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 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.
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.
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.
Maybe not for the purists but it's good enough for me
Onion Soup
Serve 2 - 0pts each4-5 medium onions very thinly sliced
2 beef stock cubes
Salt
1 pint water
White pepper
Worcester Sauce
Spray a pan with oil from a mister and fry the onions until very brown. This may take some time and is best if you don't stir too much to allow the onions to caramalise. Add the water and stockcubes and season to taste. I like mine to simmer for a while. This recipe uses white pepper as I think it gives a different flavour to black pepper - less aromatic and with more heat.
Serve on it's own or reduce to a thicker consistency and use as an onion gravy.
A thin slice of toasted french bread floated on top then sprinkled with LF cheese and grilled transforms this into very posh nosh for a couple of points.
Sometimes with the best will in the world any diet will become boring, the problem is that you get stuck in a rut eating the same things every week and you long for something a bit different.
I am always trying to find new low fat ways to spice up everyday ingredients. Who hasn’t got sick of jacket potatoes when dieting? They are so convenient and quick plus they are available in every restaurant or café so are a great option when eating out. As a result of this I don’t like to have them too often at home.
However last time we went out for dinner the restaurant served potatoes cooked in chicken stock. These were absolutely delicious, I have had pommes boulangerie (Bakers Potatoes) before but these were not cooked in the oven but rather on the stove. Pommes Boulangerie were so named not because they contain any bakers ingredients but because people would pay a few pennies for the use of the bakers oven and would take dishes to the bakers to be cooked. In those days people would not have had their own ovens.
Bakers Potatoes
Serves 2 – 2 points each
2 medium sized potatoes peeled and thickly sliced
1 small leek thinly sliced
2 chicken stock cubes
Black pepper to taste
Water (hot from the kettle)
In a wide bottomed pan add enough water to cover the bottom and dissolve the stock cubes. Once dissolved add half the potatoes layered. Sprinkle the leeks on top and season with pepper. Add the rest of the potatoes and enough water to just cover and season with more black pepper.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook gently for approximately 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and a lovely golden colour. If the sauce is too thin then remove the lid and reduce. You could also flash the potatoes under the grill for a golden and crispy topping.
I serve this with gammon or chicken and it is very filling and extremely tasty. Try adding curry powder for an extra twist.
I am always looking for new ways to add flavour without adding points. I have a grinder for sea salt and one for black pepper both of which are used every day, so when I saw a grinder filled with dried chilli and garlic I just had to buy it.
Garlic and Chilli New Potatoes
Points for potatoes only
Small new potatoes
Oil Mister
Garlic and Chilli Grinder
Cut small new potatoes in half. Spritz with oil from a mister, grind on the chilli and garlic as roast in a hot oven for 40 minutes. Simple and very tasty.
Who doesn't love roast potatoes? Crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle they are the ideal accompanyment to numerous dishes and they need not pile on the points. Chuck out the oilive oil and the goosefat and bring out the oil mister.
Dry roast potatoes
1/2 pt per potato
Small potatoes
Oil Mister
Salt
Pepper
Peel small potatoes these should be about 1/2 pt each. I use my Weightwatcher scales to measure them. Parboil in salted water until cooked 1/2 way through. The oven should be pre-heated to it's highest setting . When the potatoes are ready to be removed from the pan spary a roasting tin with oil from the mister and put in the oven to pre-heat. Then drain the potatoes and give a good shake to make the edges rough. Season with salt and pepper and spray with oil from the mister. Pour into the pre-heated baking tray and cook until golden brown and crispy this should take 30-40 minutes depending on how dark you like them.
Roast chicken or roast pork would not be the same for me without stuffing. My mum always made it with the juices and fat from the roasting meat which whilst delicious is very high in points. Homemade stuffings can also pile on the points especially if they contai
n forcemeat and dried fruit. I'm a sage and onion girl myself although I do add a couple of points free ingredients to make it exta moist and tasty and to make it go further. I simple add a finely chopped onion and a chicken stock cube. These ingredients add no points but so much flavour. Why not give it a try?
As I am a Yorkshire girl I cannot imagine a Roast Dinner without a plateful of Yorkshire Puddings. I love them for me they are the best part of the meal. I sometimes cheat and buy frozen ones but they really cannot compare to homemade. The recipe for these heavenly delights is not an easy one to write down as the feel of the batter is what matters rather than quantities.
Yorkshire Pudding - Makes 24
Approximately 1.5 pts for 2
5 heaped tbsp plain flour
3 medium eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 pt skimmed milk
Water
Vegetable Oil
Add the salt and flour to a mixing bowl and crack in the eggs. Mix to a smooth paste this should not have any lumps. This is heavy work and can be done using a mixer but I find it takes me as long to clean the damn thing afterwards so I just use a fork. Combine the milk gradually and then add water until the mixture is thin enough to coat a spoon.
The important thing to remember is that the oven must be hot. You must pre-heat it to it's maximum setting. When it is hot you can prepare your pudding tins. These should be coated with oil. Not too much as oil expands when it is heated. Put these in the oven for the oil to heat. The pans should be so hot that the oil starts to smoke. When this happens you can take them out of the over, drain any excess oil and fill with the batter, the batter should sizzle when it goes in.
Speed is of the essence you have built up all this heat don't let it get away by dallying. Put the batter in the oven and leave alone. Do not open the door. Do not peek. They will rise. After 20 minutes check on them as if you do not have a fan oven they may need switching so that they cook evenly.
Serve with lashings of gravy.
When I make a roast dinner I always have to prepare a variety of vegetables. My favourite is spring cabbage, my love for this started when I was young and my Dad grew vegetables in his garden. I remember that on of my jobs was to go into the garden and pick the vegetables for Sunday lunch. No vegetables have ever tasted better.
I steam my vegetables for a number of reasons, firstly the flavour is better and they keep more of their nutrients. Secondly because I never have enough hob space to cook them all!
In a calorie packed meal with roast meat, gravy, Yorkshire Puddings, mashed and roast potatoes it's nice to have something that is free of points to bulk it out. I find that by doing a large variety of vegetables even if I just have a spoonful of each it soon adds up.
Mashed potato. The perfect accompanyment to so many dishes. But it is so deceptive a small scoop for one point. That mound of fluffy mash you are craving could easily set you back 5-6 points especially if you add butter and milk. With two small children in the house mashed potato is a firm favourite and I often mix it with other vegetables to cut down on the points and to up my daily intake of vegetables.
"Creamy" Root Vegetable Mash
Serves 4 - 3 pt each
1.1 kg Potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 small swede peeled and cubed
2 medium carrots sliced
Boil the potatoes until soft and starting to fall into the water. This will help with the mashing. In a seperate pan cook the carrot and swede. I sometimes use my steamer if I am short of hob space.
Break up the the potatoes with a fork and then mash. Do not add any milk or butter. They may look a little dry and floury at this stage but trust me all will be well. Once the swede and carrot are cooked these should be drained and pureed using a hand blender until smooth. The water in these vegetables will make a very runny puree. Once smooth with no lumps combine with the mashed potato. Mix with a wooden spoon, do not use the blender or the result will be too liquid.
This will give a wonderful golden yellow mash with a very smooth and creamy texture. If desired salt, black pepper and maybe a little nutmeg can be added.
Try this as a topping for cottage or fish pie to save on points. Other vegetables can be added or substituted such as butternut squash or parsnip.
I think it's nice when you are entertaining to have a selection of salads rather than a hug bowl of mixed salad. It suggests that more thought has gone into the meal and also seperates ingredients if you have fussy eaters coming. This salad will only work if you use good quality tomatoes. I prefer large beef tomatoes when they are available but have used cherry plum tomatoes here because they are available and so full of flavour. Tomatoes should be a deep red colour and should smell wonderful. Pale orange watery tomatoes should be left firmly on the shelf. Sometimes you really do get what you pay for.
Tomato and Red Onion Salad
Serves 2-3 - 0 pts each
2-3 Beef tomatoes depending on size (or a punnet of cherry tomatoes)
1 medium red onion
Balsamic Vinegar
Fresh Basil leaves (optional)
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Slice the tomatoes, or half in the case of the cherry tomatoes. Lay on a shallow dish. Thinly slice the red onion into rings and scatter over the tomatoes. Add torn basil leaves if required and drizzel with balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
This salad is better prepared a little in advance and served at room temperature so that the full flavour of the tomatoes develops.
This is incredibly simple but really tasty. It is already dressed and so does not require any oil or points laden mayonaise. I serve it with lamb, chicken and just about anything as it adds moistness to a meal.
Carrot and Courgette Salad
Serves 2 - 0 points each
1 Raw carrot coarsely grated
1 Raw courgette coarsley grated
1 tsp mint sauce
Squeeze of lemon juice
This is best prepared just before you are ready to serve. Make sure you use the coarse grater or the salad will be too wet. Simply mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve. What could be easier?
