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Chicken and puy lentil salad with coriander August 29, 2010

Filed under: Chicken,Healthy Eating,Salads and Dressings — delishuss @ 8:30 pm
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I got this recipe from TV3 ‘s Expose show. Clodagh McKenna was the name of the chef making the dish. It’s pretty quick and easy.

Ingredients

Preparation method

  1. Using a sharp knife, make a few long shallow incisions on both sides of the chicken breasts.
  2. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the ground coriander, garlic, a pinch of black pepper, two tablespoons of lemon juice and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Mix the marinade with the chicken in a bowl, making sure all the meat is evenly coated in the marinade. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes (or one hour if you have the time).
  3. Preheat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8.
  4. When the oven is hot, spread the chicken out on a baking tray and cook it for 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts. To ensure the chicken is cooked through, cut into the breast with a knife. Once cooked, take the chicken out of the oven and allow it to rest for a couple of minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, place the still-warm lentils in a saucepan, cover with water and boil for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
  6. When cooked, drain the lentils then dress them with the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and chopped coriander, and season with salt and pepper.
  7. To serve, slice the chicken thinly and toss with the lentils (they can be still warm) and the mixed salad leaves. Place on plates or in a large bowl and sprinkle with the crumbled feta and a small drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
 

Spicy Turkey Burgers

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat — delishuss @ 8:15 pm
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My friend Anita gave me this recipe recently in a restaurant when I had already drank a few glasses of wine, so this may not be exact but the basis is the same :-). These can be served in a burger bun or in a wholemeal pitta with some salad and some curry mayo.

Ingredients

1 tbsp of curry powder

1 finely chopped red chilli

1 tbsp of cumin powder

1 tbsp ground coriander

small bunch of coriander, chopped

1 large onion finely chopped

500g turkey mince

75g breadcrumbs

50g flour

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp of olive oil or cooking spray

Curry Mayo

1 tbsp of curry powder

4 tbsp of mayonnaise

Method

  1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil or cooking spray in a pan and fry off the onions for 3 minutes, add in the chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, mix the mince, spices, curry powder, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, coriander, onion, chilli, and add the seasoning. Season very well as the turkey mince can tend to be quite bland.
  3. Place the flour on a plate. Bind the mince into patties and place on the flour turning over to dust on both sides.
  4. The mixture should make 4 burgers.
  5. Heat the remainder of the oil in the frying pan and fry off the burgers, you could use the grill or a griddle pan also.  I would suggest frying the burgers until golden brown on both sides, turning occasionally to prevent burning. They take about 7-8 minutes on either side.
  6. Mix the mayo and the curry powder together in a bowl. You can smear this on your burger bun or pitta bread. Alternatively, serve it as a dip with wedges to complete the meal.

 

Method

 

Spanish Ham and Bean Hotpot August 22, 2010

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:04 pm
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I served this with green beans, carrots and baby potatoes (you will need to point the potatoes). Generally I would season the dish during the cooking process but gammon can be salty, so in this case I would season at the end.

Serves 4

3 1/2 points per serving

Ingredients

Low fat cooking spray

2 onions, chopped

250g (0z) thick gammon steak, all fat removed and cut into bite sized chunks

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoon of mixed herbs

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 x 400g can low sugar and low salt baked beans

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat a large lidded saucepan and spray with the cooking spray. Add the onions and cook, stirring for 4 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent them from sticking.

2. Add the gammon and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.

3. Add the herbs, tomatoes, beans, paprika and 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) water and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat, and simmer, half-covered, for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste.

4. Serve in warm bowls.

 

Carrot and Lentil Soup

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Soups and Stews,Vegetarian,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 8:51 pm
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This gets the thumbs up from my boyfriend anyway. It’s a good hearty soup. I doubled up on the quantities and put some in the freezer.

This recipe serves 4.

2 1/2 Weight Watchers points per serving

Ingredients

Low fat cooking spray

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, sliced thinly

1 celery stick with leaves, both sliced thinly

175g (6 oz) red lentils, rinsed

4 tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground pepper

For the croutons

2 slices day-old wholemeal bread, crusts removed

2 garlice cloves, halved lengthways

Method

1. Spray a large, lidded saucepan with the cooking spray and fry the onion, celery and leaves and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, bay leaves, mixed herbs, salt and pepper.

2. Pour in the stock, bring up to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer, half covered, for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Remove the bay leaves. Whizz the soup in a food processor, or use a hand-held blender, until smooth. Check the seasoning and add more if necessary.

3. Meanwhile, rub both sides of each slice of bread with the garlic. Cut the bread into cubes and spray with the cooking spray. In a non-stick frying pan, fry the bread, turning occasionally and spraying with more cooking spray if necessary, until golden and crisp. Serve with croutons on top of the soup and some freshly ground black pepper.

 

Italian Chick Pea and Pasta Stew

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Pasta,Vegetarian,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 8:32 pm
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This is good for making at the weekend and freezing or also good for family dinner. The portion sizes are pretty decent also.

Serves 4

3 points per serving

Ingredients

175g (6oz) farfalle

low fat cooking spray

1 large onion, chopped

1 celery stick, sliced

 2 carrots, diced

850 mil (1 1/2 pints) vegetable stock

1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato puree

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (left whole)

1 x 400g can chick peas drained

250g (9oz) spinach, washed, thick stalks removed and leaves sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, spray a  large saucepan with the cooking spray and add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the stock, tomatoes, tomato puree, bay leaves and rosemary and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chick peas and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves.

3. Stir in the spinach and cooked pasta and cook for a final 2 minutes. Season. Serve in large bowls.

Variation- For a meat variation, you can add 250g (90z) lean thick cut ham, cubed with the chick peas in step 2, for an extra 1 1/2 points value per serving.

 

Autumn Vegetable Curry August 19, 2010

Filed under: Curries,Healthy Eating,Vegetarian,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:16 pm
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Another good Weight Watchers recipes for you to try. The recipe says that it serves 4, but I got 5 decent portions out of it. It’s great if you have a family but also good to freeze as well if you are on your own. Another bonus is that it’s zero points, yippee!

Ingredients

1 spray low fat cooking spray

1 large onion (s) finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 piece of ginger, 2.5cm/ 1 inch peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoon curry powder (or according to taste)

450g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and chopped

1 medium portion cauliflower, small, broken into florets

1 medium courgette, sliced

800g (2 cans) canned tomatoes, chopped

1 medium red, greeen or yellow (s), deseeded and chopped

125g green beans, sliced

1 stock cube, made up to 450ml (3/4 pint) or as per packet instructions

2 tablespoon fresh coriander, a handful, including stalks, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground

Method

1. Mist a large saucepan with spray cooking oil. Saute onion, garlic and ginger until softened, but not browned, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Add curry powder and stir well, then add all the vegetables, canned tomatoes, stock and most of the coriander. Heat until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes until vegetables are tender.

3. Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve, garnished with coriander.

Cook’s tips: Garnish each portion with 2 tbsp low fat plain yoghurt mixed with chopped fresh mint. Serve with rice, chapatis or naan bread, adding the extra points. You could add a can of chick peas to the curry to make it more filling. Drain and rinse, then add with the tomatoes- and don’t forget to add the points.

 

Chicken and New Potato Bake August 11, 2010

Filed under: Chicken,Healthy Eating,Potatoes,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:31 pm
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5 ½ points per serving

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ lemon, cut into quarters

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp tomato puree

50ml white wine

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

8 small bone-in skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts

500g baby new potatoes

1 red onion halved and sliced

Low fat cooking spray

50g of pitted olives in brine

Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees Celsius.
  2. Squeeze the juice from the lemon pieces into a large bowl and add the squeezed out lemon. Stir in the honey, wine, tomato puree and half the parsley.
  3. Season well and add the chicken, stirring to coat. Set aside to marinate.
  4. Meanwhile, place the whole new potatoes in a pan of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain and cool under running water.
  5. Slice thickly, and then place them in a large shallow casserole dish. Scatter the onions, garlic and olives on top, season well and mist with low fat spray.
  6. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and drizzle with the marinade.
  7. Roast for 1 hour or until cooked through, turning the chicken over every now and then.
  8. Stir the remaining parsley into the cooked chicken and serve with a salad.
 

Baked Sweet Potato with Sweetcorn and Crispy Bacon

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Potatoes,Uncategorized,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 9:09 pm
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Yet another Weight Watchers recipe for you 🙂 I promise I don’t have shares.

5 ½ points per serving

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

4 x 250g sweet potatoes

110g low fat soft cheese with garlic and herbs

4 spring onions, chopped

125g drained canned sweet corn

Low fat cooking spray

4 rashers lean back bacon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200 degrees Celsius/. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes until soft inside (insert a skewer to test). Remove from the oven, leaving it on.
  2. Halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the flesh, then stir in the soft cheese, spring onions and sweet corn. Season, then spoon the flesh back into the skins and return to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.
  3. Meanwhile, mist a small frying pan with low fat spray and heat. Add the bacon and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes, turning regularly until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon and chop into small pieces.
  4. Serve 2 halves of baked potato each topped with the bacon, with some green salad on the side.
 

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Filed under: Healthy Eating,Meat,Pasta,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 8:58 pm
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Tip: I added in chicken which I fried with the bacon until golden brown. I would also recommend adding in a stock cube with the pasta water, to give it an extra bit of flavour.

6 Points per serving

Serves 4

Ingredients

150g small, short dried pasta such as

macaroni or chifferi rigati

400g mixed zero points veg, such as

broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot cut into bite sizes.

Low fat cooking spray

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium rashers lean back bacon, chopped

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp low fat polyunsaturated margarine

300 ml skimmed milk

100g half fat mature cheddar cheese grated

1 slice of low calorie bread, whizzed into crumbs

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
  2. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook for just 1 minute, then add the mixed vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the veg is just starting to get tender.
  3. Drain and tip into a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish.
  4. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan, mist with low fat spray and add the onion. Sauté for 4 minutes until starting to soften and colour, then add the bacon and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
  5. Tip into the dish with the pasta and mix everything together.
  6. Place the flour, margarine and milk in a small saucepan and bring to the boil on a medium-high heat, whisking constantly.
  7. Simmer for a few minutes more, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and the raw flour taste has disappeared, then stir in half the cheese.
  8. Season to taste, and then pour the sauce over the pasta.
  9. Top the pasta with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs, then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until hot through and golden brown on top. Serve.
 

Sweet Potato Balti

Filed under: Curries,Healthy Eating,Vegetarian,Weight Watchers Recipes — delishuss @ 8:51 pm
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This is another Weight Watchers recipe. This is really good. You can serve it as a side dish or with rice as a main dish.

Serves 4. Takes 27 minutes. 9 points value per recipe. 201 calories per serving

Ingredients

500g sweet potato

Low fat cooking spray

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons balti curry powder

150 ml hot vegetable stock

1x410g can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 red chilli, sliced

75g frozen chopped spinach

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1. Put the sweet potato on a plate and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

2. Heat a wide non stick frying pan and spray with low fat cooking spray. Transfer the sweet potato to the pan and cook for 20 minutes, turning over about halfway through when starting to caramelise.

3. Meanwhile, put the chopped tomatoes, garlic, curry powder, stock, butter beans, chilli and frozen spinach into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the sweet potato and coriander and stir to combine. Serve immediately.