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.

I’ve included the recipes below for the chicken, wedges, kachumba (like an Indian salsa) and raitha. If you are having wedges you may not need a flatbread, or if you like something bready to mop up all the flavour, you could always have a smaller portion of wedges (or even make BNS wedges instead) and balance out the points with the flatbread. I love the WW mini garlic and coriander naan breads and they are an absolute points bargain at just 3sp on all plans. Whichever way you put this dish together, it is bursting with flavour and will provide you with plenty left over chicken for salads/lunches during the week.

When serving this dish to the family, I make sure that I only serve myself skinless breast meat (this is why I urge you to rub some of the marinade under the skin before the chicken goes in the oven – so you don’t miss out on the lovely flavour of the spice mix). Chicken breast is 0sp on BLUE and PURPLE.

Be sure to read through the method for each element of this dish before you start. It’s actually a really easy recipe, it just looks a little more complex because of the ingredients list but most of the ingredients are store cupboard essentials anyway!

I’m on BLUE and I served everything in a naan bread (3sp) with a handful of pomegranate seeds for a little extra juicy flavour. This made the total for my meal 7sp. A bargain in my opinion!

Tandoori Roast Chicken

Serves 6 = 0sp on BLUE and PURPLE and 3sp on GREEN (for up to 175g of skinless white meat)

Ingredients

1 x extra large whole chicken, raw (around 2kg)

2 onions, peeled and quartered

For the spice rub

150g fat free natural yogurt

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp each paprika, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin

½ tsp ground cinnamon

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (or 2 tsp lazy ginger paste)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp each sugar and black pepper

1 tbsp tomato puree

Juice of 1 lemon

To serve

Handful of fresh coriander

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

Small tub of pomegranate seeds (optional)

Method

Pre heat the oven to 200c. Take the raw chicken and using a sharp knife cut a slash into the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Using your hands, separate some of the skin from the flesh of the breast so you can get in there with the marinade. Make the spice paste by combining all the ingredients together and giving a good stir. Coat the chicken in the marinade (making sure you have lifted the skin of the chicken on the breast and smear the paste on the actual flesh of the chicken too). If you have any marinade left, pop it inside the cavity. Finally pop the lemon that you’ve juiced inside the cavity too. Scatter the onion across the baking tray and then pop the chicken on top, cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180c and cook for a further 80-90 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear (everyone’s oven temperature varies so the cooking time of the chicken will really depend on the oven and the size of the chicken, one the meat is white and the juices run clear it should be cooked however if you have a meat thermometer you can pop into the thickest part of the breast and the temperature should read at least 75c). Baste the chicken a few times during cooking and remove the lid or foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking (to let the skin brown nicely). Rest the chicken for 15 minutes before you serve. Finally sprinkle with some chopped fresh coriander, fresh chilli and a handful of pomegranate seeds. I serve on a chopping board with a carving knife so people can take whichever part of the bird they fancy.

For the spiced wedges

Serves 6 = 4sp per potion on BLUE and GREEN, 0sp on PURPLE

(Alternatively you can use butternut squash instead of normal potatoes and the wedges would be 0sp on all plans)

Ingredients

1kg maris piper potatoes, peeled and cut into wedge/chip shapes

1 tsp each ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, chilli powder and turmeric

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c (I cook the wedges for the last hour I’m cooking the chicken). Pop the wedges onto a hot baking tray in a single layer (don’t let them overlap as they will steam instead of roast). Spray with 1kal, season with salt and black pepper and then roast for 20 minutes. Remove the wedges from the oven. Mix all the spices together and then add to the wedges. Spray again with 1kal and pop back in the oven for 30-40 minutes (until the potato is cooked through and starting to get a little crispy round the edges). Keep an eye on the wedges when they are in the oven as everyone’s oven temperature varies and you don’t want the spices to catch and burn. Equally you don’t want the wedges to be underdone so be sure to taste and make sure they are nice and soft before you remove everything from the oven for the final time.

Kachumba

Serves 6 = 0sp on all plans

Ingredients

½ cucumber, diced

Handful of cherry tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, peeled and finely diced

Handful of coriander

Juice of 1 lemon

Sprinkle of chilli flakes and/or toasted cumin seeds (optional)

Method

Mix the cucumber, tomatoes, onion and coriander in a bowl (along with the chilli flakes and cumin seeds if you are having them). Squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon, season with salt and pepper and then pop in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

Raita

Serves 6 = 0sp on BLUE and PURPLE, 1sp on GREEN

300g fat free natural or Greek yoghurt

1 tsp mint sauce

½ cucumber, grated and water squeezed out

Pinch of cumin

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Method

Combine all the ingredients into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and then pop in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

The post Tandoori Roast Chicken first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

If you aren’t a fan of lamb you could use chicken instead. This make the recipe 7sp on BLUE, 8sp on GREEN and 4sp on PURPLE.

Harissa Lamb and Goat’s Cheese Potato Salad

Serves 2 = 10sp BLUE and GREEN, 7sp PURPLE

Ingredients

300g new potatoes, halved

10g pine nuts

200g extra lean diced lamb

4 tsp harissa paste

1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced

2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced width ways

1 lemon, halved

Mixed salad leaves, roughly shredded

Handful of fresh parsley and mint, roughly chopped

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

48g goat’s cheese, chopped into small pieces

1 tbsp fat free Greek yoghurt

Method

Pop the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and add 1 tsp table salt. Boil for 15-18 minutes (or until soft – check by poking with a knife).

Meanwhile take a large frying pan and add the pine nuts. Toast on a medium heat for a few minutes until you smell their nutty aroma and then remove from pan (don’t let them burn!).

In the same frying pan add the diced lamb, season with salt and pepper, add 2 tsp harissa paste and spray with 1kal.  Toss together and then fry on a medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until the lamb is cooked to your liking. Remove the lamb from the pan to rest (pop to one side in a bowl) and in the same pan add the onion and red peppers, spray with 1kal and fry for 8-12 minutes until the onions are nice and soft (add a little water to the pan if it starts to get a little dry). Add the onions and peppers to the same bowl as the lamb.

Drain the potatoes and add to the frying pan that you fried the lamb, onions and peppers in. Spray with 1kal and add 1 tsp harissa paste. Season with salt and pepper and fry the potatoes on a medium-high heat until they start to take on a little colour.

Take a large bowl, add the potatoes, lamb, onions and peppers and toss everything together. Add the juice of ½ lemon, toss and then add the salad leaves, parsley and mint. Toss everything together again, check and season with salt and pepper if required.

Pop onto a large plate or into a large bowl and then top with the goats cheese, pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.  Drizzle over the Greek yoghurt and the final tsp of harissa paste (in same dollops) and finish with a final squeeze of lemon juice.

Serve between two smaller bowls.

Enjoy!

The post Harissa Lamb and Goat’s Cheese Potato Salad first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This recipe works perfectly as an evening meal hot or, if left to cool and refrigerated, as a weekday lunch. It was also be the perfect addition to any BBQ or buffet table.

If you aren’t a fan of mackerel you could make this recipe using chicken.  Cook the chicken any way you prefer or if using the method below, season with salt and pepper and then pop under the grill for 5-7 minutes, flip and grill for 5-7 minutes on the other side until cooked through. You can then either chop the chicken into pieces or shred. Whichever you fancy!

You can get gochujang in most large supermarkets these days. I usually get mine in Sainsbury’s (who also sell it in their convenience stores) or from Amazon. It’s cheaper in store (a large pot is only £2.50 and lasts ages!)

Korean Mackerel and Potato Salad

Serves 2 = 5sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

400g new potatoes, halved

½ tsp gochujang chilli paste

2 tbsp lighter than light mayo

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 small garlic clove, peeled and grated

2 mackerel fillets, skin on, raw

Sprinkle of crushed chillies

Handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ cucumber, peeled into strips

2 spring onions, sliced into small rounds

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Small bag of salad leaves, roughly torn

Drizzle of Sriracha (if you like spice!)

Method

Pop the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and add 1 tsp table salt. Boil for 15-18 minutes (or until soft – check by poking with a knife).

Meanwhile, pop the grill on to a medium high heat. Take a small baking tray, cover with tin foil and lay the mackerel fillets on the foil, skin side down. Season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Spray with 1kal and then pop under the grill for 5-6 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Remove from the grill and pop to one side.

Whilst the potatoes and fish are cooking, make your dressing. In a large bowl mix the gochujang chilli paste, mayo, white wine vinegar and garlic. Mix and pop to one side.

Prepare all of the other vegetables.

Once the fish has cooled a little, flake the flesh away from the skin being careful to remove any bones.

Drain the potatoes and add to the dressing. Toss the potatoes in the dressing and then add the tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, coriander, salad leaves and mackerel. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in so everything is coated well in the dressing. Drizzle over a little sriracha if you like it spicy.

Pop into two bowls and enjoy!

The post Korean Mackerel and Potato Salad – 5sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Chicken, Beans and Greens with a Harissa Feta Dressing

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 2sp per serving (Flex)

Large handful of kale, raw and roughly shredded

½ pack of green beans, trimmed

200g mixed beans (I use a small tin)

250g cooked chicken breast meat, roughly shredded

1 heaped tsp harissa paste

70g light feta cheese, crumbled

3 tbsp fat free natural yogurt

¼ tsp red wine vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

Sprinkle of crushed chillies

Method

Pop the kale and green beans into a pan of salted boiling water and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the kale is wilted and green beans have softened a little. Drain and add the green beans and kale to a large mixing bowl.

While the kale and green beans are boiling, pour the mixed beans into a saucepan and heat gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t allow the beans to boil. Drain once warmed through and add the beans to the mixing bowl.

Add the shredded chicken to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and squeeze over the juice of ½ lemon.

In a blender, blitz the harissa pasta, 40g of the feta cheese, yogurt and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper (you could also just mash up the feta and mix through the other ingredients). Toss half of the dressing through the contents of the mixing bowl.

Split the contents of the mixing bowl between two serving bowls. Finish with a final crumble of feta, drizzle of dressing and sprinkle of crushed chillies (if you like a little heat) on both.

Enjoy!

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The best thing about this dish is you can leave the beef to cook while you go about your day (or if you are using the slow cooker, while you are out at work). Then when you get home there isn’t too much left to do other than a bit of crisping up and salad prep!

For a ‘salad’ this may seem a little high in points but this is because the beef brisket itself is a fairly pointy meat. Because this is a salad I wanted the meat portion to be generous so you were left feeling full and satisfied. If you wanted to share the meat portions out further, it would bring the points down a little more.

The recipe for the beef below makes 8 portions and when I made this I froze four for another day. The salad as listed below only makes 4 portions (so you can make the meal for 4 or make 2 portions for dinner and 2 for lunch the next day).

The beef in this salad would also be amazing in a noodle soup or even some steamed buns so the recipe for both of these will be coming soon!

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION 

Serves 8 – per serving =11 points or 277 cals, 10.0g fat, 15.6g carbs, 30.8g protein

Ingredients

For the beef (makes 8 portions)

2 onions, roughly chopped

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

50g ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 beef stock cubes made up with 500ml boiling water

2 tbsp honey

100ml Shaoxing rice wine

2 tbsp each light and dark soy sauce

1 tsp each Chinese 5 spice, ground cumin and chilli flakes

1kg beef brisket, raw

Low calorie cooking spray

For the salad (makes 4 portions)

1 bag of salad leaves

1 carrot, peeled into strips

1 cucumber, peeled into strips

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 spring onions, sliced into rounds

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

Large handful coriander, roughly chopped

10g unsalted peanuts, crushed

1 lime, halved

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 130°C (fan).
2. Take a frying pan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and add the onion. Fry for 3–4 minutes until it starts to soften (add a little water if the pan gets dry). Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute, then add the beef stock, 1 tablespoon honey, the rice wine, dark and light soy sauces and spices. Heat for another minute and then take off the heat.
3. Remove the string from the beef and place the beef into a large roasting dish (unrolled). Add the sauce from the frying pan. Cover the tin with baking paper, then a layer of tin foil so it’s sealed (this will keep all of the moisture inside the roasting dish).
4. Pop in the oven for 2½ hours. After this time, uncover the meat, turn it over and baste in the juices. Add the cover back on the dish and bake in the oven for another 2½ hours.
5. After 5 hours, remove the beef from the oven and turn the oven up to 180°C (fan). Pour the juices from the roasting dish into a frying pan and place over a high heat. Bubble for 10–15 minutes until the juices reduce by half.
6. Add two ladles of the sauce on top of the beef and drizzle over the rest of the honey. Place the beef back in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the top starts to go nice and crispy, then remove the beef from the oven and shred with two forks. Mix through the rest of the reduced sauce.
7. While the beef is crisping up, you can get on with making the salad. Put the salad leaves in a large bowl with the carrot, cucumber and tomatoes. Add half of the spring onions, chilli, if using, coriander and peanuts to the bowl. Dress with the juice of half the lime and toss together.
8. Take the other half of the spring onions, chilli, coriander and peanuts and mix together (you can chop together into a finer crumb if you fancy).
9. Add the pulled beef to the salad bowl and then top with the peanut crumb. Finish by drizzling the beef with the juice of the remaining lime half

Tip – If cooking in a slow cooker, add the onion, garlic and ginger to the slow cooker, then the beef (string removed and unrolled) and finally the rest of the beef ingredients (using only half the honey). Pop the lid on and cook on Low for 8 hours until the beef is soft and easily shreds apart. Once cooked, carry on with the recipe from step 5 or, if you don’t fancy the crispy bits, just shred the beef with two forks inside the sauce in the slow cooker.

The post Crispy Asian Beef Salad first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The freekeh (a roasted grain a little bigger than giant cous cous) adds a lovely smoky flavour to the dish and the lemon lightens everything up nicely at the end. Freekeh is farily easy to get a hold of these days as they sell it ready prepared in most supermarkets (with the microwaveable rice and grains) but if you can’t find it, it can be replaced with another grain (brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, whatever you fancy).

The pomegranate seeds in this dish are optional but add the most delicious fruity burst at the end of the dish.

The recipe below makes 6 generous servings but if you fancy a little more, the smart points for four servings (also included below) aren’t too many more.

Moroccan Roasted Butternut, Freekeh and Feta Salad

Serves 6 – 4sp per serving (Flex) or serves 4 at 6sp per serving

Ingredients

2 x large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced into ½ inch chunks

1 x tbsp Moroccan spice mix (I used Shwartz)

1 x pack of Merchant Gourmet Ready to Eat Freekah (if you can’t get this you can use any microwaveable grain – I got mine in Sainsbury’s)

1 x 200g pack light feta cheese (I use the Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Salad Cheese), crumbled

3 x roasted peppers (from a jar in brine), sliced

Large handful cherry tomatoes, halved

3 spring onions, sliced

Small pack of pomegranate seeds (optional)

Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 lemon

Large packet of salad leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

Take a large roasting tray, add the diced BNS, sprinkle with the Moroccan seasoning, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spray with 1kal and then pop in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the squash is soft and starting to get nice crispy edges. Remove from the oven and pop to one side.

Cook the freekeh in the microwave according to the packet instructions (mine took 45 seconds at 900w). Once cooked pour the freekeh in the tray with the BNS along with the feta, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, spring onions, pomegranate seeds and parsley. Toss everything together and then squeeze in the juice of one lemon.

Pop a few salad leaves in the base of each lunch box and then share the BNS mixture evenly between each. Pop in the fridge once cooled and enjoy being uber prepared for the week ahead!

The post Moroccan Roasted Butternut, Freekeh and Feta Salad – 4sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

If you would like to make this dish for packed lunches you can make a big batch of the cous cous and keep in the fridge for a few days. Similarly, you could make a few portions of the chicken, chop up and toss through the cous cous so it’s ready to go!

Harissa Chicken with Cous Cous Salad

Serves 2 = 7sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

2 large chicken breasts

2 tsp harissa paste

½ tsp smoked paprika

1 lemon

100g Aldi Spicy Cous Cous, dried

2 tomatoes, diced

1 spring onion, finely chopped

½ green pepper, deseeded and diced

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

60g light feta cheese, crumbled or cubed

2 tbsp fat free yoghurt mixed with a little harissa paste (1/4 tsp) and lemon juice

Method

Take one chicken breast, pop between two sheets of baking paper and flatten with either a meat mallet or rolling pin until around 1cm thick. Repeat with the second chicken breast. Add the chicken to a large bowl.

To a small bowl, add the harissa paste, smoked paprika and juice of half the lemon and mix. Add to the chicken bowl and combine. Leave to marinade if you have time, I didn’t so I just got straight on with making the rest of the dish.

Pop the cous cous into a clean bowl, top with the required amount of boiling water. Leave the cous cous to stand for 5 minutes to do its thing. Once all the water is absorbed and the cous cous is soft, add the tomatoes, spring onion, green pepper, fresh coriander and feta cheese to the bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss everything together. Pop to one side.

Take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal and then fry the chicken on a high heat for 3-4 minutes. Turn and fry for another 3-4 minutes (or until cooked through).

Add the cous cous salad to a bowl, top with the harissa chicken and finish with a dollop of the lemony harissa yoghurt.

Enjoy!

The post Harissa Chicken with Cous Cous Salad – 7sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The hotel we were staying at, the Royalton Riviera Maya for anyone whose interested, really pulled out the stops and arranged a private cooking class for my husband and I in the hotels dedicated Mexican restaurant.

The day of the class we (me with a rather large hangover as you can probably tell from the pics and my OH who was fresh as a daisy) headed down to the restaurant, which as you can see from the picture has the most beautiful open kitchen sat right in the middle of the dining area. This was where our class was to take place.

We were greeted by chefs Daniel and Luciano and informed we were going to be making a three course meal, the recipes for which I have the pleasure of being able to share with you now. I’ve had to make a few tweaks to chef  Daniels original recipe here to make it both Smart Points friendly and so that the ingredients would be readily available but it tastes almost exactly as it did on the day. Freddie, the Executive Chef who runs all 9 restaurants at the hotel even stopped by to say hello and have a quick chat about food and cooking.

Chef Daniel and Executive Chef Frederico 

I have to say a massive thanks to the guys in the hotel who arranged this fabulous afternoon for us. It was a real pleasure learning more about the cuisine which I love and having the opportunity to cook up and sample all of the amazing food.

Not only did I get lots of ideas for new dishes whilst I was away, I also learnt a lot about the cuisine itself.

Firstly before we visited the place itself I don’t think that I fully appreciated the difference between ‘Mexican’ and ‘Tex Mex’ cuisine. I had always assumed things like fajitas, chilli and BBQ sauce were Mexican but none of these things were on the menu in the Mexican restaurant.

Secondly, I’ve always been a fan of Mexican food for the delicious salsas, guacamoles and sauces however again I don’t think I fully appreciated the way that these elements are used to ‘build’ a dish and add different flavours too it. A lot of the time, the meat wasn’t actually spicy in itself, rather the salsas were used to add the level of heat you preferred. This is definitely something I will be taking into account more as lots of my recipes are rather spicy!

So without further ado below is the first recipe we made on the day, a starter dish titled ‘Wahaca Salad’. It one of the nicest salad dishes I’ve ever tasted and although I couldn’t get my hands on a few of the ingredients, the recipe below is as close to the original as I could get! It’s not as low in points as some of my other recipes but I was keen to retain the amazing flavours Daniel created. Its the perfect starter for any meal and a lovely weekend lunch. It may seem a little complicated to make but it really is worth it.

If you don’t want to include the pistachios (I know some people are allergic) just omit them. The points stay the same.

The salad we made on the day

My version of ‘Wacaha Salad’

Wahaca Salad

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 11sp per person (Flex)

100g soft goat’s cheese

1/4 tsp olive oil

20g pumpkin seeds

1/2 tbsp sugar

5 pistachios, blended into a crumb (optional) (I did this in a spice grinder but you could do it in a blender or in a pestle and mortar)

2 smoked bacon medallions

Handful of salad leaves

1 carrot, peeled into strips with a julienne peeler

1 courgette, peeled into strips with a julienne peeler

Handful of tomatoes, halved

1 lemon

1 level tsp honey

1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard

Method

Pop the goats cheese into a bowl, add the olive oil and mix through so the cheese is soft and pliable. Pop the bowl to one side.

Take a small non stick frying pan, add the pumpkin seeds and toast for a few minutes. Remove the pumpkin seeds from the pan and pop to one side. In the same pan, add the sugar and heat  until it melts and begins to brown. Don’t stir the pan at all, just let the sugar do its thing from a distance. The caramelisation of the sugar happens quickly so get ready to take it off the heat. One the sugar has browned, remove from the heat and add the pumpkin seeds, tossing them in the caramel. Leave to cool. Once cooled, tip the caramelised seeds onto a chopping board and chop until you have a fine crumb.

Add half of the pistachio crumb to the pumpkin mix and combine.

Next take a 1/4 tsp sized ball of goats cheese, roll into a rough ball with a teaspoon and roll in the crumb. Pop onto a plate and repeat until you have 10 small balls. Pop in the fridge.

If you are having the bacon, grill or griddle and then roughly chop.

Take two bowls and add a handful of salad leaves to each. Add the carrot and courgette and tomatoes, squeeze over the juice of 1/2 the lemon and then toss together. Top the salad with the goats cheese balls and bacon.

In a small bowl, mix the honey, the rest of the lemon and wholegrain mustard. Drizzle over the salad. Finish by sprinkling over the remaining pistachio crumb.

Enjoy!

The post A Mexican Cooking Class and a Fabulous Wahaca Salad! first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The beauty of this recipe is how quick it is to make. Once the tomatoes are cooked it takes less than 3 minutes from your pan to the plate. If you want to  make this dish more substantial you could add some meat or prawns to it too. Just stir fry the meat/prawns before you add the courgette noodles to the frying pan.
Ingredients
Serves 2 = 4sp per person (Flex)
250g baby plum/vine tomatoes (vine removed)
½ tsp olive oil and ½ tsp coconut oil (or 1 tsp olive oil)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed (but left mostly whole)
2 large courgettes, spiralised (or 300g pack of pre spiralised courgette, you can get in most supermarkets now)
½ tsp oregano
Juice of half a lemon
Two large handful of spinach, shredded
Handful of fresh basil, shredded (optional)
100g half fat feta cheese, roughly crumbled
Method
Pre heat the oven to 200c. In a roasting dish add the tomatoes, drizzle over ½ tsp olive oil, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Throw in the garlic cloves, toss everything together and pop in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the tomatoes have started to pop a little.

Once the tomatoes have cooked turn off the oven and leave them inside so they stay warm. The rest of the recipe comes together really quickly after this.

Take a large frying pan, add the coconut oil (or rest of the olive oil ), warm to a medium heat and then add the courgetti and oregano. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice and give a good toss. Add the spinach and basil and toss through the courgette. Separate between two bowls and then top with the tomatoes and feta cheese.

Plate up and enjoy!

The post Balsamic Roasted Tomato and Feta Courgetti -4sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.