I tried a Christmassy pasta recipe a few years ago and loved it so last weekend, when we had a load of leftover cauliflower cheese, I decided to turn it into my own version of the festive dish. It’s so quick and easy too. So many of you have asked for the non WW recipes I cook too (and to be fair there aren’t many that aren’t WW dishes) so, before I share with you the healthier version, here’s the quick and dirty version to use up your Christmas Day/Sunday lunch leftovers. When I’m on plan, the key for me here is portion control. Use a small plate or bowl and don’t over load it. That way, even without it being fully pointed, you won’t go over your cals/points for the day.

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
Leftover Cauliflower Cheese
Dash if skimmed milk
Handful of sprouts
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
Pack of pigs in blankets
240g spaghetti
Squirt of honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Sprinkle of crushed chillies

METHOD
1. Pop the pasta on to cook in a pan of salted boiling water.
2. Pop your pigs in blankets in the air fryer/oven and cook according to the packet instructions.
3. Slice your sprouts (I used a mandolin so they are super thin but you can use a normal knife too).
4. Wizz up the leftover cauliflower cheese with a dash of skimmed milk – you want a thick and creamy soup consistency.
5. Take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal and add the sprouts. Fry for 3-4 minutes until softed and taking on a bit of colour. Add the garlic for the last minute.
6. Add the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
7. Add the cooked pasta, sliced pigs in blankets, honey and lemon juice. Add a dash of pasta water to loosen the sauce and make it lovely and silky.
8. Finish with an extra bit of seasoning if needed and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.

Don’t forget, my cookbook ‘Slimming Kitchen Secrets’ is available now!

The post Festi Spaghetti first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

A portion of this delightful little number comes in at only 237 calories, including the toffee sauce. To put that into context, an average sticky toffee pudding (from, say, a pub) comes in at an average of 750 calories.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 8 – per serving = 10 points or 237 cals, 10.8g fat, 24.7g carbs, 8.0g protein

INGREDIENTS

For the pudding

80g pitted dates

65g unsalted butter (plus extra to grease the tin)

1 tsp vanilla extract

40ml maple syrup

40ml golden syrup

1 tsp black treacle

2 medium eggs

100g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp each mixed spice and ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

For the sauce

2 tsp maple syrup (or golden syrup)

2 tsp black treacle

20g unsalted butter

4 tbsp light single cream

Pinch each of sea salt and ground cinnamon

To serve

6 tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
2. Pop the dates in a small pan with 100ml boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes, until the dates have softened. Once soft, add the dates and water to a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. To the food processor, add the butter, vanilla, half the maple syrup, half the golden syrup, the treacle and eggs, and pulse until you have a loose paste. Do not overmix.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ginger and cinnamon to the paste in the food processor and pulse until you have a smooth batter. Again, do not mix for longer than necessary.
5. Grease the sides of a small 15cm square cake tin with a little butter and on the bottom of the tin, spread over the rest of the maple syrup and golden syrup, then pour the batter mixture on top.
6. Take a second, large, deep baking dish and sit the smaller cake tin inside it. Cover the smaller tin tightly with foil and then add boiling water into the larger tin so it comes 2–3cm up the sides of the tin.
7. Bake in the oven for 30–35 minutes until a cocktail stick inserted into the pudding comes out cleanly. You are aiming for a light and airy texture, so the sponge should bounce back a little when pressed.
8. A few minutes before the pudding comes out of the oven, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, black treacle and unsalted butter. Once melted, pour in the cream and add a pinch of sea salt and cinnamon, then whisk and remove from the heat. Tip the pudding out onto a serving plate or board and cut into portions. You want the sticky side facing up!
9. Plate up, pour a little sauce over and serve each portion with a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt.

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I’ve included the points for the burgers on each plan below so you can work out your own points depending on how you have made up the burgers to your own taste. Personally I make it my burger up with a sandwich thin (3sp) and double burger (each topped with cranberry and brie) so I get lots of meat but not too many carbs. This would be 10sp on BLUE and PURPLE and 11sp on GREEN. I also serve with 0sp butternut squash chips.

Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Burgers

Makes 8 burger patties = 1sp per patty on BLUE and PURPLE, 2sp per patty on GREEN

Ingredients

450g turkey breast mince, raw

1 white onion, peeled and grated

1 small carrot, peeled and grated

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp garlic powder and dried sage

1 egg, beaten

50g panko breadcrumbs

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

To serve (add the relevant number of points – points below are the same on all plans)

Brioche bun (5sp) or sandwich thin (3sp)

25g brie per person (3sp per person)

2 tsp smooth cranberry sauce per person (2sp)

Salad to taste

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c.

To make the burgers add all the ingredients except the egg to a large bowl and combine well. Season well with salt and black pepper, add the egg and combine. Separate the mixture into 8 evenly sized balls and then use your hands to shape into patties. Pop onto a tin foil lined baking tray. If you have time, rest the burgers in the fridge (covered) for half an hour.

If you are having BNS chips with the burgers, pop them in the oven on 180c (I season mine with salt, pepper, paprika and chilli flakes and spray with 1kal). Once the chips have been in the oven for 25 minutes, add the burgers to the oven and cook for a further 20-25 minutes (until cooked through)(turn the BNS chips too).

Once everything is cooked, remove the burgers from the oven and begin to assemble however you fancy. I have a doubler so I take a bun/thin, add a few salad leaves dressed with balsamic or lemon juice and top with one burger. Spread over 1 tsp of cranberry sauce (you can warm this in the microwave for 20 seconds to make it a little more spreadable if needs be) and add half (12.5g) of the brie. Then add the next burger, another tsp of cranberry sauce and the other 12.5g of brie. Add the burger/thin top and give a bit of a squish.

Serve with BNS if you are having them.

Enjoy!

The post Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Burgers first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You will see that I’ve calculated the SP’s for each of the new plans below which I will do for all of my recipes moving forwards. Eventually I hope to be able to repoint all of my previous recipes too but this may take a little time so you may need to pop them back through your own recipe builder if you are on the green or purple plan now (all of the previous recipes are pointed for the old plan which is now the blue plan).

Mince Pie Baked Oats

Makes 6 Muffins = 4sp for 3 muffins or 8sp for 6 muffins (on the Blue Plan)

5sp for 3 muffins or 10sp for 6 muffins (on the Green Plan)

2sp for 3 muffins or 4sp for 6 muffins (on the Purple Plan)

Ingredients

50g porridge oats

1 medium egg

50ml skimmed milk

2 tbsp artificial sweetener

3 tsp mincemeat (I used Sainsbury’s own)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Pop all the ingredients except the mincemeat into a bowl and mix well.

Take six silicone cases and pop a tsp of the mixture into the bottom of each (use up to half of the mixture). Add half a tsp of mincemeat to each case and then top with the remaining oat mixture.

Pop in to the oven for 20-25 minutes.

Serve warm with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Enjoy!

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