You can also add chicken breast to the recipe below without adding any extra smartpoints but this changes the method of cooking the skewers. Instead of grilling them, as set out in the method below, pre heat your oven to 180c, spray with 1kal, season and cook on a baking tray for 30-35 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through).

Souvlaki Style Chorizo and Halloumi Kebabs

Serves 2 = 11sp per serving

Ingredients

50g chorizo, sliced into 8 rounds

100g light halloumi sliced into 8 chunks

2 peppers, deseeded and sliced into chunks

1 large red onion (or 2 small), peeled, top and bottom cut off and quartered

Handful of cherry tomatoes (optional)

Juice of 1 lemon

½ tsp each of paprika and oregano

1 tsp honey

Salt and pepper

250g new potatoes (should be around 6 new potatoes, 3 each)

Large lettuce (of your choice) to be used as ‘wraps’ – I’ve used romaine, iceberg and Chinese

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c.

To begin, place 4 skewers in clean sink with cold water and soak for half an hour (this will prevent the skewers burning when you cook the kebabs).

Next prepare the new potatoes. Take each potato in turn, pop onto a wooden spoon and starting at one side cut across their width at small intervals to create the ‘hassleback’ effect. The spoon will stop you cutting all the way through the potato.  Pop onto a baking tray, spray with 1kal and sprinkle over a pinch of oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Pop into the oven for 40-50 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Whilst the potatoes are cooking you can assemble the kebabs. To each skewer add a piece of pepper, chorizo, red onion, halloumi, tomato (if using) and then repeat. Finish the skewer with a final piece of pepper and red onion.  You can either pop the skewers in the oven for 10-15 minutes (to cook with the potatoes) or pop under a hot grill for 10 minutes (turning regularly) until the halloumi starts to turn a lovely golden colour.

Mix the juice of 1 lemon with ½ tsp paprika and ½ tsp oregano, along with 1 tsp honey and salt and pepper.

Add two washed large lettuce leaves to each plate. Remove the skewers from the oven and pop onto your plates on top of the lettuce leaves (you should have two skewers per person). Drizzle over the honey lemon dressing.

Finally pop the potatoes onto the plate.

Enjoy!

The post Souvlaki Style Chorizo and Halloumi Kebabs – 11sp 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.

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 12sp each (or serves 4 = 6sp each)

400g Beef, diced (I used stewing steak)

1 large onion, finely chopped

Pack of button mushrooms, halved

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tsp french mustard

1 tbsp paprika

Salt and pepper

125ml red wine

125ml beef stock (made with 1/2 beef stock cube)

50ml water

1 tbsp half fat sour cream

400g new potatoes, halved

Pack of Green Beans, trimmed

Method

Pre heat the oven to 150c. Season your beef, spray a frying pan with one kal and add beef. Cook until just browned on both sides. Remove beef from pan and pop in casserole dish.

In frying pan add onion and mushrooms and sautee in one kal until lightly browned. Stir flour into onion mixture and once combined add tomato puree, mustard, paprika, salt and pepper, wine, stock and boiling water and bring to boil. Pour over meat in casserole dish and give a good stir.

Cover and pop in the over for between and hour and a half and an hour and forty five minutes. Stir half way through to make sure nothing sticks.

While your casserole is cooking, par boil your unpeeled new potatoes for around 8 minutes then pop in a roasting tray, spray with one kal and season with salt and pepper. Throw in a few unpeeled, crushed garlic cloves and pop in the oven with your casserole for 1 hour.

Ten minutes before everything is cooked, pop your trimmed green beans on to boil.

Once casserole is cooked, stir through your sour cream and serve all together on a nice big plate!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients

Serve 2 = 14sp each

Three of four shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2/3 garlic cloves, finely minced

100g cooked ham/gammon, diced

100g orzo

100ml white wine

Zest of one lemon

Chicken stock cube made up with 300ml water

100g peas, frozen

1 tsp butter

30g parmesan, grated

1 tablespoon half fat crème fraiche (or two if you use Morrison’s half fat crème fraiche!)

Good squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Method

Take a non stick pan, spray with 1kal and add your shallots with a little splash of water. Fry for a minute or two then add the garlic and fry for another few minutes. Once the shallots are translucent, add the ham and orzo, give a good mix and then add the lemon zest and white wine. Fry for a minute, stirring all the time, to let the wine reduce. Next add your stock, give a good mix and turn your pan down to a simmer.  Simmer for 7-8 minutes and after four minutes add your peas then simmer until your stock is absorbed, the orzo cooked and the whole thing is looking a little less wet.

Next, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, most of the parmesan, crème fraiche, lemon juice and a good seasoning of salt and pepper. Leave to rest for a couple of minutes.

Serve topped with a handful of watercress, sprinkle over the remaining parmesan and with a little slice of lemon.

Enjoy!

The post Pea and Ham Orzo – 14sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 1 = 9sp
¼ red onion, sliced
¼ red pepper, diced finely
27g chorizo, diced
2 x medium eggs, whisked together with a touch of smoked paprika, salt and pepper
Handful of spinach, shredded
20g reduced fat mature cheddar, grated

Method
Take a small non stick frying pan, spray with 1kal and pop over a medium heat. Add your onion and red pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes until the onions are nice and soft (add a little water if the onions start to stick). Next pop in your chorizo and fry for another minute or two until the oils start to release. Then (making sure the heat is not too high!), spray the pan and veg with 1kal again and pour the egg mixture over the veg. Tip the pan so that the egg distributes itself evenly over the base of the pan. Allow to cook quite slowly (about 3-4 minutes). Once the bottom is firm pop the spinach on top and allow the heat to begin to wilt it. Then pop your cheese over the omelette.

At this point you can either keep cooking the omelette until the top is firm or you can do what I do and fold one half of the omelette over the other (the heat from one half will cook all the top).

Serve with a light salad and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Enjoy!

The post Chorizo and Red Pepper Omelette – 9sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.