If you don’t want to use the wine, simply omit, you don’t need to replace it with any extra stock. This will make the risotto 8sp per serving.

One tip I picked up from the lovely Gemma at her cookery classes (You Say Tomato Cooking) is to keep the ends of your parmesan (the rind) so that you can use it as a ‘cheesy teabag’. I love this idea as it means you are using every part of the ingredient and so I’ve added it here to the stock to up the flavour. If you don’t have a rind to hand, don’t worry, simply leave this out but it adds a lovely additional base flavour (when I get to the rind I pop it in a food bag and into the freezer so I’ve always got one to hand now!).

If you don’t fancy using steak you can make this risotto with any meat you like, I’ve included the points for the risotto on its own as well as with the steak so you can adjust it if needs be.

The breadcrumbs add a lovely texture to the dish as well as a hit of flavour at the end. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t include them in the recipe but they really do take the dish to the next level!

Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto with Steak

Serves 4 = 9sp per serving for the risotto, 1sp per serving for the breadcrumbs and 5sp per steak = 15sp in total per serving on all plans

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

200g arborio rice, dry

125ml white wine

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 vegetable stock cube

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

30g parmesan

30g light mascarpone

1 tsp butter

1 lemon (zest is used in breadcrumbs below, juice of ½ in risotto and the other half of the lemon cut into 4 for serving with the dish)

4 x 225g lean rump steak

For the breadcrumbs

30g panko breadcrumbs

Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp garlic powder

Method

Take a blender and add the chopped tomatoes, the crumbled stock cube and 400ml boiled water. Blend until smooth and then add to a large sauce pan. Add the other 400ml water, stir and keep the stock mixture simmering as you make the risotto (add the parmesan rind to the stock if using).

Next take a large non stick pan spray with 1kal and fry the onion in the oil until soft and golden (6-7 minutes). Then add the garlic and fry for a few minutes more. Add the Arborio rice and toast for a minute then add the wine, simmering until reduced by half.

Add the tomato puree to the pan, stir fry for a minute and then begin to add the stock a few ladles at a time, stirring and simmering and adding more stock once the previous addition has absorbed in the rice. Keep adding the stock until the rice is cooked to your liking (I like it so it still has a bit of a bite which takes around 25 minutes). You may not use all the stock, it will depend on the heat of your pan so if you have some left over don’t worry.

Ten minutes before the rice is ready, season the steak with salt and pepper and then add to a hot frying pan sprayed with 1kal. Cook the steak to your liking (I cook on a high heat for 3 minutes on each side as I like it medium rare). Remove the steak from the pan and pop onto a chopping board to rest. In the same pan that you cooked the steak, add the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley and garlic powder. Reduce the heat to medium and toast the breadcrumbs until they are a light golden colour. Keep a close eye on the breadcrumbs so they don’t catch and burn. Remove the breadcrumbs from the pan and pop into a bowl until you need them.

Once most of the liquid in the risotto has absorbed and it is cooked to your liking, remove the risotto from the heat and add the parmesan, mascarpone and butter. Stir and then add the juice of half a lemon to the as well as any extra salt and pepper to season.

Slice the steak and get ready to serve.

Add the risotto to a bowl, top with the sliced steak sprinkle across the herby breadcrumbs. Add some crushed chillies if you fancy and serve with a slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

The post Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto with Steak and Herby Breadcrumbs first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

For anyone who hasn’t tried Gochujang chilli paste , it really is worth giving a go. I get mine online (I’ve ordered from both eBay and Amazon) but you can also pick the paste up in most large supermarkets (I’ve bought it in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s before). It’s really worth making the effort to get a hold of as it has the most delicious flavour, unlike any other chilli sauce I’ve tried. I’ve already got a few other recipes on my site which use it so you may have it in already!

I’ve included the recipe for my Spicy Peanut Dip below which is a great way to finish the dish. If you haven’t got all the ingredients for the dip, feel free to leave it out and simply serve with a wedge of lime per person. The dip also works beautifully as a salad dressing!

Korean Beef Bulgogi

Serves 4 = 5sp per serving

Ingredients

600g raw rump steak, fat removed

1 large onion, peeled and roughly sliced

1 leek, woody base removed and sliced into 2 inch long strips

1 pack of round ended lettuce (such as little gem, romaine, Chinese leaf – something you can wrap the meat in), woody base removed and separated into individual leafs (you want at least 3 leaves per person)

Marinade

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tbsp light brown sugar

1tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tbsp Gochujang chilli paste

1 small pear, peeled and coarsely grated

1/2 tsp salt

Spicy Peanut Dip 

Mix below ingredients in a bowl and use water to loosen to your preferred consistency.

Serves 4 = 1sp/24kals per serving

2 tbsp PB2 peanut butter powder

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp Gochujang chilli paste

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Method

Add all of the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mix together. Add the steak, onion and leeks, coat everything in the marinade and then cover the bowl with cling film. Leave to marinade in the fridge for anywhere between 30 minutes and overnight.

Once you are ready to cook, take a large frying pan or griddle pan, spray with 1kal and heat to high. Remove the steaks from the onion/leeks, letting any excess marinade drip back into the bowl, and begin cooking the steaks to your liking (we like ours pink in the middle so I cook for 3-4 minutes on each side).

Once cooked to your liking, pop the steaks to one side, onto a plate to rest. While they are resting, stir fry the onions and leeks in the same pan you cooked the steak in (add a little water to keep the pan lubricated and to stop the marinade burning).

Once rested for a few minutes, slice the steaks into strips. Then turn the heat off the pan and toss the meat all together with the stir fried onion and leeks.

Serve with accompaniments of your liking. I chose to wrap the Bulgogi in lettuce cups and the hubbie had his with lettuce cups a small portion of lemon pepper rice (40g dried – add an extra 4sp). I also served both with some stir fried tender stem broccoli (0sp) which I stir fried in the pan after I removed the steak, onions and leeks.

I also finished the dish with a drizzle of my spicy peanut dip which was a lovely way to make the meal feel a little extra special.

Enjoy!

The post Korean Beef Bulgogi – 5sp 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.

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 6sp per serving (Flex)

For the steak

2 x 195g lean rump steak, raw

½ tsp ground cumin and ground coriander

Good pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp chimichurri sauce, homemade or shop bought (I used Tesco’s which is 1sp for 2 tbsp)

For the tomatoes

Small pack of vine tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

Splash of balsamic vinegar

2 or 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and roughly bashed

Accompaniments

Butternut Squash Chips (Chop the BNS into wedges, par boil for a few minutes, drain and pop onto a hot baking tray, spray with 1kal, season well with salt, pepper and chilli flakes and pop in the oven for 45 minutes)

Asparagus, woody ends removed

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c and begin by popping the BNS chips in the oven.

Then in a small baking dish, pop in the tomatoes on the vine and the garlic. Drizzle over the oil and balsamic vinegar and season well. Once the chips have been in the oven 15 minutes, pop the tomatoes in.

Next mix together the cumin, coriander and cayenne with seasoning and coat the steak well, rubbing in the spice mixture. Coat each steak in 1 tbsp of chimichurri sauce. Pre heat a griddle pan, spray with 1 kal and cook the steaks to your liking (we like medium rare so 3 or 4 minutes on each side).

Once the steak has cooked, pop on a plate to one side to rest.

To the same griddle pan, add the asparagus, spray with 1kal and cook for 4-5 minutes to your liking.

Once everything is cooked, pop onto a plate and drizzle of the juices that have run out of the steak whilst resting.

Enjoy!

The post Chimichurri Steak with Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus and Butternut Squash Chips first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.