I’ve tried many different combos for my Ceaser dressing and this one (which uses anchovies) is my favourite. Creamy and a little bit tangy, it goes so nicely with crunchy lettuce and juicy chicken. If you don’t like anchovies, use a little extra of Worcestershire sauce instead (it’s got anchovies in it). The anchovies do give the dressing a gorgeous flavour though (and don’t taste at all fishy). 

A traditional Caesar doesn’t have bacon but I like to add a little (in almost crumb form) for an extra burst of saltiness/flavour. Similarly a regular Caesar doesn’t usually have veggies like tomatoes and cucumber but I like to add to bulk out the dish with low calorie, fresh extras. 

If you fancy making this as a leafy salad rather than a pasta salad skip the pasta step below. 

The dressing makes 4 servings, all of which go into the pasta salad. If you are making the pastaless version, you will likely only need 2 servings of the dressing. The left overs will keep in the fridge, covered, for 3 days. 

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 10 points or 408 cals, 9.4g fat, 45.3g carbs, 36.8g protein   

For the dressing (makes 4 servings) 

1 clove of garlic, peeled 

1 anchovy 

1/2 tsp each Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce 

Juice of 1/2 lemon 

100g extra light mayo

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil 

20g Parmesan 

Salt and back pepper

For the pasta salad 

1 tsp olive oil

400g chicken breast, raw

2 slices of back bacon, fat removed 

1 x 30g pack of garlic and herb croutons, broken into smaller pieces (I used a rolling pin while the croutons were still in the bag)

2 heads of romaine lettuce, finely sliced 

200g cooked pasta (shape of your choice, I like rigatoni) 

Optional 

Large handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered 

1/2 cucumber, finely diced 

METHOD

1. Pop the pasta on to cook. 
2. Roughly chop the garlic and anchovy and pop into a pestle and mortar. Pound until both have turned into a paste. If the mortar is big enough you can add the rest of the dressing ingredients to it and mix well. If not, transfer to a bowl before you add the rest of the dressing ingredients and mix well. Add a splash of water to loosen until it is the consistency of double cream/yoghurt. Cover and pop in the fridge til everything else is ready.
3. Take the chicken, pop between two sides of baking paper and bash with a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten (around 1cm thick). Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Add 1 tsp olive oil to a large frying pan and bring to a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes then flip and cook further a further 3-4 minutes on the other side (or until cooked through and it is nice and golden on the outside). Remove from the pan and chop into bite size chunks (or slice and reserve for the top if you prefer). 
5. Take the chicken out the pan and add the bacon. Fry until crispy. Remove from the pan and pop onto a sheet of kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil. Then finely chop to a crumb.
6. Now you are ready to assemble. Into a large bowl add the pasta, tomatoes and cucumber (if having), chicken, bacon, croutons and lettuce. Add the dressing and toss everything together until well combined.
7. Pop into two large bowls and enjoy!

As always, if you like my recipes. Don’t forget my cookbook ‘Slimming Kitchen Secrets’ is available now!

The post Caesar Pasta Salad first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You can bake the dish at the end if you fancy (make sure to add additional points if you use more cheese) however I’ve tested it both ways and my favourite is to stir the cheese through the pasta and let it go all stringy and melty. Divine.

I used Cape Herbs and Spices Texan Steak Seasoning in this recipe but you can use any steak seasoning you can get your hands on (Schwartz do one which is available in most supermarkets). Pickle relish is also widely available, just look near the chutneys!

If you are feeling really extra you can fry up a couple of slices of bacon near the end of cooking the pasta. Remove the fat, fry in 1kal til crispy and then chop to a fine crumb, then sprinkle across the finished dish when you are dressing it. If you use bacon this would make it one extra point per person.

 POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 – per serving = 9 points or 441 cals, 12.3g fat, 51.6g carbs, 29.4g protein

Ingredients

500g lean (5%) beef mince, raw

1 white onion,  finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely minced

5 tsp steak seasoning

1 beef stock cube, crumbled

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp each onion powder and garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

400g tin of tomatoes

1 tsp salt

360g pasta (shape of your choice), dry

2 tbsp each reduced sugar and salt ketchup, American yellow mustard and pickle relish

75g light Cheddar cheese, grated

3 spring onions, sliced into thin rounds

2 large gherkins, sliced into rounds

Low calorie cooking spray

Method

1. Take a large pan (with a lid if you have one), spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the mince. Fry on a medium/high heat for around 5 minutes until the meat starts to brown and cook through.
2. Add the onion and garlic with 2 teaspoons of the steak seasoning, fry for another few minutes, and then crumble in the stock cube and add the tomato purée.
3. Stir-fry for a minute, and then add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Fry for a few seconds and then add the tomatoes, 1 litre of boiling water and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir and add the pasta, stirring to make sure the stock covers it.
5. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on and reduce to a simmer for 10–12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through (the pasta should absorb most of the water so the dish doesn’t end up a runny consistency).
6. Remove the lid, add the remaining steak seasoning, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish, and simmer for another 5 minutes, letting the sauce thicken up.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then finally stir through the cheese, spring onions and gherkins. Simmer for another minute or so to let the cheese melt, then remove from the heat.
8. Plate up and sprinkle with bacon crumb if you are having it.

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Variations

If you want to bulk this one out, you could always fry some finely chopped onion and sliced mushrooms once the bacon is crispy. No extra points but a bigger portion all round.

If you fancy mixing it up entirely you could replace the bacon with chorizo and once the oils have released, throw in some chopped spring onion. Up to 22g of chorizo will mean the dish is the same amount of smart points. Remember to peel the chorizo before you dice and cook so the oils can seep out and flavour everything  nicely.

Making for a small person?

Fancy making it for a baby too? Make the adults sauce base (egg yolk, parmesan and cream cheese) in one bowl and in a separate bowl make a mini version which omits the egg (ideally using full fat cream cheese and parmesan). Make the rest of the recipe as below, just remember not to add salt to anything (I would probably cook the pastas separately too so you can salt the adults pasta water). Once the pasta and peas are cooked, take a little of the bacon mixture from the main pan, pop it in a smaller pan and then separate the pasta and peas into the two different pans adding the relevant sauce. Season the adults with salt and pepper to taste (and crushed chillies if you like a kick like me)!

Smart Points and Nutritional Information

Serves 2 – Per Serving:

• 11sp on BLUE, 15sp on GREEN and 6sp on PURPLE (when made with wholewheat pasta)
• 322 Cals – 14.1g Fat – 27.4g Carbs 25.8g Protein

Ingredients

120g spaghetti, dried

30g garden peas, frozen

4 rashers of back bacon (smoked or unsmoked, fat removed and diced into 1cm chunks)

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

3 egg yolks

40g parmesan, grated

50g lightest cream cheese

Handful of basil/parsley, finely chopped

Method

Pop a large pan of boiling water on a high heat and add 1 tsp of salt.

Take a small bowl and add the egg yolks. Whisk and then add the parmesan and cream cheese.  Season with black pepper and then whisk again until you have a smooth mixture.

Next pop the pasta in the pan to cook and add the peas for the last 2-3 minutes.

Whilst the pasta and peas are cooking, spray a frying pan with 1kal and once hot, add the bacon. Fry the bacon for a few minutes and once it’s starting to crisp up, add the garlic (with a little splash of water if the pan is getting a little dry). Fry for another few minutes until the garlic softens and then reduce the heat to low.

Once the pasta is cooked, lift it out the water with tongs (rather than draining it) and pop it straight into the pan with the bacon. Use a slotted spoon to lift out any remaining peas and pop them into the bacon pan too. You want a little bit of the pasta water to splash in to the bacon pan to help the sauce stick to the pasta. Stir to combine and then switch off the heat. Next, pour the sauce mixture into the spaghetti/bacon pan with everything else and stir together with the pasta quickly so the sauce becomes nice and smooth (if it’s on the heat, the eggs could scramble so make sure its off!!) If the sauce is still a little thick, you can add an extra splash of the pasta water to loosen it up.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a sprinkle of basil/parsley and a little extra parmesan if you fancy.

Enjoy!

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Spaghetti Carbonara

Nutritional Information

Serves 2 - Per Serving

11sp on BLUE, 15sp on GREEN and 6sp on PURPLE (when made with wholewheat pasta)

Calories - 322

Fat - 14.1g

Carbs - 27.4g

Protein - 25.8g

Course Main Course, Pasta, Starter

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 322kcal

Ingredients

• 120 g spaghetti dried
• 30 g garden peas frozen
• 4 rashers of back bacon smoked or unsmoked, fat removed and diced into 1cm chunks
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
• 3 egg yolks
• 40 g parmesan grated
• 50 g lightest cream cheese
• Handful of basil/parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Pop a large pan of boiling water on a high heat and add 1 tsp of salt.
• Take a small bowl and add the egg yolks. Whisk and then add the parmesan and cream cheese. Season with black pepper and then whisk again until you have a smooth sauce..
• Next pop the pasta in the pan to cook and add the peas for the last 2-3 minutes of the pasta cooking time.
• Whilst the pasta and peas are cooking, spray a frying pan with 1kal and once hot, add the bacon. Fry the bacon for a few minutes and once it’s starting to crisp up, add the garlic (with a little splash of water if the pan is getting a little dry). Fry for another few minutes until the garlic softens and then reduce the heat to low.
• Once the pasta is cooked, lift it out the water with tongs (rather than draining it) and pop it straight into the pan with the bacon. Use a slotted spoon to lift out any remaining peas and pop them into the bacon pan too. You want a little bit of the pasta water to splash in to the bacon pan to help the sauce stick to the pasta. Stir to combine and then switch off the heat.
• Next, pour the sauce mixture into the spaghetti/bacon pan with everything else and stir together with the pasta quickly so the sauce becomes nice and smooth (if it's on the heat, the eggs could scramble so make sure its off!!) If the sauce is still a little thick, you can add an extra splash of the pasta water to loosen it up.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a sprinkle of basil/parsley and a little extra parmesan if you fancy.
• Enjoy!

The post Spaghetti Carbonara first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

If you are vegetarian you can leave the bacon out entirely, just make sure you check the seasoning as the bacon adds a nice salty flavour that you will have to adjust for without it. You will want to use a vegetarian alternative to Parmesan too.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 11 points or 397 cals, 8.0g fat, 56.0g carbs, 24.6g protein

Ingredients

300g broccoli, chopped into florets

1 tbsp pine nuts

60g fresh basil leaves (2 small packs), roughly chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated

½ tbsp olive oil

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

For the rest of the dish

280g dried pasta (whichever shape you fancy)

8 bacon medallions, raw and diced into 2cm squares

200g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tsp chilli flakes (or less if you don’t like it as spicy)

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Add the broccoli to a pan of salted boiling water. Blanch for 3–4 minutes and then scoop out with a slotted spoon, leaving the water boiling in the pan, and put to one side.
2. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente.
3. While the pasta is cooking, pop the broccoli into a food processor with the pine nuts, basil, 1 clove of garlic, the Parmesan, olive oil, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon water. Blitz until smooth, adding a little more water until you get your desired texture.
4. Season with salt and pepper and add the juice of half the lemon. Blitz again, taste and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
5. Next take a frying pan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the bacon. Fry for 4–5 minutes until it starts to crisp up, then add the tomatoes and remaining garlic and fry for another 2–3 minutes.
6. Drain the pasta, reserving a little bit of the pasta water, and add it to the pan with the bacon and tomatoes. Stir in the pesto and combine everything together, adding a little of the pasta water to loosen if necessary. Sprinkle with chilli flakes and squeeze in the juice of the other half of the lemon. Taste and add more salt and pepper if required, then serve

The post Broccoli Pesto and Bacon Pasta first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Now I must admit, it’s not a dish I’ve ever really ordered when eating out, generally as most of the time it’s vegetarian and high in calories, so I’ve always steered clear. That said I have had the cheeky mouthful when others have ordered it and most of the time you can tell that the oozy goodness comes from LOADS of cheese and butter.

When trying to think of a way to recreate the creamy, smoothness of a mac and cheese dish, I knew I had to find an ingredient that would bulk out the sauce but keep the points low and once again it was Butternut Squash to the rescue! The addition of it here does exactly that, creates a lovely base of the cheese sauce, adds a little sweetness and balances out the rest of the dish quite nicely. I’ve also added bacon to the dish for an extra layer of flavour and it’s worth doing, the saltiness contrasts very well with the sweet butternut squash and creamy cheesy additions!

Mac and Cheese

Serves 4 – 11sp per person (Flex)

Ingredients

4 x bacon medallions, raw

1 medium sized Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed (500g)

300ml chicken stock (made with 1 stock cube)

250ml skimmed milk

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 bay leaf

60g light cream cheese

100g light extra mature cheddar (I got mine from Asda), grated

Grating of nutmeg

Pinch of smoked paprika (and crushed chillies if you would like a little heat)

Salt and pepper

15g panko breadcrumbs

Two large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped

240g macaroni, dried

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Take a large pan, add the butternut squash, chicken stock, milk, whole garlic cloves and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes until the butternut squash is nice and soft.

Whilst the butternut squash is cooking fry the bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Once cooked, remove from the pan and chop into medium sized ‘crumbs’. Pop in a bowl to one side.

Once the butternut squash blend is soft, remove the bay leaf and then pop everything else into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the light cream cheese and blend again. Add half the grated cheese, stir through so it melts and then add the smoked paprika. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir and taste adding a little more seasoning if needed.

In a separate pan cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions. A few minutes before it’s cooked add the kale to the same pan. Drain and then add back to the pasta pan. Pour over the butternut squash/cheese mix and add two thirds of the bacon. Stir everything together so it’s nice and silky. If the mixture is still a bit lose, keep on a high heat for a few minutes so everything thickens up.

Next, pour the mixture into a baking dish, top with the rest of the bacon and grated cheese and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and twist of salt and pepper and then pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the breadcrumbs are nice and golden.

Remove from the oven and serve with a nice green salad finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Enjoy!

The post Mac and Cheese – 11sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Bacon, Gorgonzola and Kale Salad

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 7sp each (Flex)

For the salad

6 smoked bacon medallions

1 red onion, finely sliced

60g gorgonzola, crumbled

Large handful of kale

Large handful of salad leaves, roughly torn

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 inch of cucumber, sliced

For the dressing

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

Juice of ½ lemon

Method

On high, fry the bacon medallions in a griddle pan or frying pan for around 2 minutes on each side until cooked through and a little crispy. Remove from the pan and pop to one side. In the same pan, fry the onion in the left over fat from the bacon, adding a small splash of balsamic vinegar, until soft (around 5 minutes). Turn off the heat.

In a separate pan, whilst the bacon and onions are frying, boil the kale for 5-6 minutes until it softens a little. Drain and add to a large bowl.

Take the cooked bacon, chop into bite size slices and add to the bowl with the red onion, crumbled Gorgonzola, salad leaves, tomatoes and cucumber.

Mix together the ingredients for the dressing and then pour over the salad. Toss the salad together until everything is well combined.

Split between two large bowls.

Enjoy!

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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.