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.

When we moved back to Newcastle, I had a rather large Sugo shaped hole in my heart and so I decided it was about time I tried to come up with my own version of the dish. The result below is the closest I could get to it tasting as good as the masters in Manchester. It’s a little higher in points for a pasta dish, but I promise you, its worth every single one of them. The recipe makes a huge batch of pasta sauce and so you can freeze plenty for another day. It’s a great dish to make family or friends as it feels so luxurious but it really doesn’t take much effort at all.

The pasta shape used in Sugo for this is usually Orecchiette and so when I can get my hands on it (usually in the Aldi special buys aisle) I always stock up. It’s the perfect shape to neatly cup the sauce and meat and is a lovely texture too. If you can find orecchiette, feel free to use the pasta of your choice.

You can get nduja in most supermarkets these days but if you are struggling have a look in your local Italian deli. This lovely spicy spreadable pork sausage takes this dish to a whole new level!

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 8 = 9 points per serving for the sauce – add extra points for your serving of pasta – I usually serve 60g dried per person for a total of 15 points.

Per serving = 246 cals, Fat 4.6g, Carbs 11.5g, Protein 14.1g 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g beef shin, raw
• 400g pork shoulder, raw
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 50g njuda sausage (you can get this in most deli style shops now)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 250ml red wine
• 500ml beef stock (made of 1 stock cube)
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes (Mutti are the best but any will do)
• 2 bay leaves
• Spring of fresh thyme and rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 50g parmesan, grated

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 150c (fan assisted).

Season the beef and pork with salt and pepper then take a large sauce pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat add the beef shin to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, pop to one side and then do the same with the pork shoulder. Remove from the pan.

Spray the same pan with 1kal again and add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry on a medium heat until everything begins to soften (6-8 minutes). Add the garlic and anchovies and fry for another minute.

Add the nduja to the pan, fry for a minute or two until the oils start releasing and it starts to breakup and then add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the red wine to the pan. Reduce the wine for a few minutes and then add the beef stock, tomatoes, bay, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Add the beef and pork back to the pan (chop into a few large chunks if you are struggling to get the meat to fit), make sure the sauce covers the meat and season well. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat, add the lid and then pop in the oven for 3-3.5 hours.

Once the cooking time is up the meat should be falling apart. You can either shred the meat in the sauce or take it out the pan and shred it on a plate. Either way, once shredded, put the pan back on the heat (with the meat and sauce) and reduce the sauce if it is still too thin until it thickens up. Adding the meat will help with this anyway.

Finally add the parmesan, stir and then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta of your choice.

Enjoy!

Print

House Sugo at Home

WW POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 8 = 9pp per serving for the sauce – add extra points for your serving of pasta – I usually serve 60g dried per person for a total of 15 points.

Per serving = 246 cals, 4.6g fat, 11.5g carbs, 14.1g protein

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 400 g beef shin raw
• 400 g pork shoulder raw
• 2 carrots peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks of celery finely diced
• 6 cloves of garlic peeled and finely minced
• 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped
• 50 g njuda sausage you can get this in most deli style shops now
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 250 ml red wine
• 500 ml beef stock made of 1 stock cube
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes Mutti are the best but any will do
• 2 bay leaves
• Spring of fresh thyme and rosemary
• 1 tsp oregano
• 50 g parmesan grated

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 150c (fan assisted).
• Season the beef and pork with salt and pepper then take a large sauce pan, spray with 1kal and on a medium/high heat add the beef shin to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan, pop to one side and then do the same with the pork shoulder. Remove from the pan.
• Spray the same pan with 1kal again and add the carrot, onion and celery. Fry on a medium heat until everything begins to soften (6-8 minutes). Add the garlic and anchovies and fry for another minute.
• Add the nduja to the pan, fry for a minute or two until the oils start releasing and it starts to breakup and then add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the red wine to the pan. Reduce the wine for a few minutes and then add the beef stock, tomatoes, bay, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Add the beef and pork back to the pan (chop into a few large chunks if you are struggling to get the meat to fit), make sure the sauce covers the meat and season well. Bring to the boil and then take off the heat, add the lid and then pop in the oven for 3-3.5 hours.
• Once the cooking time is up the meat should be falling apart. You can either shred the meat in the sauce or take it out the pan and shred it on a plate. Either way, once shredded, put the pan back on the heat (with the meat and sauce) and reduce the sauce if it is still too thin until it thickens up. Adding the meat will help with this anyway.
• Finally add the parmesan, stir and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with pasta of your choice.
• Enjoy!

The post House Sugo at Home first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

A few weeks ago I had a pack of lean pork mince in the freezer and so I thought, yep, lets add it to that, and this recipe was born.

It might seem a bit strange adding milk but milk is actually quite a traditional ingredient to add to a ragu (particularly Bolognese). Not only does it help make a lovely rich sauce, it also tenderises the meat and takes some of the acidity out of the tomatoes.

The key to this dish is a low, long simmer. It helps to thicken up the ragu nicely and make sure the flavours are deep and delicious.

If you don’t want to add the wine, just leave it out, you don’t need to replace it with anything. This will make the ragu 6sp per serving instead of 7. I serve this with 60g (dried) of pasta per person for a total of 13sp for the whole dish. I do add a cheeky shaving or parmesan to the top too though!

If you can’t get your hands on any of the whole nduja, you can get nduja paste in lots of supermarkets now, I got it recently in M&S. You can also get it online (I’ve had it from Amazon before and popped it into my shop if anyone would like to get it from there!!).

This is a great dish if you want left overs for the next day, or to pop in the freezer. Tossing the sauce through the pasta makes it go much further and I like it when theres a nice pasta to meat ratio (my hubbie on the other hand, would have piles of meat)!

Give this one a whirl, it’s a real treat.

SMART POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 = 7sp per serving (on all plans)

INGREDIENTS

500g lean pork mince, raw

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

1 onion, peeled and finely diced

2 sticks celery, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

50g nduja sausage (or 2 tbsp nduja paste), roughly chopped into 1cm chunks

2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted for 30 seconds in a dry pan and then ground to powder

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp crushed chillies

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml red or white wine (optional)

1 chicken stock cube

400ml skimmed milk

400g tin tomatoes

Bay leaf

Salt and pepper

100g fresh parmesan

Small bunch fresh basil, roughly torn (reserve a little to dress)

METHOD

Pop the pork mince into a large frying pan, season with salt and pepper and fry until the mince is nicely browned.

Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and fry for another 5-6 minutes until the carrot starts to soften.

Add the nduja, ground fennel, oregano, crushed chillies, lemon zest and tomato puree. Stir, fry for another minute and then add the wine. Simmer until the wine reduces by half.

Crumble the chicken stock cube into the pan. Add the milk, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on a low heat for 2 hours (no lid), stirring regularly. The sauce should reduce nicely over time.

Pop the pasta on when the ragu has 10 minutes left to cook.

Finally, add the parmesan and basil to the ragu, stir and remove from the heat. Season to taste.

Serve the ragu with the pasta (I like to toss it through before serving) and dress with the reserved basil.

Enjoy!

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Pork, Nduja and Fennel Pasta

Serves 6 = Per serving

7sp on all plans

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 500 g lean pork mince raw
• 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
• 1 onion peeled and finely diced
• 2 sticks celery finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and finely minced
• 50 g nduja sausage or 2 tbsp nduja paste, roughly chopped into 1cm chunks
• 2 tsp fennel seeds toasted for 30 seconds in a dry pan and then ground to powder
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed chillies
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 125 ml red or white wine optional
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 400 ml skimmed milk
• 400 g tin tomatoes
• Bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 100 g fresh parmesan
• Small bunch fresh basil roughly torn (reserve a little to dress)

Instructions

• Pop the pork mince into a large frying pan, season with salt and pepper and fry until the mince is nicely browned.
• Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and fry for another 5-6 minutes until the carrot starts to soften.
• Add the nduja, ground fennel, oregano, crushed chillies, lemon zest and tomato puree. Stir, fry for another minute and then add the wine. Simmer until the wine reduces by half.
• Crumble the chicken stock cube into the pan. Add the milk, tomatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer on a low heat for 2 hours (no lid), stirring regularly. The sauce should reduce nicely over time.
• Pop the pasta on when the ragu has 10 minutes left to cook.
• Finally, add the parmesan and basil to the ragu, stir and remove from the heat. Season to taste.
• Serve the ragu with the pasta (I like to toss it through before serving) and dress with the reserved basil.
• Enjoy!

The post Pork, Nduja and Fennel Ragu first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Sticky Hoisin Pork Fillet with Sesame Greens and Noodles

Serves 4 =  10sp on BLUE and PURPLE, 11sp on GREEN per serving

417 calories per serving

Ingredients

For the pork

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 x 400g pork fillet, raw, fat and sinew trimmed

For the stir fry

300g pack of egg noodles, fresh

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced

Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated (or ½ tsp lazy ginger)

2 red chillies, sliced

300g spring greens (or swiss chard), sliced and hard ends removed

6 spring onions, sliced into small rounds

100g edamame beans (I used frozen)

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp each hoisin sauce and dark soy sauce

Juice of ½ orange

Sriracha/ ½ tsp crushed chillies to taste

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200c. Brush 2 tbsp worth of hoisin sauce onto the pork, pop into a foil lined baking tray and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes (until cooked through). Baste the pork with more hoisin and its own juices every 10 minutes as it cooks. Once cooked, remove the pork from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before you serve.

When the pork has 10 minutes left of its cooking time, begin the stir fry. It’s very quick!

Pop the wok onto a medium heat, add ½ tbsp sesame oil and fry the garlic, ginger and chilli for 1 minute (add a little water if the pan starts to get dry). Then add the spring greens and fry for another 3-4 minutes (with a splash of water) until they start to soften. Next add the spring onions and frozen edamame. Fry for another 3-4 minutes until the veg is tender. Then add the sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, hoisin and soy sauce. Toss so the veg is coated well.

In another pan, fry the noodles in ½ tbsp sesame oil til piping hot. Once hot, add the noodles to the vegetables with ½ tsp crushed chillies or a squirt of sriracha (to taste). Add the juice of ½ orange, toss and then serve the veg and noodles into bowls.

Slice the pork and serve on top of the veg and noodles. Serve with a little extra hoisin if you fancy.

Enjoy!

The post Sticky Hoisin Pork Fillet with Sesame Greens and Noodles first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The veggies I’ve included below make for a lovely dish however if you have any other veggies, feel free to experiment. I’ve also flavoured the dish with one of my favourite combos, paprika and fennel but if you prefer other spices, feel free to mix things up!

I’ve made a little video to go along with this recipe, I hope you find it useful!

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 12 points or 396 cals, 5.5g fat, 59.6g carbs, 23.1g protein

Ingredients

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 chilli, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and roughly diced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

4 x reduced fat pork sausages, sausage meat removed from skin and skin discarded

2 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp paprika

240g pasta, dried

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml white wine (optional)

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube, crumbled

15g Parmesan cheese, grated plus extra for sprinkling

Sprinkle of chilli flakes (to taste)

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Blend the vegetables and garlic until you have a relatively smooth paste. Add the sausage meat to the blender and pulse until the sausage is combined with the vegetables.
2. Spray a large, non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and add the contents of the blender, beginning to fry over a medium heat.
3. Grind the fennel seeds in a pestle and mortar until they are a fine powder, then add the paprika and ground fennel to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and a splash of water if the pan gets a little dry.
4. Pop the pasta on to cook.
5. Add the tomato purée to the sauce with the wine, if you are having it. Stir to combine and simmer for a few minutes (to reduce the wine if you have added it).
6. Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan. Crumble the chicken stock cube into the tomato tin, fill with boiling water and stir to dissolve, then add to the pan.
7. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes until it starts to reduce and thicken and then add the grated Parmesan and chilli flakes. Season to taste.
8. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, stirring to combine. Serve with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan.

The post Speedy Sausage Pasta first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

You can buy pre made gyoza skins in Chinese or Asian supermarkets which would make the whole process below a bit less fiddly/time consuming (I will be doing this next time!). However if, like me, you didn’t have time to get your hands on any, you can always whip them up yourself! With minimal ingredients the skins are relatively simple to make and the best thing is, you can stuff them with whatever you fancy! Here I’ve gone for a classic mix of pork and prawn which turned out to be absolutely delicious. At only 6sp for a portion of 5 gyoza, you can have a little bit of what you fancy for not very many points at all!

The method below tells you how to make the gyoza without any pre prepped ingredients or special equipment however one thing I would recommend are these fab little gyoza makers. They are so cheap on eBay and make the whole process so much quicker and easier – they really make sure the edges of the gyoza are sealed tightly!

The little delights can either be served as a starter or can be served as part of a gyoza noodle soup (recipe for this bad boy also coming soon!!).

Pork and Prawn Gyoza

Makes 25 gyoza = 5 portions of 5 gyoza= 1 portion of 5 gyoza is 6sp (Flex)

Ingredients

For the gyoza skins

250g dumpling flour (or plain flour), sieved

125ml boiling water

½ salt

For the filling

100g lean pork mince (5% fat)

200g prawns, fresh or frozen (and defrosted)

2 gloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly grated

2 spring onions, roughly chopped

½ tsp each Chinese 5 spice and crushed chillies

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp each fresh coriander and basil, roughly chopped

Zest of 1 lime

Method

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve and then gradually add the water to the flour, stirring to combine. Once combined, form the dough into a ball and then knead for around 8 minutes.

2. Cut the ball of dough in half and then, using your hands, shape each half into a chunky sausage shape. Wrap each sausage separately in cling film and then pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. While the dough is resting you can make your filling. It couldn’t be easier, pop all of the filling ingredients into a food processor and blitz until you have a sausage meat like texture. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Pop in the fridge while you finish the wrappers.

Note: if you have pre made skins, you have the advantage of starting here and then skipping to step 5.

4. Take the dough out the fridge, dust the bench with a little flour and then cut each sausage into 12 (cut in half and then each half into six). Cover the dough pieces with a damp towel to stop them drying out and then, taking each piece in turn, roll into a ball with your hands and flatten by pressing with your palms. Roll out until flat and thin and then, using a round cutter (or glass), cut into rounds (you want them to be roughly the size of your palm). Collect the excess dough from the outside of the cutter as you go and combine (this will make your 25^th gyoza!). Pile the skins on a plate and top each with a little flour to stop them sticking together.

5. Now get ready to assemble the gyoza. Pop the bowl of filling next to the plate of skins. Have a small dish of water ready. Take one skin in the palm of your hand and pop a teaspoon of the mixture in the centre. Dip your finger in the water and wipe around the edge of the skin (this will help the edges to stick together).

6. Bring the edges of the skin together than then pinch ‘pleats’ along one side, pressing each pleat into the opposite side of the skin. This should seal the parcel completely. At this point, you can pop all the gyoza you aren’t eating onto a plate in a single layer and pop in the freezer for 1 hour. Then remove and bag up into separate portions and pop back in the freezer.

7. For the gyoza you are cooking right now, there are two ways you can go about it.

1. The first is to boil the gyoza for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
2. The second is to spray a frying pan with 1kal and in batches, fry one side of the dumpling for a few minutes until golden. Once all of the gyoza are browned, add them all back to the pan, add ½ cm water to cover the base of the pan and cover with a layer of tin foil with a few holes poked in. Steam on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the filling is cooked through.

8. Serve with a small bowl of dark soy sauce and a small bowl of sriricha for dipping.

9. Enjoy!

The post Pork and Prawn Gyoza – 6sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The portion may look small but these buns are very filling indeed and are packed with flavour. The lovely pickled salad freshens up the whole dish and the dipping sauces add that extra indulgent flavour. I eat these by tearing one bun apart and then eating each piece with a pinch of the salad and a dip in each sauce. Delicious.

I used my Chinese steamer to make these however if you don’t have one, any normal over the pan steamer will do. If you fancy investing in a bamboo one they are really quite cheap (mine were £3 each) and can be found in most Chinese supermarkets. They are a great addition to any kitchen as they can be used to steam anything you would steam in a normal steamer (veggies and what not).

Steamed Pork Buns (Char Sui Bao)

Ingredients

Makes 12 buns = 5sp per bun (Flex)

For the buns

400g self raising flour

200ml skimmed milk

Pinch of salt and sugar

12 white cupcake cases

Pinch of toasted seasame seeds (to dress at the end – optional!)

For the filling

300g extra lean pork mince

4 spring onions, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced

2 tsp Chinese five spice

Pinch of chilli flakes

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp honey

Juice of 1 lime

Bunch of coriander, stems separated from leaves and both roughly chopped (leaves kept for pickled salad below)

For the pickled salad

1 courgette, peeled into strips using a Julienne peeler

1 carrot, peeled into strips using a Julienne peeler

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced into thin strips

3 spring onions, sliced into thin strips

Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

To serve

1/2 tbsp sriracha chilli sauce per person (0sp)

1/2 tbsp hoisin per person (1sp extra per person)

Method

In a food processor (or bowl) mix the flour, milk, salt and sugar. Remove and pop onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. If the dough is too wet, add a little extra flour. Too dry, add a little extra milk. Roll into a long sausage sauce and split into 12 even pieces. Pop to one side.

To make the filling, add the mince to a large frying pan and fry for 4-5 minutes until it starts to brown. Add the spring onions, garlic, ginger, five spice and crushed chillies and continue to fry until the mince is cooked through. Then add the soy, hoisin, honey and lime. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture is nice and sticky. Add the coriander leaves, cook for another minute and then remove from the heat. Check and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a disc around 4 inchs in diameter (the discs should be a little thicker in the centre and thinner towards the edges). Add the filling to the centre of the bun and then fold in the edges of the bun to the centre so that they all meet at the top. Pinch to seal and then pop, seal side down into a cupcake case.

Fill a sauce pan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Arrange 6 buns inside the steamer then stack with the second steamer, arranging the second 6 buns in this. Pop the lid on, pop over the pan of water and then steam for 12 minutes.

Whilst the buns are steaming, add all of the ingredients for the pickled salad in a bowl and toss the white wine vinegar through.

Once the buns have cooked, serve with chilli sauce and hoisin sauce for dipping and the lovely pickled salad. You can even sprinkle with a few toasted seasame seeds if you fancy.

Enjoy!

The post Steamed Pork Buns (Char Sui Bao) – 5sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

I’ve whizzed the soup together here before adding the beans as I wanted something a bit smoother and wanted the sausage flavour to spread nicely through the soup. If you want something even more rustic, feel free to leave out the blending and leave it nice and chunky.

Rustic Italian Sausage, Tomato and Pesto Soup

Serve 4 – 3sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

4 x low fat pork sausages, skinned (I used Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Cumberland Sausages, these are 6sp for 4 sausages)

1 large red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

2 red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pack of salad tomatoes (around 300g), roughly chopped

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube

700ml boiling water

300g tin of beans of your choice (I’ve used mixed, cannellini and kidney), drained

2 tsp green pesto

1 tsp each paprika, oregano and crushed chillies

30g fresh parmesan, grated

Method

Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and add the sausage meat. Fry on a high heat until the sausage is cooked and starting to brown. Add the red onion, garlic, peppers and balsamic and fry for five minutes until the onions start to soften (add a drop of water if the pan becomes too dry). Add the fresh tomatoes, season and fry for another minute and then add the tin of tomatoes, chicken stock cube and boiling water.

Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and blitz using a stick blender (or food processor).

Once relatively smooth, add the beans, pesto, paprika, oregano and crushed chillies. Stir and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season to taste adding more crushed chillies if you fancy.

Enjoy!

The post Rustic Italian Sausage, Tomato and Pesto Soup – 3sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Spicy Baked Harissa Meatballs 

Serves 2 = 9sp each (Flex)

Ingredients

For the meatballs

Makes 20 small meatballs , half a portion of the meatballs (10 small meatballs per person) is 5sp each (Flex)

250g lean pork mince (5%)

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tbsp harissa paste

Handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Pinch of crushed chillies (optional if you like it spicy)

Zest of 1/2 lemon

30g breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1 egg

Other

1 x large butternut squash

1 small aubergine, sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced

2 tbsp fat free plain yoghurt

1/2 tbsp harissa

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 x pitta bread halves (I used Warburton’s which are 2sp per half)

Handful of salad leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Take the butternut squash, peel and cut into wedges. Par boil the wedges for 5 minutes until they start to soften then drain, pop onto a warmed baking tray, spray with 1kal, season and pop in the oven for 35-45 minutes (until cooked through and starting to crisp up a little).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl add all of the meatball ingredients. Mix until well combined and then using either your hands or, if you have one, a meatball press (I got mine from eBay and it was really good value!), form the mixture into small bitesized meatballs, rolling in your palms until nicely shaped. This should make around 20 small meatballs. Pop the meatballs in a single layer on a plate and pop in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt, lemon juice and 1/2 tbsp harissa.

In a baking dish, scatter the aubergine and red pepper, season and spray with 1kal. Top with the chilled meatballs and then, when the wedges have 20 minutes left, add to the oven. Bake meatballs and vegetables for 15-20 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Make sure you turn the meatballs, vegetables and butternut squash as its cooking.

When everything is cooked, remove from the oven and begin to build the pittas. You can either pop everything in the middle of table and help yourselves or construct and plate up as follows: toast the pitta, split and then stuff with a few salad leaves, a dollop of the lemony harrisa yoghurt, some roasted aubergine and red pepper and a 1/4 of the meatballs per pitta. Serve with the BNS wedges on the side.

Enjoy!

The post Spicy Baked Harissa Meatballs – 9sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

If you would like to make the dish for two, I would advise making all the meatballs and then popping half into a food bag raw and freezing until you need them again. Then just half the salad ingredients. I would make all the dressing though, its 0sp, so you can have as much or as little of it as you like.

Ingredients
Serves 4 = 9sp each (Flex)

For the meatballs (makes 20 meatballs)
500g lean pork mince (5%) raw
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 stick of fresh lemongrass, woody end removed and finely chopped (optional, I got mine in Sainsbury’s)
3 spring onions, very finely chopped (darker green ends discarded)
1 chilli, very finely chopped
Zest of 1 lime
2 tsp fish sauce
Handful of fresh coriander and fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped

For the rice noodle salad
1 pack of fresh rice noodles (300g)
¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, peeled using a julienne peeler into strips
2 carrots, peeled using a julienne peeler into strips
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful of fresh coriander and fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped

For the dressing
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
½ tbsp. sweetener
Juice ½ lime
1 tsp fish sauce
5 tablespoons water
Pinch of crushed chillies or squirt of chilli sauce (I used sriracha)

Method
All all of the ingredients for the meatballs to a big bowl, get your hands in there and give a good mix. Once everything is nicely combines, take a large plate and then roll mixture into 20 walnut sized meatballs.

Spray a large frying pan with 1kal, heat to medium and then add the meatballs, cooking for 8-10 minutes until cooked through and nice and golden on the outside (you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your frying pan.

In a smaller bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients, stir until the sweetener dissolves and then adjust to suit your taste (whether it be a little more lime, chilli sauce ect).

In another large bowl, add all the salad ingredients expect the rice noodles and half the dressing. Give a good mix.

Remove the cooked meatballs from the frying pan and pop on a plate to one side. Then add the other half of the salad dressing to the frying pan, turn up to high and add the rice noodles. Flash fry for 2 minutes until the noodles are cooked through and have absorbed some of the dressing. Pop the noodles in the bowl with the salad and toss everything together and then separate between four bowls. Top each bowl with 5 meatballs, squirt over a little sriracha and enjoy!

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