Weight Loss Update
Tuesday 10th April
Total weight loss 13lb!
Week one and I have lost 4lbs, I am very pleased :)
Week two and I have lost 9lbs how on Earth? :O
I love the summer. I love the variety of fruits available. I have eaten so much fruit today and although I have to count the points I really do not mind too much as the fruit is delicious and feels like a real treat.
I do try to eat seasonal and local produce whenever I can as it tastes so much better and I also feel bad about the environmental costs of eating fruit out of season (having to be airfreighted in etc).
So far today I have eaten, pineapple, strawberries, nectarines, raspberries apple and may have some melon later.
When fruit is so cheap and readily available it seems a waste not to eat it.
Further to my previous post this is what I am currently eating. In this case it was a rather nice ribeye steak seared and served medium rare with dry fried mushrooms, salad and a chunk of French bread. I added some very low fat mayo and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar.
Sometimes I forget how tasty simple food can be.
That was the huge sound of me falling off the wagon. I could give you million excuses that I gave myself for falling off it, work pressure, time, stress, being on holiday etc but the fact of the matter is it really does not matter.
What does matter is that I've dusted myself off and climbed back on the darn thing. I've had a wonderful holiday eaten some wonderful food and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Thank goodness the fine weather has finally arrived as I need all the motivation I can get. Grilled meat and salad only really appeal when the sun is shining. I will make the most of it an get back on track.
The classic BLT has to be one of my all time favourite sandwiches. It is such a winning combination, the salty smokeyness of the bacon, the juicy sweetness of the tomato and the crunch of the lettuce. This all combines with the bread and creamy mayo to give a total taste and texture sensation.
I have switched from WW bread to the new crustless bread, it works out at 1.5 points for two slices but is much denser and it toasts very well.
Low Fat BLT
Serves 1 - 2.5 pts
2 slices of bread
2 bacon medallions
(I prefer smoked)
lettuce
(I use little gems)
Vine ripened tomato sliced
(you have to be able to TASTE it!)
Hellman's extra light mayo
(this has to be 5g or it's not free)
Cook the bacon, spread the bread with the mayo and make the sandwich.
This is a simple but very tasty dish and tastes as though it should have masses of points. It is a bit of a faff stirring it but worth it for the creamy texture.
Mushroom Risotto
Serves 2 - 7 points each (HUGE portions)
200g Arborio rice
200g sliced button mushrooms
10g dried porcini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 pt chicken or vegetable stock from a cube
20g fresh grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
First put the kettle on you will need it. The dried mushrooms should be soaked for at least 1/2 hour in hot water. You will need to keep the liquid they have soaked in as it is full of flavour.
In a large saucepan add oil from a mister and soften the garlic and both of the mushrooms. Add the rice and stir well making sure that the rice is well coated in the mixture. Pour in the water the mushroom soaked in and simmer, stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. Add a ladleful of the stock and simmer, stirring again, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and tender.
Finally remove from the heat and add the parmesan - it will need yet another stir. Serve in bowls. You can add more cheese or a knob of butter but remember to add the points.
We had toad-in-the-hole for dinner tonight. Not the most summery of dishes but then the weather is vile and I needed something warm and comforting. My lovely husband made these and they turned out to be real whoppers. The Yorkshire pudding was feather light and the sausages juicy. Served with mash, cabbage and onion gravy they were fantastic. The toads worked out at 2 pts each. Just follow my Yorkshire Pudding recipe and add a lowfat sausage as they go into the oven - you will need to use a bigger tin to cook them in though but the amount of batter used and therefore the points will stay the same.
I always find that if food is presented well it tastes nicer, it can also fool you into thinking that you are eating more than you really are. Take the picture above it is just 2 tomatoes cut thinly and arranged on a plate with some shavings of lowfat cheese, I use a potato peeler to do this. The tomatoes are dressed with balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper and a few flakes of dried chilli. The points value was low at 1 pt per serving but serving it this way meant that it seemed like a lot more. If I had grabbed a tomato and a chunk of cheese as I sometimes do it would not have felt as satisfying.
There is a lot to be said for the psychological effects of eating with a knife and fork. I really did feel that I'd had a meal rather than a snack.
Sometimes only chocolate will do so I wanted to give you all a list of low point chocolate treats. These are all 4 point and under.
Cadbury
Freddo - 2 pts
Crunchie - 3.5 pts
Flake - 4 pts
Chocolate Buttons - 3.5 pts
Fudge - 2 pts
Chomp - 2.5 pts
Taz - 2 pts
Spira - 4 pts
Ruffle - 2.5 pts
Time Out - 4 pts
Frys Chocolate Cream (all flavours)- 4 pts
Creme Egg 3.5 pts
Mars
Mars Egg - 4 pts
Flyte - 3.5 pts
Revels - 3.5 pts
Ripple - 3.5 pts
Minstrels - 4 pts
Tracker - 3.5 pts
Magic Stars - 4 pts
Harry Potter Honeydukes Best Chocolate - 2 pts
Milky Way - 2 pts
Nestle
Milkybar - 1.5 pts
Rolo Egg - 3.5 pts
Caramac - 4 pts
Milybar Buttons 3.5 pts
Mint Aero Egg - 3 pts
Walnut Whip - 3.5 pts
2 Finger Kit Kat - 2.5 pts
Nestle Double Cream Egg - 3.5 pts
Nestle White Chocolate Crunch Bar - 3.5 pts
It may seem odd to be posting about soup when the weather is so hot but after a day of salads, and using points up on ice cream ;) I wanted something substantial and savoury after the sun had set and my appetite had returned.
I had 2 leeks, 1 carrot, 2 sticks celery, 1 courgette and a handful of green beans all lurking in the fridge and doing nothing so they were quickly sliced, diced and chucked in a pan with 2 chicken stock cubes and a pinch of saffron (Not essential but I wanted to use some it's been taunting me since I got back from Tunisia.)
15 minutes later and the vegetables were soft and I could go to work with my stick blender. It was thoroughly blitzed until all lumps had gone and I was left with a thick golden/green soup with a creamy texture.
Delicious and really quick to make. I like making soup. It's quick, low in points (in this case free) and the chopping and dicing is a great way to relieve stress.
One of the most enjoyable experiences of my holiday was buying spices in the Medina. I can hardly wait to try then out. The aromas and colours of the spices in the shops have to be seen to be believed. You smell and sample the spices are are guarenteed that they have not spent months on a shelf gathering dust and losing their pungency.
I bought the following:
Ras el Hanout
It is a 'must have' blend of herbs and spices is used across North Africa and The Middle East. The name means "top of the shop" in Arabic, and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer. There is no set combination of spices that makes up ras el hanout, but most versions contain over a dozen spices, including mace (spice), cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground chill peppers.
Saffron
This is the most expensive of spices and is worth more than it's weight in gold but has a wonderful flavour and gives food a stunning colour. Store saffron in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to six months for maximum flavor. Saffron, like other herbs and spices, is sensitive to light, so wrap the packet in foil to protect it further. It will not spoil, but it will lose increasingly more and more of its flavor with age.
Cumin
Cumin can be used to season many dishes, as it draws out their natural sweetnesses. It is traditionally added to curries, enchiladas, tacos, and other Middle-eastern, Indian, Cuban and Mexican-style foods. It can also be added to salsa to give it extra flavour. Cumin has also been used on meat in addition to other common seasonings. In Tunisia ground cumin is also used as a condiment and traditionally appears in place of pepper on the table.
Harissa
Harissa is a Tunisian hot red spice mix made from chilli peppers (often smoked) and garlic flavoured with ground coriander, cumin and caraway. It is usually mixed with tomato puree and olive oil to form a paste. The paste can also be bought but I prefer the powder as I can control the heart as believe me this is spicy!
After spending time in Tunisia eating a lot of very rich and spicy food I have been craving plain and simple home cooking.
Today we had lamb chops cooked in the griddle pan served with garlic and rosemary dry roast potatoes and steamed green beans. It was just what I needed and the whole meal was just 5 points two for the chop and 3 for the potatoes. Thankfully the lashings of mint sauce I had was free LOL.
We arrived back from holiday on Sunday evening but I still had to work on Monday and that meant I had to prepare my packed lunch. After a week away the cupboards were bare. As we had only been away for a week I had some tomatoes and peppers in the fridge that were still OK and of course dried stuff in the larder.
Tuna and Pasta Salad
Serves 1 - 4 pts each
1 small can tuna in spring water
1/2 green pepper finely chopped
6 cherry tomatoes halved
6 silver skinned pickled onions halved
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper
Sprinkle of paprika
1 tbsp extra light mayo
3pts (9 0unce cooked weight) pasta
The pasta should be cool. I cook mine with a vegetable stock cube and then plunge into ice cold water to speed up the process. In a large bowl mix together the tuna, mayo, seasonings and vinegar. Add the other ingredients and stir well until the tuna mixture has completely coated the pasta. This can be eaten straight away but it actually better if stored in the fridge to allow the pasta to absorb the flavours.
I always use pickled onions as I like the flavour and crunch but finely chopped red onion would do as well. Not bad for something thrown together at the last minute!
Well back to Earth with a bump is an understatement. We had the most wonderful holiday in Tunisia. Port el Kantaoiu is a wonderful resort. Clean, spacious yet cosy and very child friendly. The Tunisian people we met could not have been more helpful or more friendly. Be warned though they adore children and you will be constantly stopped and your children admired, especially if they are boys. Imagine the fuss they made of my two rogues!
One of the best feelings was being confident enough to wear a swimsuit in public. I may not be at target but at least I felt that I could romp in the pool with my boys without feeling too self conscious. I even feel I can post a few pics (not full length yet though LOL)
We're all going on a summer holiday! The boys and I are off to Tunisia for a week of fun in the sun. The hotel looks lovely and we have heard good things about the resort which pleases me as I was not keen on Tunisia the first time we went. Port el Kantaoui is a purpose built resort in a traditional Moorish style, not the most authentic and back to basics holiday but with small children you have to be careful.
See you after a week of over indulging as it is an all inclusive holiday.
I intend to bring back lots of spices including harissa and tabil to add more interest to my cooking.
We had a wonderful family day out yesterday at Oakwell Football Stadium in Barnsley. A charity match had been arranged to support our local children's hospital charity and we went along with our friends and there children. That made no less than 4 over excited boys (6 counting the dads) and two mums enjoying every minute of it.
Even the rain could not spoil what was a thoroughly enjoyable day out and lots of money was raised for a cause very dear to my heart - without Sheffield Children's Hospital I would not have my second son Leo.
All the celebrities gave their time freely and spent ages signing autographs and chatting to the hoards of children that descended on them. It gave me a wonderful warm feeling and the atmosphere was unbelievable!
I love steak but I also love creamy sauces with them. This creamy mushroom sauce is a real cheats version and at 0.5 pts per serving is great value.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Serves 2 - 0.5 pts each
1/2 lb mushrooms sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 light cheese triangles
Fry the mushrooms and garlic in oil from a mister. Add a little water and continue to cook until soft and reduced, there should still be a little liquid. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese triangles until they have melted and formed a smooth sauce.
I served this with steak and potato wedges but it would be lovely on toast or as a topping for a jacket potato or pasta.
I wanted something to serve with the vegetable curry that I had made and left the choice up to my husband as he was cooking. The result was a bed of basmati rice, vegetable curry and griddled salmon on top. The curry was even better for being left for a day as the flavours really develop.
It tasted wonderful and brought back memories of a fish curries served in Goa, but not as fattening. I wouldn't do this with wild salmon but with farmed salmon which has less flavour it is ideal. The thick texture of the salmon can stand up to the curry spices very well.
This is a very low point meal considering the man sized portions, the rice was 3 points and the salmon 3.5 points. The curry was free. Imagine the portion size of a ready meal you would get for 6.5 points! Also the cooking time was 10 minutes as the curry had been prepared in advance.
Vegetable Curry
Oil from a mister (or Frylight)
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp ground coriander
2 finely chopped leeks
3 finely chopped onions
5 finely chopped cloves of garlic
2 grated carrots
2 grated courgettes
½ lb finely chopped mushrooms
1 pack fine beans
1 carton passatta
1 stock cube
Heat a large pan or wok and spray with oil. Add the garam masala and coriander and cook for a few seconds until it gives of an aroma. Add the leek, onion and garlic and a little water. Cook until translucent then add the all other ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes .
This can be made with virtually any free vegetables
I have recently discovered Tesco Healthy Living quarter pounders. These are frozen burgers at 2.5 points each. They also are free from fillers and other nastiness and taste great cooked on the barbecue or on a griddle pan. I actually prefer these to any other pre-made burgers I have tried as they are meaty and juicy.
Here is my idea of junk food heaven.
Bread roll - 1.5 pts (I remove the middle to reduce the points)
Burger - 2.5 pts
Cheese slice - 1 pt (low fat of course)
Oven chips - 4 pts
Ketchup - 0.5 pts
Salad free
Total for cheeseburger and chips 9.5 pts and absolutely delicious
The warm weather makes me want to sit in the garden and drink lager, fatal at 1.5 pts for a bottle of premium lager e.g. Stella, Grolsch. I have taken to making shandy with it using low cal lemonade. I also use a glass rather than drink from the bottle.
This means that I can get three drinks from a bottle at 0.5 pts per drink. It also fills me up more leaving less room for snacking!
I have had a lot of social occasion to attend this weekend with it being a bank holiday. On Saturday evening we were invited out to a barbecue at a friends house and I knew that the wine would be flowing and the food tempting.
I made leek and potato bake, just cooked in chicken stock cubes - see my "Tasty Tatties" post under side dishes, I also added courgette which did not work as well the skin on the courgette was stringy and the texture just was not right. I think I may be tempted to try it with carrot or swede next time as they will soften beautifully. It could also be made with vegetable stock and would taste great.
3 pts worth of potato, free veg and served with 3 smoked bacon medallions at 1.5 points each. It was very filling for 4.5 pts.
I was thrilled to discover lots of fillet steak reduced at the supermarket. I bought the lot and put it into the freezer. I love fillet steak and I love a bargain so I was very happy, plus fillet is the leanest cut of beef so it's great for dieters. I weighed them and they were 4 pts each which is just a little more than a chicken breast and much tastier.
This chilled soup could not be easier to make and is a joy to eat on a warm day. Adjust the seasonings to taste as I like it quite hot.
Gazpacho Soup
Serves 4 - 0 pts
1 carton passata
1 red pepper peeled and de-seeded
1 green pepper peeled and de-seeded
1 red onion
A small bunch of fresh coriander
Juice of half a lemon
3 cloves of garlic - bashed
Sea salt
Black pepper
Worcester Sauce
Tabasco
Finely chopped spring onion, cucumber and tomato to garnish
Place all the ingredients apart from salt, pepper, Tabasco and the garnish into a food processor and puree until smooth. Add extra water if required. Season to taste then chill well.
Serve ice cold with the garnish in the centre
I absolutely love pate and in my pre-Weightwatchers days I would eat half a tub with butter spread thickly onto a baguette. Can you imagine how many points in that?!
ASDA is not my usual supermarket but I called in their today on my way home from work and discovered that they have low fat pate in individual sized portions. These are 3 points each and well worth it in my opinion. The Weightwatchers one is a little too dry for my taste but this one have the lovely creamy pate texture.
My treat tonight - pate and hot toast. The Weightwatchers Malted Danish is ideal for this as it toasts quickly and is crisp.
Isn't it nice when you discover something that you thought would be high in points is not as high as expected. This happened to me when out of interest I pointed halloumi cheese. Halloumi is a delicous cheese with a fabulous texture when cooked, it goes golden brown on the outside, and melts in the middle. It works particularly well in a salad with Mediterranean flavours. It has a very high melting point so is ideal for a barbecue and can be served on it's own with salad and a pitta.
It also takes on other flavours very well try it with chilli and lime sprinkled on before grilling. Or some fresh herbs.
We had in barbecued and served with salad and a sauce made from reduced tinned tomatoes, chilli, balsamic vinegar and dried oregano.
I bought light halloumi at 3.5 pts for 100g
The real stuff works out at 9 pts for 100g so well worth getting the light version
What to do when you are hungry but need your points for wine?
Mushroom Chop Suey
0 points
Mushrooms
Onion
Bean Sprouts
Garlic
Soy sauce
Five spice powder
Cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms until soft add the soy, five spice and the beansprouts and cook until the beansprouts start to wilt. Add any other free veg to bulk it out if required.
This is spicy and and tasty. I use whatever vegetables I have to hand when making this.
Creole Chicken
Serves 2 - 3.5 pts each
2 chicken breasts cut into chucks
1 Can tomatoes, cut up
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sticks chopped celery
1 tsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
Few drops Tabasco sauce
Fry the chicken until it is sealed then add the peppers, garlic, onion and celery. Cook for 5 minutes then add the tomato and other ingredients. Cook slowly for an hour until the sauce has reduced into a thick consistency. Serve with plain boiled rice.
This is a very substantial dish and I dare anyone to eat this and not feel full.
Seared salmon with stir fried noodles
Serves 2 – 8.5 pts each
2 salmon fillets approx 175g each
1 pack (300g) Amoy Straight to Wok fine noodles
500g Mushrooms sliced
½ large pack beansprouts
2 medium onions sliced
1 pepper deseeded and sliced
½ bottle oyster sauce
Chinese 5 spice powder
Szechwan Pepper
Soy sauce
Chilli flakes
Marinade the salmon in a little soy sauce and sprinkle with chilli, five spice powder and Szechwan pepper. Pre-heat a griddle pan until very hot and add the salmon skin side down. Leave for 5 mins then turn over. The salmon needs to be cooked on a high heat to sear and turn a lovely dark colour. The outside should be almost black and crispy.
In a wok stir fry the onion, pepper and mushrooms until soft with a little soy sauce then add the beansprouts, oyster sauce, 5 spice and Szechwan pepper to taste. Stir until the vegetables are completely covered and add the noodles. Once the noodles are warmed through serve with the salmon.
This is basically vegetables and rice stir fried together. I must admit to using the microwaveable pouches of rice as they are very quick and easy to point. The secret to a good fried rice is to get some colour on the vegetables and to makes sure that they are cut in such a way that they cook in the same time. I add garlic, five spice, chilli flakes, soy sauce and oyster sauce to mine and it tastes fantastic.
This was made using leek, red onion, courgette and mushrooms as that was what I had available. Carrot strips and beansprouts would also work well as do peppers and baby sweetcorn. I like to experiment with different vegetables.
Serve on it’s own as a snack or light lunch or with fish, chicken in fact there is not much it will not go with.
Made with 1 pack of Uncle Ben’s Basmati rice in microwavable pouches this will serve 2 and is 2.5 pts per portion.
My favourite low point treats
Sweet
Weightwatchers Toffee or Vanilla Yoghurts 0.5 pts each
Pink and Whites 0.5 points each
Tesco Healthy Living mini fruit lollies 0.5 pts each
Caramel Jumbo Snack-a-Jacks 0.5 pts each
Weightwatchers carrot cake slices 1 pt each
Weightwatchers lemon cake slices 1 pt each
Weightwatchers cranberry and orange cookies 1.5 pts for 2
Weightwatchers double chocolate cookies 1.5 pts for 2
Skinny cow ice lollies 1.5 pts each
Savoury
Snack-a-Jacks salted popcorn 0.5 pts per bag
Cheese Jumbo Snack-a-Jacks 0.5 pts each
Laughing Cow Light cheese triangles 0.5 pts each
Plain Rice Cakes 1pt for 3
Walkers French Fries (from multi-pack) 1 pts per bag
Walkers Quavers (from multi-pack) 1.5 pts per bag
Walkers Potato Heads (from multi-pack) 1.5 pts per bag
Now that the weather is finally getting warmer and the evenings are light I find myself wanting salads again. My cravings for soups, stews and mashed potato are vanishing and my thoughts are turning to barbecues and picnics. The problem for me is not the food but the associated drink that goes with these events. I love a barbecue but one glass of wine soon leads to another (and another) until I am dangerously low on points.
Last night we had a barbecue and the food we cooked were
Low fat sausages
Low fat burgers
Chicken breasts
Lamb steaks
These were served with lots of salad and new potatoes dry roasted with chilli and garlic.
This is cheesy, creamy and surprisingly low in points. A nice alternative to tomato based pasta dishes. I serve it with salad and maybe a little reduced fat garlic bread, although the portions are substantial enough to eat alone. Bacon medallions are available from most supermarkets and are ½ point each. You could leave these out for a vegetarian version.
Creamy Pasta Bake
Serves 6 – 4.5 points each
2 leeks finely chopped
200g sliced button mushrooms
1 pint skimmed milk
8 smoked bacon medallions
330g dried pasta
2 chicken (or vegetable) stock cubes
6 low fat cheese spread triangles
20 g grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
Put the leeks and mushrooms into a pan and add the milk. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Add the cheese triangles and the parmesan stirring well to ensure that it is all combined into a smooth sauce. Taste and season as required but remember the bacon will add more saltiness. Make up the stock cubes and use the liquid to cook the pasta. This should only be part cooked as it will finish off in the oven. Grill the bacon until crisp and cut into bite size portions. Add the part cooked pasta, sauce and bacon to an oven proof dish and stir to combine the ingredients ensuring that the pasta is well coated in the sauce. The sauce will appear runny at this stage but some will be absorbed by the pasta and the heat of the oven will evaporate more liquid.
Put into a preheated oven at 150 degrees and cook for 30 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce reduced. Remove form the oven and allow to stand for a further 10 minutes. This will allow the cheese to set a little and thicken the sauce further.
This is a really quick and tasty side dish.
Spicy Potato Wedges
Serves 2 - 3 points each
600g of whole potatoes
Cajun seasoning
Salt and pepper
Microwave the potatoes whole until they are half cooked. Cut into wedges and sprinkle with salt and pepper and the Cajun seasoning. Pre-heat the grill and put a baking tray under it to until both are very hot. Spray the baking tray with oil from a mister and add the wedges. Spray the top of the wedges with the mister and put under the hot grill. Cook until the wedges are brown and crispy.
We had them today with chilli.
This is a wonderful accompaniment to pork or gammon.
Cheesy Leeks
Serves 2 - 1.5 pts each
2 medium leeks finely chopped
1/4 pint skimmed milk
3 low fat cheese triangles
10g grated Parmesan
Cook the leeks until soft in the milk, keep a lid on to stop too much evaporation. Add the cheese triangles and stir well. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Serve immediately.
This would be good as a filling for jacket potato or with pasta too.
This classic Italian dish is an absolute dream for dieters.
Arrabiata Sauce
Serves 2 - 0 pts per portion
1 can of tomatoes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
Spray a pan with oil from a mister and cook the garlic and onions until soft but not browned. Add the chili and stir well. Then add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the tomato has reduced and a thick sauce has formed. It should be a sort of red mush and quite dark in colour.
Serve with penne pasta and a trickle of olive oil or fresh parmesan.
This is a classic British dish and is one of the ultimates in comfort food. You would not believe how much of this a toddler can eat!
Fish Pie
Serves 4 - 5 pts each
2 medium fillets cod
2 medium fillets smoked haddock
1 1/2 lb potatoes
1 pint skimmed milk
6 oz Low Fat Mature Cheese
2 level teaspoon cornflour
1 level teaspoon English mustard
Peel the potatoes and boil in salted water. In a wide and shallow bowl place the milk and fish and bring to the boil. Cover tightly with a lid and turn the heat off. The fish will poach in the heat of the milk.
When the fish is cool enough to handle fake it and put into an oven proof dish. Use the poaching liquid to make a cheese sauce by heating with the cornflour until it boils and thickens, remove form the heat and add 3/4 of the cheese stirring constantly. When the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce add the mustard and stir again. Pour the sauce over the flaked fish and stir gently to ensure all the fish is covered in sauce.
Once the potato is cooked drain and mash mixing in the rest of the cheese. Top the fish and sauce with the potato. When you are doing this always start at the outside and work inwards otherwise the weight of the potato will push the sauce out over the sides of the dish.
Score a pattern on the top of the potato and brown under a hot grill. Serve on it's own or with green vegetables.
I love fresh seafood and I had forgotten how low in points it can be! I don't eat nearly enough fish and I am trying to correct this so be prepared to see a lot of seafood recipes on my blog as I try to create some low point recipes
Mussels with Garlic, Lemon and Butter
As a main course serves 2 - 2 pts per person
As a starter serves 4 - 1 pt per person
1 kilo fresh mussels in their shells
1 1/2 teaspoon half fat butter
3 small or 2 large cloves of garlic finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Finely chopped parsley
Ensure that the mussels are clean and remove any beard. Discard any with cracked or broken shells and any that are open and do not close when given a sharp tap. In a large saucepan melt to butter and add the chopped garlic, do not allow to colour you just want the garlic to soften. After a few minutes add the lemon juice and parsley and stir well, then it's time to throw in the mussels. Stir again to ensure that the buttery mixture coats all the mussels. Turn up the heat and cover with a tight fitting lid. After a few minutes shake the pan to mix up the mussels. Cook for a further 3 minute then turn off the heat. Leave the mussels to steam for a couple more minutes and then serve.
Serve with pasta or fresh crusty bread but remember to add the points. if serving with pasta then reducing the liquid and maybe adding a little cream is wonderful!
