As soon as I tasted it, I knew that I had been missing out! After this little revelation, I set out to use it in more dishes where I could, and in place of meat if possible, and that’s where this dish was born. You can serve this stew on its own or, if you want to bulk it out further, I also like to serve it with ready-made couscous, which just needs boiling water added to it. Remember to add the extra calories if you add to the dish.

Tip – If you’d like to make this recipe veggie, replace the normal feta with vegetarian feta cheese.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 4 points or 147 cals, 7.4g fat, 14.6g carbs, 6.0g protein

INGREDIENTS

2 large aubergines (around 400g), cut into large chunks

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

2 peppers, deseeded and sliced

1 courgette, diced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp each of tomato puree and red wine vinegar

2 tbsp harissa paste

½ tbsp honey

1 vegetable stock cube made up with 400ml water

60g feta, crumbled (if vegetarian, use vegetarian feta)

10g each fresh mint and fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 lemon

Low calorie cooking spray

METHOD

1. Take a large saucepan, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and fry the aubergine in batches for 2–3 minutes per batch until it is nicely browned on all sides. Remove the aubergine from the pan and pop to one side on a plate.
2. Next, add the onion, peppers, courgette and cumin to the pan and spray with the low-calorie cooking spray. Fry for 3–4 minutes until the onion is soft and then add the aubergine back into the pan.
3. In a jug, mix together the tomato purée, red wine vinegar, harissa paste, honey and vegetable stock. Stir until well combined and then pour into the pan over the veggies.
4. Add a lid and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and then simmer uncovered for a further 5 minutes (this will reduce the stock down further so the dish is not watery). The lovely flavoured stock should start absorbing nicely into the veggies.
5. Remove from the heat and add half the feta, mint and parsley. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and stir.
6. To serve, dish up and then finish with a sprinkle of the reserved feta, mint, parsley and lemon juice

The post Moroccan Aubergine Stew first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Being a huge fun of pulled pork, I decided that I would give the whole pulled chicken a whirl but by speeding up the process a little. As a result I made a lovely and tasty chipotle BBQ sauce, poured it over the cooked chicken and voila!! The BBQ chicken in this form could be used in so many different ways (in a burger, a thin, with rice, with sweet potato or BNS fries…..) but I decided to try something new.

The result was delicious. My Other Half declared it was in his top 5 of all my recipes (a seal of approval if I ever heard one!). It is bursting with flavour and really quick and easy to make.

You can play around with the points on this one depending on how you like it.

If you have a traditional quesadilla it will be closed (i.e wrap on the bottom and on top). This works out at 9sp per person. If you have an open one its 7sp per person (skip the top wrap).

I had it closed so the cheese would be nice and melty and served it with a side salad, a dollop of half fat sour cream and a dollop of guacamole. It might look small on the plate but it was so filling and satisfying, it will definitely becoming a regular in the Skinny Kitchen household!

Ingredients

For the BBQ Sauce

This sauce serves 4. You will only need half a portion for the recipe below. The sauce is only 2sp per portion when split between four so you could use the rest as a dipping sauce if it took your fancy (I did!) If you do do this and split it between only 2 people, the sauce will be 4sp per person.

100g reduced sugar and salt ketchup

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp smoked paprika and cumin

¼ tsp mustard powder and salt

½ tsp chipotle paste

Few drops of tabasco or a pinch of chilli powder (if you like it spicy)

Method

Pop all the ingredients in a pan with around 50-100ml of water and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down and cook for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and let cool down.

For the Quesadilla

Serves 2 – 9sp per person including BBQ sauce

2 x Weight Watchers Tortillas

1 tbsp salsa

100g roast chicken, cooked and shredded, light meat

½ portion of bbq sauce (recipe above)

60g half fat cheese, grated

1 spring onion, sliced

Handful of fresh coriander shredded

1 lime, quartered

Serving Suggestions (don’t forget to add the extra points)

Side Salad

Dollop of half fat sour cream and guacamole

Sweet potato or BNS Wedges or Spicy Rice

Method

Take a large bowl pop the cooked chicken in and add half the BBQ sauce. Coat well and pop to one side.

Make sure all your other ingredients are prepared as once you start cooking its very quick! Pop your side salad on your plate, roast any wedges if you are having them (or cook your rice).

To construct the quesadilla, take a large frying pan, spray with 1 kal and warm on a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Pop the first tortilla on the bottom, top with the salsa. Then add the BBQ chicken distributing evenly. Scatter on the spring onions and coriander, top with the cheese and give a squeeze of lime. Finish by popping the other tortilla on top. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the tortilla has start to colour nicely and then CAREFULLY turn the quesadilla and cook the other side (I had to take it out of the pan using a plate, flip it and then put it back in). Cook for another 2-3 minutes and then remove from pan onto a chopping board. Chop into quarters and serve with the accompaniments of your choice!

If you decide to do an ‘open’ quesadilla, fry for 2-3 minutes on the first side and then pop under a hot grill to make sure the cheese is nice and melty.

Enjoy!

The post BBQ Chicken Quesadilla – 9sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Ingredients

Serves 2 = 12sp each

120g penne pasta

4 rashers smoked bacon, fat trimmed and chopped

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 chilli, finely chopped

1 pepper, deseeded and chopped

1 x small glass of white wine (125ml)

Large pinch of paprika, smoked paprika and chilli powder

4 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

100-150ml passata

Pinch of sugar

80g frozen garden peas

1 tbsp fresh Parmesan

2 tbsp single cream

Salt and pepper

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Method

Take your bacon and pop on a large frying pan. Fry for 5-7 minutes in low cal cooking spray until nicely browned.  Remove the bacon from the pan and replace with your onions. Season and cook in 1kal and water until soft (around 5 minutes) then add your garlic, chilli and peppers. Fry for another few minutes then pop in your tomatoes. After another minute add your wine and cook until the wine reduces and the tomatoes start to mush up. Add a pinch of paprika, smoked paprika and chilli powder, stir and then add your passata. I add around 150ml but it depends how saucy you like it, add less if you like it a little more dry. Pop your pasta on at this point for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, let the sauce simmer for another minute or two and then add the peas and the bacon back on, After another few minutes add the cream and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Season well. Just before serving stir through your parmesan and basil. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the sauce. Coat well and let settle for a moment or two. Serve in a nice big bowl with a side of salad if you fancy!

Enjoy!

The post Smoky Bacon, Tomato and Chilli Pasta – 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.

Tip – If you have this in the evening, any leftovers can be frozen for another day (just freeze it before you add the sour cream). I usually have the casserole by itself, but you could make some mash or roasties to go with it, or even pop some par-boiled new potatoes into the casserole. I’ve
served it with green beans and a slice of crusty bread in the past too. Amend the calories to account for any changes/additions.

POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 4 – per serving = 6 points or 292 cals, 4.7g fat, 27.8g carbs, 34.4g protein

Ingredients

8 x low fat pork sausages (I use Aldi Skinny Pork Sausages 3% fat)

4 x bacon medallions, diced

1 white onion, sliced

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp hot chilli powder

1/2 tbsp plain flour

Pinch chilli flakes (optional)

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 chicken stock cube made up with 300ml boiling water

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tbsp dark brown muscovado sugar

1 tsp mixed herbs

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

400g tin of butter beans, drained

1 tbsp half fat soured cream

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan).
2. Use a pan that can go both on the hob and in the oven. Put on to a medium/high heat, spray with low-calorie cooking spray and brown the sausages for 5 minutes until they start to colour. Take the sausages out of the pan and pop to one side. Add the diced bacon into the same pan, spray again with low-calorie cooking spray and fry to your liking –I like it crispy on the edges.
3. Add the onion to the bacon and fry for another 4–5 minutes until the onion starts to soften , adding a little water if the pan gets dry. Next, add the mushrooms, fry for a few minutes, and then add the garlic. Cook for a further minute. Add the smoked paprika, chilli powder, flour and a few chilli flakes, if you are having them, to the pan and mix in.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, herbs and butter beans and mix. Add 100ml water and then add the sausages back to the pan. Bring to a simmer on the hob. Add the lid and then pop in the oven for 20 minutes.
5. Once cooked, remove the stew from the oven, season to taste and stir through the sour cream. Remove the bay leaves from the pan before serving.

The post Smoky Sausage and Butterbean Casserole first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

I’ve used sausages in this recipe as they add a nice flavour whilst still being low in points. It would also be great if you could get your hands on merengez sausages or chilli sausages but it would equally be as nice with another meat such as chicken or lamb. I am a massive carnivore, but this recipe is so tasty and filling I would even consider omitting meat altogether and going veggie.

The recipe below can be served on its own as a stew and you accompany it with some crusty bread. If you are serving it to more people you could also serve it with a small portion of wild rice. Either way, be sure to add the extra points! If you are omitting meat you could beef it up but adding extra veg such as courgette, butternut squash or aubergine. Getting rid of the sausages take the pp’s down to 4 per person.

Ingredients
Serves 4 = 6sp each

6 x Weight Watchers Pork Sausages
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 peppers, deseeded and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 heaped tsp Ras El Hanout Paste (I got mine in Tesco)
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 x tin of chopped tomatoes (if you only have one you can make up chicken stock in the used tomato tin and use this as a replacement for the second)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1 x 240g tin of chickpeas
Couple of large handfuls of spinach, shredded
Large handful of fresh coriander, shredded
1 lemon, quartered
4 x eggs

Harissa to serve, optional
Natural Yoghurt to serve, optional

Method
Take a large frying pan, spray with 1kal, and cook your sausages for 6-7 minutes until they start to brown nicely on the outside. Then add your onions (and a splash of water to stop them sticking to the pan) and fry for another 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Then add the garlic, peppers and carrot and fry for another minute or two. Next add the Ras El Hanout Paste and smoked paprika and another small splash of water. Give a mix and cook for a minute or two. Then add the tomatoes, salt and honey. Mix and simmer for around 10 minutes. Next add the chickpeas and spinach and cook for another five minutes.

Add a little water if you think it needs to be a little more saucy). Then add the coriander, a good squeeze of lemon and a twist of black pepper and cook for another few minutes. When the chickpeas are nicely cooked, turn up the heat and make a small well in one quarter of the pan. Quickly crack in one egg. Repeat this in each quarter of the pan, cover and cook on high until the whites of the egg are cooked but the yolks are still nice and runny (around 3 minutes). Serve in a nice big bowl, and top with a little fresh coriander and a slice of lemon.

You can also top it with a scattered teaspoon of harrisa or with some fat free natural yoghurt with harissa swirled in.

Enjoy!

The post Morrocan Sausage and Chickpea Stew – Only 6sp! first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

This was another recipe that had been scribbled onto a piece of scrap paper and given to me! Herbs and spices are one of the best 0pp treats to fill your cupboard with. If you have herbs and spices, even with a pretty empty fridge, you can usually manage to knock up something delicious. This recipe is the perfect example of that as you don’t need too many fresh ingredients.

The ingredients list may look a bit long but once you have invested in the herbs and spices they really last. This is a really easy curry to make and it tastes so authentic. The slow cooker really brings out all the flavours of the herbs and spices and it’s such a treat to come home to at the end of a long day at work!

Ingredients
Serves 2 = 13sp each

250g lean lamb, diced into small chunks

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tbsp dried crushed chillies

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp turmeric

2-4 garlic cloves, peels and crushed

5cm fresh root ginger, peeled and grated

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato puree

400ml lamb stock

2 peppers, deseeded and sliced

1 bag of spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander

120g basmati rice

Method
Heat  the oil in a frying pan, add the mustard seeds and crushed chillies and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the rest of your spices along with the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for around five minutes. You might need to add a little water to reduce to temperature of the pan and stop the spices burning. Then add the meat and onion to the pan and give a good stir until coated in the spices.
Add the tomato puree and stock to the pan and bring to the boil and then carefully pour into your slow cooker. Add your peppers to the slow cooker and stir in. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours. The curry should thicken up nicely but if you want it a little thicker mix 1 tbsp cornflour with a little water to make a paste, add and simmer in a frying pan for a few minutes, it should thicken up a treat!

When you go to put your rice on throw your spinach into the slow cooker with the coriander. Once the rice has cooked serve in a nice big bowl with a tablespoon of fat free yoghurt and a sprig of coriander.
Enjoy!

The post Slow Cooked Lamb Madras – 13sp first appeared on Slimming Kitchen Secrets.

Through creating and consuming the recipes I was creating, I realised very quickly that by making a few small substitutions and eating the right amount of certain foods, I could have a fabulous diet without feeling like I was missing out on anything. In this way I found you could eradicate the ‘guilt factor’ from many meals which I once thought would be off limits.

I successfully maintained my weight loss for over 7 years and then came along my two beautiful babies and so today I find myself back to losing once more. Whether maintaining or losing weight, I am always trying out new ideas, tips and recipes to keep food tasty and exciting.

As a result, you will find that my website is filled with low calorie and low point recipes and ideas that I make at home on a daily basis. The one thing they all have in common is that they are all portioned out and pointed up to make it as easy as possible for you to either lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

**DISCLAIMER**

Where the recipes on my website state the ‘points’ value, these have been calculated using the Weight Watchers Points System (which I do not own and belongs to Weight Watchers) and the points stated are for your guidance only. The point calculations are my own, are subject to change and have been worked out using the wonderful online ‘Recipe Builder’ on the Weight Watchers app. In this way, by specifically stating weights and amounts to use in each recipe, I have tried to be as accurate as possible in producing the end point value, leaving you with as easy a life as possible. Sometimes however, something may go wrong. If you adjust any of the weights or measures, it might be worth running the recipe back through the recipe builder to find out how your own adjustments have changed the total points value of the dish. Additionally, since Weight Watchers tweak their plan on an annual basis, the points value stated relate to the points system in place at the time. If the points stated are not the latest iteration of ‘points’ (i.e propoints or smart points for example), again pop the recipe back through your own recipe builder to get an up to date calculation.

While my recipes aim to help all my fellow Weight Watchers out there, my recipes are generally low in calories/fat and packed full of veg and so are great for most diet plans, including for those of you just seeking out a healthier version of a recipe.

I hope you enjoy my recipes and if you have any questions or comments, I’m always grateful for feedback!

Laura

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