The result was this recipe which I have to say hit the spot. The coconut milk adds a lovely creamy flavour whilst the thyme adds just that hint of herbiness. If you can’t get a hold of the fresh thyme, feel free to leave this out. Just add a little extra fresh coriander at the end!

Spiced Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup  – 4sp

Makes 4 portions = 4sp per portion (Flex)

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped into rough medium sized cubes

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

Handful of fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

1 tbsp curry powder

½ tsp turmeric

1 vegetable stock cube (made up with 800ml boiling water)

1 x 400ml tin lighter coconut milk

Sprinkle of crushed chillies

Handful of fresh coriander

4 tbsp light greek yohurt

Method

Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and add the onion. Fry for 4-5 minutes until its starts to soften (add a little water to stop the pan getting dry). Then add the garlic, ginger, fresh thyme leaves, curry powder and turmeric and fry for another 3-4 minutes until the onions are totally softened.

Next add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes (or until the squash is totally softened). Remove from the heat and pop into a food processor or blitz with a stick blender.  Once smooth, add back to the pan and add the coconut milk, stir and again bring to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper and crushed chillies to taste.

Serve with a final sprinkle of crushed chillis, sprinkle of fresh coriander and 1 tbsp light yoghurt swirled through per person.

Enjoy!

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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.

As always, the heat of a stir fry is personal taste. If you like things spicy, add a few chilli flakes to the sauce and leave the seeds in the chilli. If not, omit the chilli altogether.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 2 – per serving = 7 points or 534 cals, 11.7g fat, 56.7g carbs, 49.8g protein

For the sauce

2 tbsp Thai red curry paste

2 tbsp powdered peanut butter (I get mine in Sainsbury’s but most big supermarkets sell it next to the normal peanut butter)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

½ tbsp honey

1 tsp curry powder

Juice of 1 lime

½ tsp cornflour

For the Stir Fry

1 red onion, sliced

1 pepper, deseeded and sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

100g mange tout, halved

300g chicken breast, diced into 1cm cubes

200g pack fresh egg noodles

1/2 lime, quartered 

Low calorie cooking spray

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Begin by making the sauce. Pop all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl with 2 tablespoons water, mix together and put to one side.
2. Next, take a wok, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and fry the onion and peppers for a few minutes until the onion softens a little. Then add the garlic, ginger, chilli and mange tout. Fry for another few minutes and then remove the veg from the pan, popping to one side on a plate.
3. Spray the same wok again with low-calorie cooking spray, add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, then fry for 6–7 minutes until cooked through.
4. Add the sauce and toss through the chicken. Simmer for a minute or two until the sauce starts to thicken a little and then add the veggies back to the pan.
5. Add the noodles to the pan and toss through the chicken, veggies and sauce.
6. Once the noodles are hot, split between two bowls and serve each portion with a wedge of lime for squeezing.

Variation – I’ve made this stir-fry with traditional fresh egg noodles but you can also make it with butternut squash noodles, which are equally delicious but have significantly fewer calories. You can find them pre-prepared in some supermarkets or you can spiralize them yourself. If you’d like to use them, make sure they are softened in the microwave for about 3 minutes (either in a bowl, covered in cling film with a few holes, or in the plastic bag from the shop), shaking halfway through.

The post Malaysian Chicken Satay Stir Fry first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.