Stuffed Peppers 4sp

 Hello all.....I've been absent for a while (had a LOT going on)....but I'm back and raring to go

This dish was inspired by the fact that, like most people, I'm using up stuff in the fridge instead of going out...

I often have one of these peppers as a vegetable side (which you may find elsewhere on this blog) I had some peppers in the fridge and I wanted to use them up instead of throwing them out....that would be criminal at this time...I also had some bacon medallions which I wanted to use so I bulked it up and served two with cauliflower rice as a main....it was really delicious so I thought I would share it with you all.

As always the ingredients are for one portion so if you make it for more than 1 PLEASE recalculate the sp

Lets stay strong guys
Sue
x


Ingredients

1 pepper cut in half and deseeded
2 bacon medallions cut up into slices or little squares
1 medium shallot, sliced thinly
8 cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp Philadelphia lightest
1 tbsp of Half fat creme fraiche
Spray oil
Parmesan Cheese





Method

Start by skinning your tomatoes. Put a score in the bottom of each tomato then place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 seconds then remove with a slotted spoon and place immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process. When the tomatoes are cooled drain them then remove the skin (it will just slip off)....although it seems a little tricky I always do this as I feel that they become tough when they have been cooked. Cut into quarters and set aside.








Spray a small frying pan with the spray oil and bring to a medium heat, throw in the shallots and cook until browned and softened (you could add a tiny sprinkle of Canderel Sugarly...which I decided to do at the last minute hence the Sugarly isn't in the picture...... this helps the caramelisation of the shallots and deepens the flavour....its 0sp as well). Remove the shallots and set aside.

Spray the pan again and add the bacon bits, cook until they are to your personal liking. When cooked remove and set aside.

In a small bowl add the Phildelphia cheese and the creme fraiche, stir to combine then add the shallots and stir to combine, add the bacon and, again, stir to combine, lastly add the tomatoes (reserving a few to sit on the top) and stir.

Place your halved peppers in the microwave and zap for three minutes (a lot of recipes will tell you to stuff the peppers then put them into the oven and cook them in there.....I don't like this method as the peppers are often undercooked, I feel much more in control when I do it this way) then, very carefully so you don't burn yourself, stuff the peppers with the mixture.

To ensure that the peppers don't fall over and spill their contents I use a piece of tin foil and scrunch it up to allow the peppers to sit neatly upright. Nestle the peppers in the foil and then place in the oven for 15-20 minutes ( remember everything is cooked its just about ensuring that its all piping hot after the construction phase.





I added 10g of Parmesan cheese at the end (only thought about it last minute so its not in the pic....but it IS counted in the sp) and served it with cauliflower rice.

Delicious
x

Chicken with Aubergine and Tomato

Great dish tonight guys....

Chicken with Aubergine and Tomato....1sp

I made Aubergine rolls last night which only needs half an aubergine  so I wanted to use the rest up. This recipe is meant to be cooked on the stove top but I changed it slightly. I made up the aubergine and tomato base last night and popped it in the fridge overnight, then I put it into an ovenproof dish topped it with the sealed chicken and cooked it in the oven.

Great dish but next time I think I might add a bit of Worcestershire sauce to the base as well.

This recipe serves 4 at 1sp each (if you change or add any other ingredients please remember to recalculate the sp)

Hope you try it and enjoy

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x


Ingredients 


1 medium red pepper, cut into chunks
1 medium aubergine, cut into chunks

1 large onion 
1 can tomatoes, chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
1 tblsp tomato puree
1 chicken stock cube made up to 100ml with hot water
50ml Dry white wine
4 medium chicken breasts
spray oil
4 bacon medallions

Method

Preheat the oven to 200deg C/180deg C / 390deg F fan/ Gas 6

Put the aubergine, pepper, onion and mushroom in a roasting tray and mix well. Spray with the spray oil and bake in the oven until the vegetables are softened (about 20 minutes). Add the tomatoes, puree, stock and wine. Bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes allowing the mixture to reduce slightly.

Meanwhile wrap each chicken breast in 1 slice of bacon . Spray a fry pan with the spray oil heat over a medium heat. Fry each chicken breast until browned turning to ensure each side is coloured.

Remove the vegetable mixture from the oven and add the chicken breast to the pan. Cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

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Baked Lemon Chicken from WW Chickenlicious Cookbook

So I posted that I was going to review some chicken recipes from the WW Chickenlicious Cookbook...well I did this tonight and it was delicious! It looks a bit anaemic but I promise you it was more tasty than it necessarily looks. The cookbook recipe requires potatoes (Making it 5sp per portion) but I substittuted Butternut Squash which made it a 0sp dish. The following recipe serves 4 people but I scaled it down just for me. Will definitely be doing it again.

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x


Ingrdients 

800g Potatoes, Raw, cut into wedges ( used butternut squash in large cubes)3 medium Tomato, cut into wedges (I sued 6 Cherry tomatoes with the skin removed)4 Bay leaves, dry 
1 stick Cinnamon 
4 medium Chicken breast, skinless, raw, slashed
1 medium Lemon, quartered 
1 Chicken stock, made up to 150ml with hot water
1 level teaspoons, Oregano, Dried 
1  clove Garlic, sliced thin (I onitted this because I was only doing a portion for me)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pinch Black pepper


Method

Preheat the oven to Gas 6/ 200/ fan 180 fan.
Line a large roasting tin with two long sheets of foil (at least twice as long as the roasting tin), forming a cross with the ends hanging over the sides.
Place the potatoes and the tomatoes in the foil-lined tin and tuck in the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
Nestle the chicken on top.
Season to taste.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon quarters into a jug, then tuck the lemon quarters in among the chicken and vegetables.
Mix the lemon juice with the stock, oregano and garlic and pour this over the chicken and vegetables.

Bring up the edges of the foil and scrunch to seal them well, forming a loose parcel that still allows air to circulate inside.
Cook in the oven for 40 mins.
Turn the oven up to Gas 7/ 220/200 fan.
Open up the foil and fold back the edges to expose the chicken and vegetables. return to the oven for 10 minutes to allow the chicken and vegetables to brown a little. Discard the cinnamon, lemon skins and bay leaves and serve.

I looked at that juice and thought "Too much and too watery" ...but...I was soooo wrong. Loved it.

Chicken and Red Pepper Frittata - from WW Chickenlicious Cookbook

Well I've been absent for a while....mojo desterted me and as a consequence I have gained a few pounds... :( ....however...my mojo showed up a couple of weeks ago and I've had a bit of success on the scales....lost 4 1/2 lbs last week YAY!!! So...mojo well and truly embedded again and me back on track...delighted.

I've been planning to review the Weight Watchers Chickenlicious Cookbook for a while now given that chicken is now a 0sp food (in fact I posted that I was doing this a while ago and then my mojo went on holiday!!). So at the weekend I made a list of all the recipes I want to recreate and reproduce for you here.

So my first foray into the review is this...Chicken and Red Pepper Frittata. I've altered the recipe slightly...I have substituted the potato required in the recipe for butternut squash which has made this 0sp for the whole dish, so you can cut it into 4 or 6 wedges....depending how hungry you are!!! If you wanted the potato it would be 2sp of you divided it into 4 and 1sp if you divided it into 6.

I think next time I make it I will be adding some fresh herbs...probably sage...maybe some thyme...feel free to experiment...I would love to know if anyone has and what the results are.

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x

Ingredients

300g Butternut Squash

250g Chicken breast, skinless, raw

Bunch Spring Onions

100g Peas, fresh or frozen

6 large Eggs, whole, raw 

10 sprays Frylight 1 Cal Cooking Spray Rapeseed Oil 

PinchSalt

PinchBlack pepper

Method

Cook the butternut squash in boiling water until tender

Spray a non stick frying pan with the frylight.

Stir fry the chicken and pepper for 4-5 mins over a medium high heat until cooked through.

Add the spring onions and peas and cook for a further 2 minutes stirring.

Beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water and season well. 

Drain the butternut squash and tip into the egg mix. 

Stir gently to combine.

Preheat the grill, use kitchen paper to wipe out the frying pan then spray with frylight again. 

Add the frittata mixture to the pan and cook over a low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until nearly set, gently loosening the edge of the frittata from the pan.

Pop the frying pan under the grill (protecting the pan handle from the heat if necessary) and cook for 3-4 minutes until brown.

Serve cut into wedges.

I had mine for lunch with a tomato and red onion salad with WW Balsamic Glaze and sprinkled some fresh Sage and Thyme over too....delicious.

Don't forget to add points for whatever you serve it with

Enjoy
x

Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff

This is a GREAT recipe ...I've done it before and sadly forgot about it (I've been off my regime for a while but slowly getting back to it...) found it again this week so made it again....its really tasty and filling. I served mine with cauliflower rice but its so low in sp you could have real rice, chips or a jacket potato with it (don't forget to include the sp for these)

If you wanted a vegetarian version you could use all mushrooms and a vegetable stock cube the sp would stay the same as it comes from the Crème Fraiche.

Hope you enjoy it

Lets stay strong guys
Sue
x

Ingredients

Frylight Stir-Fry Spray Oil

1 large Onion, sliced

500g Chicken breast, skinless, raw, cut into thin strips

240g Mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoons Paprika

1 Chicken stock cube, made up to 300ml with hot water

200ml Healthy Living Crème Fraîche

1 pinch Salt

1 pinch Black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Parsley, fresh, chopped

Method

Spray a large frying pan with the frylight and heat over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onion softens. Add the chicken to the pan stir fry for 5 minutes until it is sealed on all sides.

Add the mushrooms, paprika and Worcestershire sauce and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add the stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes stirring from time to time.

Add the crème fraiche, seasoning and parsley. Stir well and heat through gently for 2 minutes - don't allow it to bubble and boil as the sauce may split.

Lemony Baked Basa

So with the new WW Flex this comes out at 1sp.......and that is for the balsamic glaze I put on the roasted veg!!!!

Since the new plan came in I have been concentrating on chicken, fish and seafood (of course!!)....I saw a pack of basa fillets in my local Tesco so bought them (along with a pack of 4 salmon fillets, a pack of 4 chicken breast and a pack of prawns, all, apart from the prawns, currently residing in my freezer!!)

I found this recipe while googling basa recipes and it was really nice......for the roasted veg I used some red, yellow and orange peppers, a small piece of courgette (which was left over from some spiralizing I did a couple of days ago) butternut squash, onion and a few cherry tomatoes.....chunked up, sprinkled with Balsamic Glaze (the photo was taken before the glaze was added) and roasted for 30 mins.

LOVE the new Flex plan

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x



Ingredients

Spray Oil
1 Basa fillet
1/2 lemon, juice only
2 Butterbuds
Pinch of Paprika
2 spring Onions

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 deg C.
Spray a baking dish with the spray oil and lay the fillet on it.
Mix the butterbuds with the lemon juice and coat the top of the Basa fillet.
Sprinkle the paprika on top of the fillet and top with the spring onions.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the fillet is cooked through.


Original recipe Here

Baked Prawns with Tomato and Feta

 This is a cracker!!!!

I've had this in my recipe builder for some time and with the changes to the plan making the prawns zero points this recipe now comes out at 1sp (for the feta)....its so easy and mega tasty

Hope you enjoy it

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x

Ingredients

10 sprays Frylight Stir-Fry Spray Oil 
¹⁄₂ small Onion, sliced
¹⁄₂ can, large Tinned Tomatoes, chopped 
1 sprig, fresh Parsley, fresh, chopped 
1 tablespoons  Dill, Fresh
 85g Prawns, Raw 
1 pinch Salt 
1 pinch Black pepper
25g Light Feta Cheese crumbled

Method 

Preheat the oven to 180 deg c/ 350 deg f/ gas 4 and place an ovenproof dish in the oven to warm.

Spray a medium fying pan with the spray oil and place over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.

Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley, dill, and shrimp and season with salt and pepper.

Tip into the heated dish that you put into the oven before you started.

Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese looks nice and charred on the edges (the original recipe says the cheese will melt but I don't expect feta to melt), about 12 minutes.

I served mine with Courgetini laced with a couple of butterbuds and a grind of black pepper.

The original  recipe is here

I'm BACK!!!

Hi guys

I'm sorry I've been absent for a while....I've had a family situation to deal with and its been quite traumatic....

You all know how difficult this lifestyle is ...and how fragile the commitment can be. The motivation starts in your head and if thats full of other stuff then its an immense struggle to stay focused.

So....I've been distracted, I haven't tracked....I've tried to stay within points (in my head....but we all know that never works!!) but I've drowned my sorrows in a bottle on more occasions than I would like to admit and subsequently have snacked on rubbish....hence I've gained some weight!! I'm horrified to see what my scales say this morning and have resolved to get myself in gear and get motivated again.

So I'll be here a bit more and I'll be posting on my fb group page too (its here)

Lets stay strong guys

Sue
x

Missing Mojo

 
Hi guys

I've been missing for quite a while lately.....I've had a few things going on and as a result my mojo went on holiday!!!!

But thankfully it seems to have found its way home today......

So....I've tracked....(something I have been abysmal at for the last few weeks)....and I've been on my treadmill...(had to dust off the cobwebs first)....and I had this lovely salad tonight.....(have to say my meal choices have remained good despite the lack of commitment everywhere else!!!)....prawn and avocado salad....7sp

 Leaves, cucumber, onion, beetroot,cherry peppers....all 0sp.......half an avocado...5sp......50g King Prawns....(my WW app says 0sp but I pointed them at 1sp.....I know....overkill)......croutons 1sp.....I zested a lemon and used that and the juice for a dressing for the salad

Hopefully my mojo will hang around for a while and help me remove the weight that I have gained recently.....I'll be posting my progress......

Lets stay strong guys
Sue
x

Celeriac and Spinach Bake

I can't believe I haven't posted this before....but looking through the blog I can't find it!!!!

It's pretty good....which is why I can't believe I haven't told you all before......!!!!

The recipe for the bake comes in at 6sp....I sometimes leave out the cheese and it comes out at 3sp....its a really lovely and filling side dish......I did it as a side to my steak done in the slow cooker with a bit of red wine and some shallot and mushrooms


Lets stay strong guys.

Sue
x


Ingredients 






100gSpinach, wilted and rough chopped
¹⁄₄ teaspoons, level Ground Nutmeg 
120g Celeriac, raw, sliced 
30g Tesco Natural Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt 
1 slice Weight Watchers Malted Danish Bread, grated into breadcrumbs 
1 pinch Salt 
1 pinch Black pepper 
30g Philadelphia Light Medium Fat Soft Cheese 
20g Cheddar cheese 
6 individual Cherry Tomatoes, peeled and halved

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C

Place the spinach in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle with nutmeg

Place the celeriac in a microwave dish and zap on full power for 2 minutes, place on top of the spinach. 

Sprinkle the tomatoes on top. Season with the salt.

Mix the yogurt, philadelphia and cheese. Place on top of the celeriac and sprinkle with black pepper.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes

Chicken Parmigiana

So this is the second of the chicken dishes from my old WW cook book.....Its something that has been around for a while but ......hey it was in the book so I'll give it a go....!!

Picture from recipe book

I've tinkered with the original WW recipe a little and made 1 serving, it has come out at 7sp.
If you scale up the recipe or add/change any ingredients please remember to recalculate the sp

Lets stay strong guys
Sue
x


Ingredients

 half of a Warburtons thin blitzed into breadcrumbs
 10g Parmesan Cheese, grated
 15g Tesco Natural Fat Free Greek Style Yogurt
 1 medium Chicken breast
 Spray Oil
 100 Passata
 pinch of Dried Mixed Herbs, 
 a few scrapes of lemon zest
 1/4 teaspoon Truvia Calorie Free Sweetener
 1/4 Chicken stock cube
 30g Light Mozzarella
 pinch Salt
 pinch Black pepper
 few basil leaves Basil to garnish

I didn't add the garlic from the original recipe but feel free.........also I mixed the parmesan with the breadcrumbs as described in the recipe but next time I won't do that.....I'll sprinkle it on top and that way (hopefully) the flavour will be more pronounced and the top will get a nice golden finish to it

Method

 

Preheat the oven to 220/ 200 fan/ Gas mark 7 with a baking tray on the top shelf.

Mix the breadcrumbs with two thirds of the parmesan on a plate.

Pour the yogurt onto another plate.

Dip the chicken breast into the yogurt and then into the breadcrumbs to coat.

Spray the preheated tray with the oil and place the chicken breast onto the tray, spray with the oil and place in the preheated oven.

Bake for about 15 minutes until crisp and golden brown, turning the chicken piece halfway through.

Meanwhile simmer the passata with the herbs, (garlic if using), lemon zest, sweetener, chicken stock cube and seasoning in an uncovered pan for about 5 minutes to allow it to reduce a little.

Place the mozzarella on some kitchen paper and allow it to drain to remove some of the moisture.

Pour the sauce into a small ovenproof dish add the chicken breast then top with the mozzarella and the remainder of the parmesan.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Serve with the basil leaves scattered on top

WW Lemon and Rosemary Chicken Piccata

So .....as I said in my last post.....I'm reviewing recipes and have started with this one......its 3sp for the chicken and then you would have to add extra sp for whatever additional side dishes you serve it with (to be honest I don't eat a lot of carbs so I had roasted vegetables and some butternut squash cubes which I did in our Airfry with a bit of spray oil and some Paprika).....

I scaled down the recipe in the  book.....

.......to just 1 portion (if you scale up or change any of the ingrdients please remember to recalculate the sp)


Ingredients
 
1 medium Chicken breast, skinless, raw
Juice and zest of 1/2 Lemon
1/4 teaspoon Rosemary, Dried
Spray Oil
25ml Dry white wine 
1/4 Chicken stock cube, made up to 30ml with hot water
1/4 teaspoons Truvia Calorie Free Sweetener
1/2 Tablespoons Capers, in Brine
Salt and Black pepper to taste
 

Method

Put your chicken breast on a piece of clingfilm and then put another piece of clingfilm on top.
Bash the chicken breast with a rolling pin (or a small saucepan) until it is about a centimetre thick. This allows the chicken to cook quicker and more evenly.

Mix the lemon zest, rosemary and seasoning together and spread it out on a small plate press the chicken into the mix to coat it on both sides. (The original recipe included a minced clove of garlic mixed in at this stage but I missed it out because hubby wasn't having garlic that night!!)

Spray a large non-stick frying pan with the cooking spray and fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. 

 

Remove to a warmed plate.

Pour the wine into the frying pan and let it bubble for 30 seconds.

Add the lemon juice, stock, sweetener and capers, and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Return the chicken to the pan.

 

Turn the chicken to glaze it in the sauce, then serve immediatley on a warm plate with chosen side dishes (adding the appropriate sp)

Recipe Review

I used to own a LOT of recipe books, these are just what was left after the cull.....most of them only survived because they fit with my WW lifestyle (the others are classics!!) !!!

I have a serious addiction to cookery programmes.....I watch them all.....then I take the recipes and slim them down to suit my weight loss regime......but today I thought "What about all the recipes sitting there in those books?"......so I have a new project for the next few months....I intend to review all the recipes in these books and pick out which ones I can slim down.

I'm starting with all my old WW books which need changing to SP. I have some chicken fillets in the fridge so am starting with this.....

 

....and this is the first recipe to be converted

.....I'll be doing this tomorrow so stay tuned for the result.....!!