Thai seared beef and vegetable stir fry

Thai seared beef and vegetable stir fry

This recipe comes from the July 2016 Slimming World magazine.  Very quick to make and very tasty. Add some noodles or rice if you like.

Low cal cooking spray
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
2 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tsp grated garlic
2 tbsp finely chopped lemon grass, outer leaves removed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
500g lean minced beef (5% fat or less)
650 g mixed stir fry veg
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
chopped fresh coriander to garnish

Spray a wok with low cal spray and place over high heat.  Stir fry the onion garlic,ginger, lemongrass, chilli and mince for 3-4 minutes until the mince is browned.

Add the stir fry veg and stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until just cooked through.  Add the oyster and fish sauces, stir to mix for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, add the lime zest and juice, stir to mix then serve, garnished with the coriander.

Lamb Tikka Masala with Golden Rice

Lamb Tikka Masala with Golden Rice

Another delicious recipe from Slimming World March/April 2016.

Serves 4

Syn free

low cal cooking spray
600 g lamb leg steaks, all visible fat removed, cubed
2-3 tsp peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 red chilli, deseeded if you want a milder curry
2 onions, 1 cut into chunks and 1 finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
400 g can chopped tomatoes
200 g frozen peas
200 g bag spinach
juice of ½ lemon
100 g fat free Greek style yogurt

For the golden rice
300 g dried basmati rice
2 carrots peeled and grated

Spray a frying pan with cooking spray and place over high heat.  Brown the lamb all over then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Put the ginger, garlic, red chilli, onion chunks, tomato puree, garam masala, paprika, turmeric and 1 tsp cumin seeds into a food processor and whizz into a paste.

Spray a pan with low cal spray and place over high heat.  Fry the chopped onion for a few minutes then stir in the paste and cook for 5 minutes.  Tip in the tomatoes and 200 ml water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  

Boil the rice, remaining turmeric and the grated carrots until the rice is tender.  Drain well.

Add the lamb to the curry sauce and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until the lamb is cooked through.

Boil the peas, spinach, remaining cumin seeds and lemon juice in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes then drain.

Remove the curry from the heat and stir in the yogurt.  Serve with the rice, spinach and peas.

Pesto Stuffed Chicken with Rocket Salsa

Pesto Stuffed Chicken with Rocket Salsa

Another lovely recipe from Slimming World magazine March/April 2016

Serves 4
Syn free

4 skinless chicken breast fillets
3 tbsp finely chopped basil leaves
2 tbsp quark
3 garlic cloves, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

Salsa
4 plum tomatoes, deseeded and finely chopped
200g yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
200g red cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 roasted red peppers in brine from a jar, drained and roughly chopped
3 tbsp roughly chopped basil leaves
50g wild rocket, roughly chopped
juice of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/Gas 6.

Using a sharp knife, slice into the side of each chicken breast to make a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through.

For the pesto, mix together the basil, quark and garlic and season.  Spoon into the pockets in the chicken breasts, then arrange the chicken on a baking tray. Sprinkle over the chilli and some black pepper and bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile prepare the salsa.  Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and season.

Hoisin beef stir-fry

Hoisin beef stir-fry

Yet another recipe from Slimming World magazine March/April 2016.  Clearly a particularly good issue for food!

Serves 4

1 syn per serving

Low calorie cooking spray
500g lean minced beef (5% fat or less)
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp finely grated root ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 level tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp tomato puree
250 ml beef stock
4 dried egg noodle nests
600g ready prepared stir fry veg
fresh coriander to garnish 
soy sauce to serve

Place a pan sprayed with cooking spray over a medium heat.  Add the mince and onion and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to break up the mince until it is browned.

Add half the ginger and garlic then mix in the hoisin sauce, tomato puree and stock.  Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer occasionally so that it doesn't stick. Meanwhile cook the noodles according to the instructions on the pack and then drain well.

Place a large wok or frying pan sprayed with low calorie spray over a medium heat. Add the remaining ginger and garlic and all of the prepared veg.  Stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Toss the noodles and mince mixture through the veg and divide between 4 bowls.  Garnish with coriander and serve with soy sauce to drizzle over.

Beef Rendang

Beef Rendang

Another recipe from Slimming World March/April 2016.

Serves 4

4½ syns per serving

Low calorie cooking spray
salt and freshly ground black pepper
900g lean beef shin, all visible fat removed, cut into bite sized chunks
4 tsp ground turmeric
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamom pods, split
200ml reduced fat coconut milk
250 ml beef stock
6 fresh kaffir lime leaves, optonal
20g desiccated coconut, toasted
250g dried basmati rice

Spice paste:
2 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped
3 small shallots
5 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 red chillies, deseeded if you like
5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 level tbsp tamarind paste

Put the spice paste ingredients into a food processor and whizz to make a smooth paste.

Spray a large, non-stick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.  Add the spice paste and cook for 5 minutes or until golden.  Season the beef, add to the pan and cook for 10 minutes until browned all over.

Add 1 tsp turmeric, the star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, coconut milk, stock, lime leaves and 1 tbsp coconut.  Bring to the boil then cover and cook very gently over a low heat for 1½ hours or until the beef is tender.

Meanwhile cook the rice according to the pack instructions, adding the remaining turmeric to the cooking water.

Divide the rice and rendang between serving plates and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Serve with some veg eg steamed mange-tout.  Discard the whole spices before eating.

Quick and Crunchy Mexican Cod

Quick and Crunchy Mexican Cod

This recipe is from Slimming World Magazine March/April 2016

Serves 4

3½ syns per serving

400g can chopped tomatoes
6 level tbsp tomato salsa from a jar
½ tsp each chilli flakes and ground cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 thick, skinless, boneless cod fillets
25g corn tortillas, roughly crushed
25g reduced fat cheddar cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/Gas 7.

Tip the tomatoes into a sieve and drain for a few minutes then add to a bowl with the salsa, chilli flakes and cumin.  Season and mix together.

Spoon the tomato mixture into a shallow baking dish and space the cod out on top.  Mix together the tortillas and cheese and divide between the fillets.  Season and bake for 18-20 minutes until the cod flakes easily.

Serve with rice or potatoes and veg or salad.

Piri Piri Rice and Prawns

Piri Piri Rice and Prawns

This recipe was in the Sainsbury's magazine from January 2016

This is for one person so just scale up for as many as you are cooking for.

The peas of the recipe are actually black-eyed beans which add protein. 

1 tbsp coconut oil (veg or olive oil if preferred)
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, roughly chopped, seeds removed if you prefer
6 baby sweetcorn, halved lengthways
4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tsp piri piri seasoning or to taste
100g tinned black-eyed beans, drained and rinsed
150g pre-cooked rice (about 50g dried weight)
large handful of baby spinach leaves
1 large clove garlic, chopped
200g raw peeled king prawns
lemon wedge to serve

Heat half the oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat.  Add the spring onions, chilli, sweetcorn and tomato and stir-fry for about 1 minute.  Add the piri piri seasoning and stir fry for 30 seconds then add the black-eyed beans and 2 tbsp water.

Add the rice and stir fry for 2 minutes, breaking any clumps as you go.  Add the spinach giving it a couple of turns to help it wilt.  Tip the rice and veg out of the pan and keep warm.

Wipe the pan and return to the heat with the rest of the coconut oil.  Once hot, add the garlic and prawns and cook for about 1 minute stirring until the prawns are pink and cooked through.

Spoon the garlicky prawns over the piri piri rice and finish with a squeeze of lemon.  Serve immediately.

Also nice made with chicken, although the chicken may take slightly longer to cook.

Celebration Chocolate Cake

This is a Mary Berry recipe and is one of the best cakes I've tasted.  The cake is quick to make, lovely and light and the icing made with white chocolate is so much nicer than butter cream and not as sweet.  Winner all round.

It's ideal as a birthday cake.

190 g self raising flour

150 g caster sugar

2 level tbsp cocoa powder

1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 level tsp baking powder

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 free range eggs

150 ml sunflower oil

150 ml milk

Icing

200g white chocolate

150ml double cream

1 x 125g full fat cream cheese

Heat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4 and grease and line 2 x 20cm (8") straight sided loose-bottomed sandwich tins.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.  Add they syrup, eggs, oil and milk, mix with an electric hand whisk and pour into the tins.

Bake for 25-30 mins or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your fingertips. Turn out onto a wire rack, remove the paper and leave to cool.

For the icing, break the white chocolate into a bowl. Heat the cream in a pan unitl hot but not boiling and pour the hot cream over the chocolate to melt it.  Stir until melted and set aside to cool.

Spoon the cream cheese into a bowl and gradually add the white chocolate mixture and stir until combined.  Set aside until it is cool and thick enough to ice.

Spoon half the icing on one cake, sit the other cake on top and spread the remaining icing on top.

Lamb Biryani the WW one

Lamb Biryani

This one comes from a Weight Watchers book called "Spicy and Speedy" and is a family favourite.

Forgot to take a picture of this one, so this is the picture from the book.

Serves 4

175g dried basmati rice
kettle of boiling water
low fat cooking spray
4 x 100g lean lamb leg steaks trimmed of fat and cut into cubes
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground turmeric
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cardamom pods, split
7 dried curry leaves
100ml hot vegetable stock
1 onion, sliced thinly
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to Gas5/190ºC. 

Put the rice into a pan and cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a small lidded, flame and oven proof pan/casserole dish and spray with low fat cooking spray. Cook the lamb for 3-4 minutes until browned all over.  Stir in the fennel seeds, coriander, oregano, turmeric, garlic, cardamom, curry leaves and season.  Keep on a very low heat.

Drain the rice and add to the casserole dish along with the vegetable stock.  Increase the heat and bring to the boil.  Cover tightly and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the rice is tender.

Meanwhile, spray a non-stick frying pan with low fat cooking spray and cook the onion for 6 minutes until crisp and golden.  Remove the biryani from the oven and stir to mix through.  Serve immediately, topped by the onions.

Prawn Kedgeree

Prawn Kedgeree

Another recipe from Olive magazine Feb 2016.  A nice change from kedgeree with smoked haddock which I love but it doesn't half smell the house out!

Serves 2

150g basmati rice
1 tsp oil
2 finely chopped shallots
2 tsp curry powder
½ chicken stock cube
150g cooked peeled prawns
2 eggs hardboiled and quartered
butter (optional)
Parsley
Lemon wedges

Rinse the rice in cold water and let it soak while you cook the base mixture.

Fry the shallots in the oil until they start to soften then stir in the curry powder and stock cube and cook for 1 minute. Add the drained rice and 300ml water and bring to a simmer.  Put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes by which time the water should have absorbed and the rice cooked.

Stir in the prawns and some seasoning and sit the egg pieces on top. Dot with butter and put the lid on for a minute. 

Scatter over the parsley and squeeze over some lemon before serving.