This curry is a twist on Rick Stein’s version of Chettinad Chicken. His version is dry where as we fancied something with lots of spices but still nice and saucy. The result was delicious, and it has become a firm favourite in our house. The ingredients list may look a little long, but most ingredients are store cupboard essentials and it really is quite easy to throw together.

If you can’t find any curry leaves you can leave these out, but they are available in most supermarkets these days and add a lovely authentic taste to the dish, if you can find fresh they are even better!! (FYI – curry leaves are edible but if you don’t like the texture you can push to the side when eating).

If you like curries a little more creamy, feel free to add a little fat free Greek yoghurt to the curry when you add the green beans.

I’ve served this with normal basmati rice (60g portion per person) as well as with pilau grilled cauliflower rice (which is 0sp) and both are lovely options depending on how many points you have left for the day. The curry itself is only 1sp so you can always have a cheeky little naan bread  or some poppadums with it too!

Chettinad Chicken Curry

Serves 4 = 1sp per serving

Ingredients

For the spice blend

½ tbsp each fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, black onion seeds, chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

For the Curry

1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced

Handful of curry leaves (optional)

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced

Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced

1 chilli, finely chopped (optional)

2 peppers, sliced

1 tbsp tomato puree

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube

800g chicken breast, diced

1 tsp each salt and sugar

Pack of green beans, trimmed and halved

1 tsp cornflour

Small pack of coriander, roughly chopped

Small pot of fat free Greek yoghurt

Method

Start by making the spice mix. Pop all of the ingredients into a pestle and mortar (or a spice grinder if you have one) and grind until you have a very fine powder. It’s essential that you get the spice mix into as fine a powder as possible as you don’t want the finished curry to by ‘bitty’. Pop the spice mix to one side.

Take a large saucepan, spray with 1kal and add the onion and curry leaves. Fry for 8-10 minutes until the onions start to soften and then add the garlic, ginger, chilli, peppers and spice mix. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Add 1 tbsp tomato puree, fry for another minute and then add the tin of tomatoes, chicken stock cube, 400ml boiling water (I measure this out using the tomato tin), salt and sugar. Stir and add the chicken. Stir again and then pop a lid on the pan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through).

After 15 minutes of simmering pop the rice on to cook according to the packet instructions).

Once the chicken is cooked through, add the green beans to the curry and simmer, lid off for 5 minutes until they are al dente. Mix 1 tsp cornflour with a small splash of cold water to make a paste. Add to the curry and simmer for another 5 minutes (this will help the curry thicken up). Finally add the coriander to the curry, stir through and take off the heat.

Serve the rice with the curry on top and a dollop of yoghurt. Enjoy!

The post Chettinad Chicken Curry – 1sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This recipe is the perfect January recipe to get you kick started for the new year. It has the lovely comforting warmness that any winter dish needs, but the crab, chorizo and chilli combo bring a lovely fresh and vibrant flavour to the dish. Using orzo instead of risotto brings the cooking time right down so it can be made much more quickly if you are in a rush. If you can’t get a hold of fresh crab meat, tinned crab meat will work just as well. Most supermarkets have samphire these days and for such an easy ingredient to cook, it brings a lovely fresh crunch to the dish. If you can’t get a hold of any samphire I would add a handle of frozen garden peas to the dish ten minutes before it’s finished so that it keeps a nice green burst.

Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire

Serves 2 = 11sp each

Ingredients

1 x white onion, peeled and finely diced

2 x garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

1 x red chilli, finely chopped (and deseeded if you don’t like it too hot)

40g chorizo, peeled and sliced into half moons

1 tbsp tomato puree

125ml white wine

120g orzo, dried

½ litre vegetable stock (made with 1 vegetable stock cube)

125g cooked white crab meat

Large handful of parsley, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Small pack of samphire

1 tsp lurpack lightest

Method

1. Take a large saucepan and pop onto a medium heat. Spray with 1kal and add the onions. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften (add a little water if the pan gets dry).

2. Add the garlic, chilli and chorizo and fry for another minute until the oil from the chorizo starts to release. Then add the tomato puree, fry for another minute and then add the wine.

3. Simmer the wine for a few minutes until the wine reduces and then add the orzo, stirring in.

4. Add half the stock so that it covers the orzo turning down to simmer.

5. Keep adding the stock until the orzo is cooked (it usually takes 12-15 minutes). Once the orzo is cooked and the stock is absorbed, add the crab meat and season to taste. Toss the crab meat through the orzo until it is warm.

6. Add the parsley and juice of 1 lemon and then take off the heat. Leave to rest for a minute while you cook the samphire.

7. Boil the samphire in another pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pop back into the same pan with the butter. Let the butter melt with the heat of the pan and toss through the samphire.

8. Serve the orzo in a bowl topped with the samphire.

9. Enjoy!

The post Crab, Chorizo and Chilli Orzo with Samphire – 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.

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!

The post Spiced Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup  – 4sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

The result was delicious. The slaw in particular has the most delicious flavour and can also be added to any salad for lunches during the week. Give it a whirl, you won’t be disappointed.

Spicy Chicken Burgers with Gochujung Chilli Slaw

Serves 2 = 4sp per serving (Flex)

Ingredients

For the chicken – 0sp per person

2 x 200g chicken breasts, flattened with a meat mallet or rolling pin

2 tsp Korean Red Pepper Chilli Powder (or crushed chillies)

1 lemon, halved

For the slaw – 1sp per person

2 tbsp lightest mayonnaise

1 tsp gochujang chilli paste

½ tsp white wine vinegar

Pinch of garlic granules

½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and finely sliced

¼ red or white cabbage, finely sliced

To accompany

2 x Warburton’s thins (3sp per thin)

Mixed Salad Leaves

2 x mini corn on the cob (I use the mini Tesco ones which are 89g (0sp each)

BNS chips

Method

First make the slaw – pop the mayo, chilli paste, white wine vinegar and garlic granules in a big bowl and mix together. Then add the onion, carrot and cabbage and combine everything together. Pop in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Next, pop each chicken breast in between two sides of baking paper and with a meat mallet or rolling pin, beat to 1/2 cm thick. Then sprinkle each side with the red pepper powder and season with salt and pepper.

Spray a frying pan or griddle pan with 1kal and then fry the chicken breast on each side for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. As you are cooking the chicken, squeeze over the juice of the lemon to keep it nice and moist.

Pop your accompaniments on to cook and then, once readt, you can pop your burger together.

Lightly toast the thins and then add a little slaw, top with the burger and then a few salad leaves.

Serve with a mixed salad, BNS chips and corn on the cob if you fancy (the 8sp here covers you for the chicken, slaw, thin and corn on the cob!)

Enjoy!

The post Spicy Chicken Burgers with Gochujung Chilli Slaw – 4sp 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.

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.

A Taquito is simply a rolled up, stuffed tortilla. Usually fried, these lovely creations are rolled tighter and so are thinner than an enchilada, and the top is not covered in sauce in the same way an enchilada would be.

When thinking about what to fill my Taquitos with, I thought I would get my other favourite find of the Mexico trip involved, Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. I first tried this over there on chicken wings and many of you may have seen it used in my Buffalo Chicken Soup recipe. It really is the most delightful flavour. Spicy and tangy, it makes for a real taste sensation when added to chicken.

The filling I’ve created below is truly delicious. Tangy, a little cheesy and stuff with veggies, this is a dish that will keep you full for hours. I served mine with BNS chips (0sp) however I was so full from two Taquito’s that I probably wouldn’t bother with them next time (or I would have one Taquito with the chips).

I’ve used Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Blue Cheese Dressing in this recipe (instead of the more points heavy crumbled Blue Cheese). If you can’t get a hold of it, or find a light equivalent somewhere else, just leave it out. The other flavours in the dish will more than make up for it.

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Makes 8 Taquitos – serves 4 (2 taquitos per person) – 12sp per serving (including salad and soured cream to finish)(Flex)

Ingredients

For the filling 

400g roast chicken, white breast meat, shredded

100g lightest cream cheese

4 tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

2 tbsp Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself Blue Cheese Dressing (or other supermarket light equivalent)

Juice of 1/2 lime

100g sweetcorn (drained)

4 x spring onions, finely sliced

Half a bag of spinach, shredded

Large handful of fresh coriander, chopped

For the Taquito

8 x Weight Watchers Tortillas (these are 4sp each so if you can’t find these, any other 4sp equivalent will do, Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s are also 4sp).

For the salad – serves 4 = 0sp per person

¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded

Large handful of spinach, shredded

2 spring onions, sliced

1 tbsp sweetcorn

Juice of 1/2 lime

2 tbsp Sainsbury’s Be Good to Youself Blue Cheese Dressing (or other supermarket light equivalent)

To Serve

Drizzle of Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce

4 tbsp light soured cream (1sp per person)

1 x tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180c.

Take a large bowl and add the cream cheese, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing and lime juice. Whisk together until smooth and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and fold everything together. Taste again and check/adjust the seasoning.

Take a large baking dish and spray with low cal cooking spray. Divide the mixture roughly into 8 in the bowl and then, one tortilla at a time, add the filling and roll longways so that they are nice and tight and relatively thin. Pop into the baking dish and repeat with the other 7 tortillas. Spray the top of the wraps with low cal cooking spray and then pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes (until the wraps have started to brown on top).

While the Taquitos are cooking you can also roast some butternut squash chips (pop these in 10-15 minutes before the Taquitos) if you fancy them.

I also served with a side salad which included iceberg lettuce, shredded spinach, a couple of chopped spring onions and a tablespoon of sweetcorn tossed in a tbsp. of the blue cheese dressing ( the same one used in the main recipe) and some lime juice.

Once cooked, remove the Taquito’s from the oven and finish with a drizzle of Buffalo Sauce, light soured cream and fresh coriander.

Serve with the salad and BNS if you are having them alongside a tbsp. lightest soured cream per person.

Enjoy!

The post Buffalo Chicken Taquitos – 12sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

I love cooking from scratch and turning a fridge/cupboard full of ingredients into a new, healthy and delicious tasting meal but like most people, I am often a bit pushed for time when it comes to mid-week dinners.

Always keen to pack my meals with as many zero hero veggies as possible I also love having the option of buying pre prepared veggie ingredients when I’m stuck for time.  From pre spiralized boodles to frozen spinach and peas, it’s so handy sometimes being able to pick up ingredients that will take minimal preparation but still help to create a healthy and filling meal.

That’s why, when Goodlife approached me to give some of their new range frozen vegetarian range a try, I thought it would be worth giving a go. Now as a major meat eater, my meals are never usually veggie friendly but recently the hubbie and I have been trying to get involved with Meatless Mondays so I thought these products, if I liked them, would also be perfect for whipping something together on a Monday evening.

So what is Good Life?

Based in Warrington, Goodlife’s aim is to seek out the best vegetables from top British farmers and use them to create delicious vegetarian meal options. Rather than their products being a meat substitute, the folks at Goodlife want their veggies front and centre – making them the ‘star of the show’. I am also not a fan of meat substitutes (I just can’t get my head around the Quorn situation) so we are off to a good start there! From vegetarian sausages to burgers and Kiev’s, their products contain no artificial additives, preservatives or colourings.

The three products that the folks at Goodlife asked me to review* were from their new range and included Falafels with Chickpea, Cumin and Coriander, French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese and their Mushroom and Spinach Kiev with a Creamy Garlic and Cheese Sauce (my falafel box got a little damaged in transit but the products inside were unaffected).

Falafel with Chickpea, Cumin and Coriander

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans

A box of 14 is £1.99 – one falafel is 1sp,two is 2sp, 3 is 4sp and four is 5sp.

I am a BIG fan of falafel and any sort of Middle Eastern cuisine. My recipe for Butternut Squash falafels in incredibly popular and so having a product like this in the freezer and ready to eat in under 15 minutes really appeals to me.

I decided to cook up 3 of these falafels and pop them in a salad with mixed leaves, carrot, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, houmous, mint yoghurt and a little pomegranate molasses (full recipe coming up later this month) however you could also include them in a wrap or even crumbled on top of a tagine. The consensus?  Very nice indeed. For a product so low in points, these are a lovely addition to any lunch or dinner. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft in the centre, these little balls have a lovely light flavour and texture – they could have been a little more spicy but that is my love of chilli coming into play right there. I added a little houmous to them for a bit of extra moisture (I find most falafels need it!) and they made my salad lovely and filling. I would definitely invest in a box of these and keep in the freezer for a rainy day.

Mushroom and Spinach Kiev with a Creamy Garlic and Cheese Sauce

Box of 2 is £2.65 = 1 Kiev is 10sp

Unless we make it from scratch, Kiev is not something the hubbie and I really have any more as the prepared ones are usually so high in points (at least 11 usually) and they are also quite small. That said, I liked the sound of this Kiev as I love the sound of anything that ooses with cheese.

Each Kiev is 10sp so to keep the overall meal low in points I decided to serve it with Butternut Squash Chips, 0sp homemade slaw and salad.

Of the three products we tried this was my hubbies least favourite as he is firmly of the opinion that a Kiev should be made of chicken.  I however, quite enjoyed it. The Kiev it self was crunchy on the outside and the flavour lovely and garlicky. The cheese didn’t ooze quite as much as I hoped but there was a lovely cheesy flavour to the whole thing. The major downside of this one for me was the amount of smart points for the size. At 10sp for a medium sized Kiev, I think its rather high for what you actually get (I could have easily eaten two!) That said, these Kievs would be a handy addition to any freezer for a quick and easy dinner if made with other 0sp accompaniments.

French Bean and Spinach Sausages with Wensleydale Cheese

Box of 6 is £2.49 –2sp per sausage

I always have a few packs of low fat sausages in the freezer as I know when I have them in that I will always be able to throw together some form of evening meal. Now the hubby likes his sausages very meaty so I was a bit apprehensive at how these sausages would go down but I have to say, these went down an absolute storm. Whilst not huge, the sausages are the most vivid green colour and are packed full of vegetables. The veggies haven’t been pureed so they have a lovely chunky texture too. Best of all, they can be cooked from frozen in 15 minutes and end up with a lovely crisp skin. I would never have normally tried a vegetable sausage but I have to say, this may have changed my mind a little and I’m not tempted to try some of their other veggie sausage flavours!

In the picture below I served 3 sausages (6sp) with 2sp worth of mash, 0sp spring greens tossed in 1sp lighter lurpack and 2sp caramelised red onions for a total of 11sp. Whilst probably more of a wintery dinner, we thoroughly enjoyed it – especially as it took barely any time to prepare.

Overall I really enjoyed trying these three products and the sausages and falafels are certainly things I would like to keep in my freezer for Meatless Mondays or just a rainy day. The products are packed with flavour and high quality ingredients so whilst they are meat free, you don’t feel like you are missing out on anything if you replace them for meat in a meal. They are also great value at between £1.99 and £2.65 per box.

If you fancy trying any of Goodlife’s products yourself, you can pick them up in Booths, Waitrose, Ocado, Iceland and Goodness Direct.

*Please note this is a sponsored post however this in no way affects my opinion of the products or the content of my review.

The post Nobody Put’s Veg in the Corner – A Goodlife Review 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.

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