Before you start making the sauce, decide which accompaniment you fancy. I’ve made this with several options but my favourites are roast potatoes, pan fried new potatoes (boil potatoes til soft, smash a little and then crisp up in a frying pan) or rice. I usually serve with green beans (boiled for a few minutes and then finished in a 1sp of light butter, lemon juice and salt and pepper) or asparagus. All make for a lovely dish that feels like a real indulgence. Just remember to add the extra points for whichever accompaniment you prefer (I usually have 6sps worth of potatoes or rice).

SMART POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – 3sp on BLUE and PUPLE, 5sp on GREEN for the chicken in tarragon sauce

Per serving – 330 calories, Fat 5.1g, Carbs 10.4g, Protein 64.8g

INGREDIENTS

4 x chicken breasts (around 200g raw weight per breast)

1 large leek, washed, woody end removed and sliced into thin rounds

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

300g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 heaped tbsp of plain flour

125ml white wine

2 tsp Dijon mustard

500ml chicken stock (made of 1 chicken stock cube)

4 tbsp light crème fraiche

Few sprigs of fresh tarragon (one left whole and 2 chopped finely)

METHOD

Note – Before you start cooking this one, have a read of the short blurb above so you can choose your accompaniment and pop it on at the right time whilst cooking the sauce.

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Take a large saucepan or frying pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat fry the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point, you just want some colour on the meat. Remove the chicken from the pan and pop to one side.
2. In the same pan, spray again with 1kal and add the leek. Season with salt and black pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes until the leek starts to soften. Add a little water if the pan starts to get dry.
3. Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Finally add the plain flour, stir through and fry for another minute.
5. Next add the white wine, simmer for a few minutes until reduced by half and then add the chicken stock, the mustard and the whole sprig of tarragon. Add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced slightly and has started to thicken.
7. Reduce the heat to low/medium and then add the crème fraiche. Stir through until well combined, simmer for another few minutes and then remove from the heat.
8. Finally stir through the fresh tarragon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if required.
9. Serve with the accompaniment of your choice.
10. Enjoy!

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Creamy Tarragon Chicken

WW - 3sp on BLUE and PUPLE, 5sp on GREEN for the chicken in tarragon sauce

Calories per serving – 330 calories, Fat 5.1g, Carbs 10.4g, Protein 64.8g

Servings 2

Ingredients

• 4 x chicken breasts around 200g raw weight per breast
• 1 large leek washed, woody end removed and sliced into thin rounds
• 3 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
• 300 g chestnut mushrooms cleaned and sliced
• 1 heaped tbsp of plain flour
• 125 ml white wine
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 500 ml chicken stock made of 1 chicken stock cube
• 4 tbsp light crème fraiche
• Few sprigs of fresh tarragon one left whole and 2 chopped finely

Instructions

• Note - Before you start cooking this one, have a read of the short blurb above so you can choose your accompaniment and pop it on at the right time whilst cooking the sauce.
• Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper. Take a large saucepan or frying pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat fry the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point, you just want some colour on the meat. Remove the chicken from the pan and pop to one side.
• In the same pan, spray again with 1kal and add the leek. Season with salt and black pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes until the leek starts to soften. Add a little water if the pan starts to get dry.
• Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes.
• Finally add the plain flour, stir through and fry for another minute.
• Next add the white wine, simmer for a few minutes until reduced by half and then add the chicken stock, the mustard and the whole sprig of tarragon. Add the chicken back to the pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer for 20 minutes until the liquid is reduced slightly and has started to thicken.
• Reduce the heat to low/medium and then add the crème fraiche. Stir through until well combined, simmer for another few minutes and then remove from the heat.
• Finally stir through the fresh tarragon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if required.
• Serve with the accompaniment of your choice.
• Enjoy!

The post Creamy Tarragon Chicken first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

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.

smart points and nutritional information

Serves 2 = 11sp per serving on BLUE and GREEN and 5sp on PURPLE (when using whole grain rice or pasta)

Per serving

• Calories – 633
• Fat – 14.2g
• Carbs – 65.6g
• Protein 56.1g

Ingredients

300g lean rump or frying steak, raw, fat removed and cut into thin strips

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tsp paprika

1 onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Box of mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 beef stock cube (made up with 400ml boiling water)

Grating of nutmeg

2 tbsp half fat sour cream

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

Handful of parsley, roughly chopped

120g tagliatelle (wholewheat if on F&H)(or 120g dried basmati rice if you fancy that instead)

Method

Coat the beef in ½ the flour, ½ the paprika and season with salt and pepper.

Spray a large frying pan with 1kal and fry the steak on a medium/high heat until browns (I fried for around 6 minutes). Remove from the pan and pop to one side on a plate.

Spray the pan again with 1 kal, add the onions to the pan and fry for a few minutes and then add the rest of the flour.  Fry for another few minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little water if the pan gets too dry). Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another few minutes. Add the rest of the paprika, Dijon mustard and tomato puree, stir and fry for another minute and then add the beef stock. Add the meat back to the pan and then stir and simmer on a medium to high heat for around 10 minutes so that the sauce starts to reduce and thicken.

Whilst the stroganoff is simmering, put the pasta (or rice) on til al dente, then drain.

Turn the heat on the sauce to low then add the sour cream and nutmeg, stir and simmer for another few minutes. Add the parsley and red wine vinegar, stir, taste and season if needed. Stir through the pasta, coating well and serve in some nice big pasta bowls.

Enjoy!

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Beef Stroganoff

Nutritional Information

Per serving

11sp on BLUE and GREEN and 5sp on PURPLE (when using whole grain rice or pasta)

Calories - 633

Fat - 14.2g

Carbs - 65.6g

Protein 56.1g

Course Main Course

Cuisine Russian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 633kcal

Ingredients

• 300 g lean rump or frying steak raw, fat removed and cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and finely chopped
• 1 box of mushrooms sliced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 beef stock cube made up with 400ml boiling water
• Grating of nutmeg
• 2 tbsp half fat sour cream
• 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
• Handful of parsley roughly chopped
• 120 g tagliatelle wholewheat if on F&H(or 120g dried basmati rice if you fancy that instead)

Instructions

• Coat the beef in ½ the flour, ½ the paprika and season with salt and pepper.
• Spray a large frying pan with 1kal and fry the steak on a medium/high heat until it browns (I fried for around 6 minutes). Remove from the pan and pop to one side on a plate.
• Spray the pan again with 1 kal, add the onions to the pan and fry for a few minutes and then add the rest of the flour.  Fry for another few minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little water if the pan gets too dry)
• Add the garlic and mushrooms and fry for another few minutes. Add the rest of the paprika, Dijon mustard and tomato puree, stir and fry for another minute and then add the beef stock.
• Add the meat back to the pan and then stir and simmer on a medium to high heat for around 10 minutes so that the sauce starts to reduce and thicken.
• Whilst the stroganoff is simmering, put the pasta (or rice) on til al dente, then drain.
• Turn the heat on the sauce to low then add the sour cream and nutmeg, stir and simmer for another few minutes. Add the parsley and red wine vinegar, stir, taste and season if needed.
• Stir through the pasta, coating well and serve in some nice big pasta bowls.

The post Beef Stroganoff first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

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.

The post Cheesy Potato Topped Beef and Chorizo Stew first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This recipe is one I have been thinking about making for a while. Having picked up two large mackerel fillets for just 80p recently, I though the time was about right to get making this one.

If you don’t have a pestle and mortar you can leave the coriander and mustard seeds whole, or if you don’t have these, simply omit.

Mackerel Kedgeree – 6sp

Serves 2 = 6sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

1 tsp each coriander and mustard seeds

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

100g long grain rice, dry

250g mackerel fillets, skin on, raw

1 vegetable stock cube

½ tsp salt and hot chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

2 tbsp curry powder

60g frozen garden peas

1 tsp lurpack lighter

1 lemon

Small bunch of coriander, stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped

Crushed chillies (to taste)

Method

To begin, place the mackerel, skin side down, into a wide sauce pan with 500ml of boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes until cooked through. Remove the mackerel from the pan and pop onto a plate (don’t drain the water, you will use this as the base for your stock!)

Next take a large frying pan or wok. Add the coriander and mustard seeds and fry for a minute or two until you can smell their aroma. Remove from the pan, pop into a pestle and mortar and grind into a powder.

In the same frying pan, spray with 1kal and then add the onion and fry for 6-8 minutes until the onion starts to soften (add a little water if the pan gets too dry). Add the garlic, fry for another minute and then add the chilli powder, salt, turmeric and curry powder to the pan. Add the rice, stir fry for a minute and then add the water that you cooked the fish in. Add the stock cube, crumbled.

Bring to a simmer, stir and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 15 minutes.

Whilst the rice is simmering you can soft boil your eggs (boil for 6-7 minutes so the whites set and yolks are still a little runny). Remove from the heat and rinse under cold water. Peel, quarter and set aside.

After the rice has been cooking for 15 minutes add the peas to the pan, replace the lid and cook for another 5 minutes (or until the rice is cooked to your liking).

Flake the mackerel on a plate, removing the skin and any small bones and pop the flesh to one side.

Once the rice is cooked, add the mackerel, butter and coriander leaves to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine and pop the lid on to rest for a minute or two. Finally add the juice of ½ a lemon, stir and split between two bowls.  Top with 1 egg per person and serve with a ¼ slice of lemon each. Finish with a sprinkle of crushed chillies if you fancy.

Enjoy!

The post Mackerel Kedgeree – 6sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This recipe is the perfect January recipe to get you kick started for the new year. It has the lovely comforting warmness that any winter dish needs, but the crab, chorizo and chilli combo bring a lovely fresh and vibrant flavour to the dish. Using orzo instead of risotto brings the cooking time right down so it can be made much more quickly if you are in a rush. If you can’t get a hold of fresh crab meat, tinned crab meat will work just as well. Most supermarkets have samphire these days and for such an easy ingredient to cook, it brings a lovely fresh crunch to the dish. If you can’t get a hold of any samphire I would add a handle of frozen garden peas to the dish ten minutes before it’s finished so that it keeps a nice green burst.

Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire

Serves 2 = 11sp each

Ingredients

1 x white onion, peeled and finely diced

2 x garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

1 x red chilli, finely chopped (and deseeded if you don’t like it too hot)

40g chorizo, peeled and sliced into half moons

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml white wine

120g orzo, dried

½ litre vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable stock cube)

125g cooked white crab meat

Large handful of parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Small pack of samphire

1 tsp lurpack lightest

Method

1. Take a large saucepan and pop onto a medium heat. Spray with 1kal and add the onions. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little water if the pan gets dry).

2. Add the garlic, chilli and chorizo and fry for another minute until the oil from the chorizo starts to release. Then add the tomato puree, fry for another minute and then add the wine.

3. Simmer the wine for a few minutes until the wine reduces and then add the orzo, stirring in.

4. Add half the stock so that it covers the orzo turning down to simmer.

5. Keep adding the stock until the orzo is cooked (it usually takes 12-15 minutes). Once the orzo is cooked and the stock is absorbed, add the crab meat and season to taste. Toss the crab meat through the orzo until it is warm.

6. Add the parsley and juice of 1 lemon and then take off the heat. Leave to rest for a minute while you cook the samphire.

7. Boil the samphire in another pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pop back into the same pan with the butter. Let the butter melt with the heat of the pan and toss through the samphire.

8. Serve the orzo in a bowl topped with the samphire.

9. Enjoy!

The post Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire – 11sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This really is a simple recipe to make and can literally be ready in the time it takes to grill the burgers. I had the bowl on its own but if you are really hungry, you could always serve with some butternut squash chips.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 2 – per serving = 10 points or 470 cals, 12.7g fat, 17.4g carbs, 69.7g protein

Ingredients

For the burgers

4 x lean beef burgers

Pinch of smoked paprika

4 x smoked bacon medallions, (fat removed)

160g salad leaves

12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 small red onion, finely sliced

2 tablespoons jalapeños

2 tablespoons sliced gherkins, plus extra for the top

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

40g light mature cheddar, thinly sliced

For the burger sauce

2 tbsp extra light mayo

1 tbsp reduced sugar and salt ketchup

1/2 tbsp American mustard

1 tsp white wine vinegar (or vinegar out of the gherkin jar)

1/4 tsp each garlic granules, onion powder and smoked paprika

Pinch cayenne pepper

Dash Worcestershire sauce

Method

1. Season the burgers with a little salt, black pepper and smoked paprika.
2. Preheat the oven or grill and cook the burgers according to the packet instructions. Put the bacon on the same tray and cook with the burgers until cooked to your liking (I like mine well done and almost crispy).
3. Pop the salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, jalapeños and sliced gherkins into a large bowl. Dress with the white wine vinegar, toss everything together, and split the salad between two bowls.
4. Mix all the burger sauce ingredients together.
5. Once the burgers are cooked through, add 10g of cheese to the top of each burger and pop back into the oven until the cheese has melted a little.
6. Remove the burgers from the oven. Put one burger on top of each bowl of salad, then top with the bacon and a little burger sauce. Repeat and continue stacking with the second burger and bacon slice, and then top with a final dollop of burger sauce. Finish with a gherkin on top for maximum fakeaway effect.

The post Burger in a Bowl first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

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.

Tuna is a great option for those that don’t like their fish too ‘fishy’ as both the texture and flavour is lovely and meaty. The herby gremolata which tops the tuna gives this dish a lively and fresh finish and the tomatoey cous cous is not only full of flavour but lovely and filling. A lovely summery yet satisfying dish for only 6sp.

The gremolata prepared as below can also be used as a finishing topper to liven up roasted veggies. It’s so simple to make and really lifts the flavour of anything it’s added too.

The recipe below serves 4. If you are only making this for two people I would still make enough cous cous for 4 as it’s the perfect thing to box up and add to a salad for a packed lunch the next day. The points would stay the same as the tuna is 0sp.

Tuna with Herby Gremolata and Giant Tomato Cous Cous

Serves 4 = 6sp each (Flex)

For the Cous Cous

1 red onion, peeled and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 large roasted red peppers, finely chopped

1 tsp each paprika and oregano

½ tsp crushed chillies and cumin

200g chopped tomatoes

1 vegetable stock cube (made up with 400ml boiling water)

200g giant cous cous, dried

1 tbsp red pesto

1 tbsp parmesan, grated

1 lemon, quartered

For the Gremolata

Large handful of fresh parsley and basil (I used a 30g pack of each)

1 large garlic clove, peeled

2 tbsp capers, drained

1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 tsp whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

For the tuna

4 x 150g tuna steaks, raw

½ tbsp olive oil

To serve

1 lemon, quartered

Method

Begin by making the cous cous. Take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal and add the onion. Fry for 5-7 minutes until it starts to soften (add a little water if the pan gets too dry). Then add the peppers and garlic and fry for another minute or two. Add the paprika, oregano, cumin and crushed chillis, fry for another minute and then add the chopped tomatoes and half the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cous cous, stir to combine and bring to the boil. Once boiled, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until the cous cous is cooked and the majority of the liquid has absorbed into it. Keep an eye on the cous cous as it is cooking and add more stock where required to keep it moist and cooking throughout.  Keep the cous cous warm on a low heat once cooked, whilst you finish everything else. Just before serving add the pesto, parmesan and lemon juice. Stir to combine.

Whilst the cous cous is simmering you can make the gremolata. Add all the ingredients to a food processor, pulse a few times and then pop into a bowl and into the fridge until required – it’s that easy. You want a roughly chopped texture rather than a smooth sauce.

For the tuna, brush both sides of each steak with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then add to a hot non stick frying pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side (I like mine pink in the middle so I do one minute on each side, if you like it cooked through, give it 2-3 minutes on each side).

To serve, take a bowl, add the tomato cous cous to the base, pop on the tuna steak and then top with the herby gremolata. Serve with a ½ slice of lemon per person.

Enjoy!

The post Tuna with Herby Gremolata and Giant Tomato Cous Cous – 6sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You can buy Korean chilli paste from most Asian supermarkets or you can buy it online (I bought mine from souschef.co.uk). It has the most amazing flavour;  a little savoury, a little sweet but nice and spicy. I also ordered the Korean chilli powder at the same time but, if you don’t like things too hot, you can leave this out (or if you like it hot but don’t have this ingredient, replace with ½ tsp normal chilli flakes).

This chilli paste is definitely worth investing in and will feature in a few of my upcoming recipes too! For 11sp this dish really is a bargain!

Spicy Korean Chilli Chicken – Dak Galbi

Serves 2 = 11sp in total (5sp for the chicken and marinade and 6sp for the rice)

Ingredients

For the marinade

½ tbsp. gochujang chilli paste

1 tsp Korean red pepper powder (optional if you like it hot – replace with ½ tsp crushed chillies if you don’t have red pepper powder)

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. honey

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

For the rest of the dish

400g chicken breast, raw and diced or sliced

1 white onion, finely sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced

2 spring onions, finely sliced

120g basmati rice, dried

½ a small cucumber

½ a small courgette

Splash of white wine vinegar

Method

Combine all of the marinade ingredients with a small dash of water (up to 2 tsp) and stir until the chilli paste has dissolved. Pop the chicken in a large bowl and then add the marinade, coating well. Marinade for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours).

Next pop the rice on the cook. Then either sprialize or julienne peel the courgette and cucumber. Pop into a bowl, top with a little white wine vinegar and toss through. Pop in the fridge until you come to eat.

Next, spray a wok with 1kal and then add the onion and pepper. Season. Fry on a high heat until the onion starts to soften and then add the chicken (reserving the marinade in the bottom of the bowl). Stir fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes until cooked through and then add the rest of the marinade. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is nicely coated in the marinade.

Finally serve the spicy chicken on top of the rice, add the cucumber and courgette salad to the side and top with a sprinkling of spring onions (and a pinch of toasted sesame seeds if you have them).

Enjoy!

The post Spicy Korean Chilli Chicken– 11sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.