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.

Remember to adjust the level of chilli to your taste here. We like things hot so we added fresh chilli at the end but without the fresh chilli it has a lovely underlying warm heat.

This curry is a real treat and for only 2 sp per portion, people will never believe this is a diet friendly meal. I served this with 60g basmati rice (6sp) and a large dollop of fat free yoghurt (0sp) so the meal was a grand total of 8sp. An absolute bargain points wise. Careful to add the points for your chosen amount of rice!

If you are in a rush you don’t necessarily need to remove the beef and then the veg from the pan as you go. If you have time though it really is worth it as the beef ends up melting in the mouth!

Fiery Beef Madras

Sauce Serves 4 = 2sp per portion (Flex)

Ingredients

For the curry paste 

½ tsp each cumin and coriander seeds

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp each garam masala and curry powder

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

Juice of ¼ lemon

For the curry

400g Lean stewing beef, diced

1 large onion, finely sliced

2 peppers, deseeded and finely sliced

1 pack of mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 beef stock cube

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tsp garam masala

1 fresh red or green chilli, finely chopped (optional if you like it fiery hot!)

Handful of fresh coriander

4 x tablespoons of low fat Greek yoghurt (to serve)

Method

Heat a large saucepan to a medium heat and pop in the cumin and coriander for around 30 seconds until they start to toast and pop and you can smell the lovely aromas. Remove from the pan and pop in a pestle and mortar and grind to a fine powder. Add the garlic and ginger and mash to a pulp and then add the rest of the paste ingredients with one tbsp. water and combine into a paste. Pop to one side.

Spray the same large saucepan with 1kal and then add the beef, seasoning to taste, and fry for a few minutes until the outside is sealed. Remove the beef from the pan and pop into a bowl to one side. Add the onions and fry for a few minutes and then add the peppers and mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes until the pepper starts to soften. Remove the veg from the pan into another bowl.

Spray the pan with 1kal again and add the curry paste to the pan with enough water to loosen it a little. Fry for a minute or two and then add the beef back to the pan, coating well in the paste. Add the veg back to the pan with the tomato puree and fry for another minutes and then add the stock cube and tin of tomatoes. Fill the empty tin with boiling water and add to the pan and stir to combine everything.

Turn the heat down to low and then cover and simmer for 1 hour (if you would like to cook the curry for less time, turn the heat up a little).  Take the cover off for the last 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. If the sauce won’t thicken, mix 1 tsp corn flour into a little cold water making a paste and pop into the curry. This will thicken it nicely.

Finish by stirring through a further tsp of garam masala, fresh chilli and fresh coriander. Season to taste. Remove from the heat and serve with some fluffy white rice and a dollop of fat free natural yoghurt, topped with a little fresh coriander.

Enjoy!

The post Fiery Beef Madras – 2sp 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!

The post Paprika Beef Casserole – 12sp 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.