

Making sure the sauce is covering the pasta, pop on a lid and bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer for around 15 minutes (until the pasta is cooked through). Keep an eye on the sauce and add a little water if you think the pasta is too uncovered.

Once cooked, stir through your spring onions and cream, simmer for another minute with the lid off and then pop into a baking dish. Top with your cheese and bake in the oven for however long you like it. I like mine all melty so I go with around 10 minutes but if you want it nice and baked go with about 15. Pop a nice green salad on a plate and serve!

Enjoy!

Print

Hunter Sausage Bake

Serves 4 = Per Serving 13sp on BLUE and GREEN and 7sp on PURPLE (when made with wholewheat pasta) Calories - 470 Fat - 16.9g Carbs - 53.6g Protein - 21.1g

Ingredients

• 200 g smoked pork sausage sliced (I got mine in Aldi)
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 pepper any colour, diced
• 1 chilli finely chopped
• 450 ml chicken stock made from 1 stock cube
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp crushed chillies
• ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper
• 4 x tbsp single cream
• 240 g pasta whatever shape you fancy (wholewheat if you are on PURPLE)
• 3 spring onions finely sliced
• 80 g half fat cheddar grated

Instructions

• Pre heat the oven to 180c. Fill and boil the kettle.
• Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and pop in the sausage, onion, pepper and chilli. Fry for around 5 minutes then pop in the garlic, smoked paprika and crushed chillies and cook for another minute.
• Next add the tomatoes and stock, season with salt and pepper, stir and then add the dried pasta.
• Making sure the sauce is covering the pasta, pop on a lid and bring the sauce to the boil and then simmer for around 15 minutes (until the pasta is cooked through). Keep an eye on the sauce and add a little water if you think the pasta is too uncovered.
• Once cooked, stir through your spring onions and cream, simmer for another minute with the lid off and then pop into a baking dish.
• Top with your cheese and bake in the oven for however long you like it. I like mine all melty so I go with around 10 minutes but if you want it nice and baked go with about 15.
• Remove from the oven, plate up and enjoy!

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