Veggie Thai Peanut Curry - 4pp

Another recipe found on the internet (I think it may have been Deliciously Ella actually) and adapted to fit Weight Watchers. This is honestly so tasty, a million times better than any of the ready-made Thai sauces or meals and easy peasy to make.

Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cal spray oil (I use coconut)

Bunch chopped spring onions

Small bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves picked

4 tbsp Thai red curry paste - 0pp per 1tbsp

4 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter - 2pp per tbsp

1 tbsp soy sauce

400ml can light coconut milk - 2pp per 100ml

Baby corn

Mange tout

Sugar snap peas

Peppers

Any other veg you like

Juice 1 lime

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the spring onions and coriander stalks and cook for 1 min.

2. Stir in the curry paste, peanut butter, soy sauce and coconut milk, plus ½ can of water. Mix well.

3. Simmer until the sauce has thickened a little then add the veg and simmer for an extra 5-10 minutes until cooked. Stir in the lime juice and check the seasoning. 

I serve mine with cauliflower rice. My husband has his with noodles and added pork. I also make all 4 servings and freeze 2 for lunches.

Can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook from frozen: thoroughly defrost, then heat in a pan on the hob until curry is hot all the way through. 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Mash - 2pp/ 13pp

I didn't really think I was a fan of stews (memories of watery potato hash with boiled potatoes spring to mind) but they always look so nice so I decided to give it a go anyway. And loved it.

This was on another filling and healthy week so worked out at only 2pp but is a whopping 13pp if counting! Next time I think I would give the parnsips a miss and have extra veg on the side to keep the points down. Could also sacrifice 1pp of meat for a Yorkshire pudding :o

Serves 1
Ingredients
175g Tesco beef stir fry strips - 5pp
200g white potatoes - 4pp
1 x carrot - 0pp
1 x parsnip - 2pp
1/2 brown onion - 0pp
15g Flora light - 1pp
10g gravy granules - 1pp

Method
1. In a slow cooker add diced onion, chopped carrots and parnsips 200ml boiling water and the beef. Season with salt and pepper. 
2. Cook for 6 hours on low. When nearly ready to serve, check the water. If there is too much, take some out, not enough, add some then stir in gravy granules. Since you can only use a small amount of granules to thicken, it's better to have less water to start and be able to add more if required. 
3. Boil your potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and mash with Flora.
4. Serve and enjoy!

I had mint sauce on mine too for 0pp. 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken - 2pp/ 10pp

This recipe came from here: http://simple-nourished-living.com/2012/01/skinny-delicious-southwestern-slow-cooker-chicken/ 

But I didn't have any of the south west seasoning so I Googled it and it doesn't seem to exist ready made in the UK supermarkets so I looked up how to make it and I didn't have half of the spices so I thought f*ck it, I'll use one I already have... And that is why it is now Jamaican jerk chicken instead :D

Serves 2
Ingredients
2 x chicken breasts (up to 140g each) - 6pp (free on F&H)
1 x 400g tin black beans in water (drained) - 6pp (free on F&H)
1 x 200g tin sweetcorn (drained) - 3pp (free on F&H)
1 x jar mild salsa - 2pp
40g Tesco half fat mature cheese - 3pp
Jamaican Jerk seasoning 

Method
In a slow cooker add the beans, sweetcorn and 1/2 the salsa. Massage seasoning in to chicken, add to cooker and top with the remaining salsa. Cook for 4-6 hours on low. A couple of minutes before serving, grate cheese over the chicken and allow to melt.

Easy peasy and soooooooooo tasty!

Sexy Chicken and Bacon Pasta - 2pp/ 12pp

I LOVE pasta, but being on Weight Watchers I just refuse to eat the stuff. A lot of points for not a lot of food and it just leaves me hungry and disappointed. On filling and healthy though you can eat "unlimited" wholewheat pasta (though I still can't stop weighing things. I can't trust myself not to over eat) so I decided to have a bash at a low ProPoint pasta dish.

What makes this so scrumptious is the sauce is actually tomato soup. Yum!

Now I can't take full credit for this little stroke of genius because it is actually down to my husband. I do all the cooking in our house (I know, how retro) but I had gone for a tattoo session last week and came back to my tea on the table. Bless. He'd done some Gordon Ramsay, just throwing things together sh*t and made a lovely pasta dish which I really enjoyed!

So I based mine around his tomato soup/ sauce concept but bulked it out with a bit more veg and it was gorgeous! Well done Mr T!

2pp on Filling and Healthy or 12pp if pointing

Serves 1
Ingredients
75g wholewheat pasta - 7pp 
1/2 tin WW tomato soup - 1pp
100g chicken (raw) - 2pp
2 x bacon medallions - 1pp
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach
1/2 brown onion
20g Tesco half fat mature cheddar - 1pp

Method
1. Cook pasta in salted water. Drain.
2. Preheat oven to 200°c.
3. Fry chicken for a couple of minutes, add bacon, onion and tomatoes and fry until onions are soft. Add spinach and wilt.
4. Add frying pan contents along with the soup to pasta and stir.
5. Pour in to baking dish, grate over cheese and cook in the oven for 15-20 mins.

Salmon Fishcakes 0pp/ 10pp

Another filling and healthy week for me as the past 2 weeks I have PUT ON even sticking within my points so I thought another change up was required. Unfortunately F&H means a lot of cooking from scratch and a couple of days searching for recipes *snores*

I just stole the recipe from Google and adapted it to fit in with Weight Watchers. Very tasty and filling. I served mine with mashed carrot and swede, 15g flora light (1pp), broccoli and cauliflower.

Serves 2
Ingredients
2 x tin skinless & boneless salmon - 13pp (but 6pp each)
1 x slice Nimble wholemeal bread - 1pp
1 x medium egg - 2pp
200g potatoes - 4pp
2tbsp tomato ketchup - 1pp
10g mustard - 0pp
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 lemon

Method
1. Peel, chop and boil potatoes in salted water until soft. Mash.
2. Drain salmon and combine with mashed potatoes, ketchup, mustard, parsley, dill and lemon zest. Mix well then shape in to fish cake-type things. (I made 4 large fish cakes.)
3. Toast the bread and blitz in a food processor or, if you are lacking in such gadgets, grate on to a plate.
4. Add egg to another plate. Dip fish cakes into the egg, then the breadcrumbs. 
5. Spray a baking tray with fry light and grill until nice and brown on both sides.
6. Squeeze over some lemon juice.

Breakfast Boats - 10pp

One of the best breakfasts I have had in a looooooong time. A few more points than I would usually spend in a morning but I only tend to have "brunch" at a weekend so I need something more substantial. Reminds me of a McDonalds breakfast wrap. Mmm....

  

Serves 1
Ingredients
1 x medium egg - 2pp
2 x WW sausage (cut into small pieces) - 3pp
2 x bacon medallions (cut into small pieces) - 1pp
2 x Old El Paso Stand N' Stuff tortillas - 4pp
15g ketchup - 0pp
1 x tin plum tomatoes - 0pp
Mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 brown onion (chopped)
Spinach
Cherry tomatoes (quartered)
Fry light

Method
Spray a frying pan with Fry Light, set to medium heat.
Fry sausage for a few minutes until browning.
Add bacon and cook for another couple of minutes.
Add mushrooms, tomatoes and onion and cook until soft.
Add spinach.
In a cup, mix your egg and sprinkle in salt and pepper.
Once the spinach has wilted, add egg to the pan and stir for around 5 minutes until the egg has coated all the ingredients and it turns into some kind of scramble.
Spoon into tortillas and squirt over some ketchup. 
Heat plum tomatoes in a microwave for around 2 minutes.

Done!

Slow and Steady...

When I joined Weight Watchers in January 2012 my main goal was to lose weight as quickly as possible before my holiday to good ol' Magalluf on 12th May. I think I did quite well in this respect losing 33.5lbs in 18 weeks and going from 14st 5.5 to 12st and a UK size 14. 

The main problem with this approach is that I didn't learn anything. I had spent those 18 weeks sticking rigidly within my daily points, drinking diet coke on nights out and if I ever dared go for a meal out I would stick to 0pp foods all day to make up for it. And I would be starving. So yes, I can drop the weight when I want, but I ain't half miserable doing it! 

After the holiday I didn't get back on plan and my weight slowly but surely crept up and up until I got to my highest weight of 15st 2 in January 2014. Even after starting again last year I still messed about and fell off the wagon around September only to put on 14 of the 21lbs I lost. Fail!

So this year, I relaxed slightly. This is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Life does get in the way sometimes and that's ok. I've allowed myself to enjoy nights out, events, restaurants, birthdays and holidays. I've allowed myself treats and used my weeklies when I needed them. Ok so my weight loss hasn't been the quickest and I still do get totally jealous of those people who have completely transformed in a matter of months but this time next year when I'm wearing my size 10 dress telling people I have lost 5 stone all that will matter is that I got there, not how quickly I did it.  

Just a small note to say I do zero exercise. I mean, none. I walk from my house to my car, car to office, sit down all day, car, home. I could really help myself more by exercising and I swear I will but wow I hate it so much!

My whole point to this is that this is the first time I have stuck to a "diet" (lifestyle change, whatevs) for more than a few weeks. Ok I have the odd day or two off plan but then I get straight back on it and can usually undo the bad within days and what a difference that makes to motivation! Knowing a couple of bad days hasn't ruined everything. I'm not suddenly gonna be 3 stone heavier again and have gone completely backwards. I feel so much more in control now and I genuinely hope this is how I will be going forward. 

Below is how I track my losses. Yes, I am insane. I work on spreadsheets every day and I ruddy love the things! So far my loss is 31.75lbs in 34 weeks averaging 0.93lbs a week, but you know what? It's been a hell of a lot easier than ever before! Saying that, I still almost had an emotional breakdown when I was hungry and had promised myself I wouldn't have cake at a friend's birthday party and my husband had curry and a selection of cakes... but it passed! Lol. 

Fajita Boats - 10pp

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/4 sachet Old El Paso Original Smoky BBQ spice mix - 1pp

50g salsa (I use Tesco mild)  - 0pp

180g chicken breast (raw) - 4pp

Sliced peppers (any colour you fancy. I like a mix)

1/2 brown onion (chopped)

2 x Old El Paso Stand N' Stuff Tortillas - 4pp

2tbsp half fat soured cream - 1pp

Fry Light

Method

Spray a frying pan with Fry Light, cut chicken into strips and cook for 10 minutes. Add onion and peppers and cook for a few more minutes until soft. Sprinkle over spice mix, stir through and cook for another minute. Add to your tortilla boats and top with salsa and soured cream. 

If you can spare extra points, sprinkle with cheese. Mmmm....

I had mine with some roasted butternut squash for 0pp. Sprinkle with salt, paprika and chilli flakes before cooking. Takes away some of the sickly sweetness.

Breville Halo Review

I get loads of people on Instagram asking me how I cook my potatoes because they look so goddamn tasty and my (not so secret) secret is.... the Breville Halo! 

As happens every December, I get sick of being over weight and swear I will do something about it in the New Year. So for Christmas I asked for some things to help me on my skinny way, one of which was this new fandangled contraption that could cook chips with 1tsp of oil and with no par boiling! Exciting stuff.  

I did have a little panic that I wouldn't end up using the thing (my Blend-Active sees the light of day once every 3 months or so) but I needn't have worried. I use it every. Single. Day.

Because I am tight with my ProPoints I never use oil. I just spray the bowl with fry light, add the potatoes, another few sprays of fry light, some salt and 30 minutes later you have really scrummy chips!

As well as the paddle which turns the chips in the bowl, you can remove it and use the wire rack (provided) meaning the Halo acts as a grill :o It takes some practice as to timings as things cook a lot faster in the Halo than under a grill or in the oven.

The bowl wipes clean with just kitchen roll though can be easily lifted out to wash should you cook anything messier than chips!

Some of the things I have cooked in my Halo:

Chips/ sweet potato chips

Roast potatoes & new potatoes

Wedges

Bacon

Sausage

Fish fingers

Chicken

Salmon

Rosted Mediterranean veg

Hash browns

Mushrooms

Butternut squash

Burgers

I have also heard of people using it for chillis, stews, pastry, toasties, cakes, bread, jacket potatoes, frozen chips, croissants... So I have a lot more experimenting to do!

And here are pictures of some tasty things cooked in my Halo:

 Dusted fish and butternut squash

Roasted new potatoes

Roast potatoes

Chips

Sweet n' Sour Fanta Chicken - 4pp

This recipe is completely stolen from Slimming World. I didn't even really make any changes to it as I was too scared of it going wrong! I didn't have high hopes for this as the Diet Coke chicken does nothing for me but I'd read such good things I thought I'd give it a go.

Teamed with cauliflower rice this is a low propoint meal that honestly tastes like Sweet n' Sour sauce from a jar! 

Serves 2
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts cut into chunks (180g is 4pp)
330ml Fanta Zero
1/2 medium onion chopped
Chopped pepper in any colour (I used red, green and yellow)
Fresh Pineapple chunks
Chicken stock cube
4 tbsp Passata
1 tsp vinegar
1tsp sweetener
Chilli flakes (to taste)
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
Fry Light Spray

Instructions
1. Add chicken to a hot pan sprayed with Fry Light.
2. Fry the chicken until sealed and then add diced onion and cook for a further 3 minutes.
3. Add the Fanta, stock cube, passata, chopped peppers, pineapple, sweetener, vinegar, chilli flakes and 5 spice.
4. Leave to slimmer until the sauce has reduced to a thicker consistency (around 20 minutes on high)
5. Then add to rice, noodles, cauliflower rice, courgetti or whatever you like!

Home Made Coleslaw - 0pp

Gotta love a bit of coleslaw to liven up your salads and sandwiches! I've tried making my own before and been pretty unimpressed. Low fat yoghurt just doesn't taste of anything and makes the coleslaw really watery. Bleurgh. 

Another very simple recipe (I hate recipes with a thousand different ingredients. You buy 20 different spices only to find out you don't like it and then they sit in your cupboard for the whole rest of your life.)

Makes 3-4 portions
Ingredients
1/2 white cabbage
1 white onion 
2 small or 1 large carrot
4-5tbsp Hellmann's lighter than light mayo - 1PP (if you can't find Hellmann's a supermarket own brand will do i.e. Tesco Healthy Living but beware it may be slightly more points) 
1/2tsp Dijon mustard

Method
Grate the cabbage, carrot and onion into a bowl. Mix in mayo and dijon mustard. That's it! You can use more mustard if you like but I find it too strong and burny if I put more in.

Fish Pie - 7pp or 1pp on F&H

I think I took this from a normal Weight Watchers or Slimming World recipe and adapted it to suit a Filling and Healthy day. I was genuinely surprised at how nice it was!

Serves 2
Ingredients
150g carrots, diced
150g swede, diced
(I get a frozen mix of the above from Asda. Tesco do a fresh one too.)
Salt and pepper
250g fat free fromage frais - 3pp
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp parsley
1 x clove of garlic
4 x laughing cow light cheddar triangles - 3pp
90g skinless cod fillet - 1pp
90g skinless smoked cod fillet - 1pp
90g salmon fillet - 2pp
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped - 4pp

Method
Boil the carrot and swede in a pan of salted water for around half an hour. When done add a bit of salt and pepper and a tbsp of fromage frais. Mash and set to one side.
Cook eggs until hard boiled (I usually go for 6 minutes in boiling water).
Gently heat remaining fromage frais, dill, parsley and garlic. Add the fish and cook for around 5 minutes. Add the laughing cow triangles and cook for a futher minute. 
Put fish mixture into a serving dish or 2 smaller dishes, add chopped egg, top with mashed veg and cook in a preheated oven on 200°c for 20 minutes.

Serve with boiled or steamed veg.

Chocolate Porridge - 4pp

I had completely forgotten about chocolate porridge! I ate this every morning for breakfast during Winter. It's tasty and chocolately and I find the best way to describe it as "dessert for breakfast".

Ingredients

35g porridge oats (I just use Tesco's own)

11g/ sachet Options or Highlights hot chocolate

200-250ml water (I don't like mine too thick and gloopy)

1tsp sweetener (Sweetness n Light by Silver Spoon is my fave)

Strawberries

Banana

Method

In a bowl, pour cold water over your porridge oats (I found if I used hot water it cooked faster but the oats were still a bit hard) and heat in a microwave for around 2 minutes. When it has thickened slightly, stir in your hot chocolate and heat again for around 1 minute (please keep an eye on it. I have had more exploing porridge incidents than I care to mention). Top with chopped banana and strawberries, sprinkle with sugar and eat!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Roasted New Potatoes - 10pp

As my long suffering husband gets stuck eating the same meals as me every night (I cook so he gets what he's given. Albeit larger portions or extra sides. I'm a feeder...), it makes me extremely happy when he really enjoys my "diet food" and this is one of his favourites.

Serves 1 
Ingredients
140g chicken breast - 3pp
2 x bacon medallions - 1pp
2 x laughing cow light cheddar triangles - 1pp
1 clove of garlic
270g new potatoes - 5pp (you get more new potatoes for your points than normal potatoes. I only found this out the other day. #win)
Fry Light
Salt
Green beans or any 0pp vegetable of your choice

Method
1. I cook potatoes in my Breville Halo. Spray the bowl with fry light, put in the potatoes, spray again and sprinkle with salt. Cook for around 35 minutes. 
2. If you want to oven cook, par boil the potatoes until just soft enough to insert a knife, drain, put on a baking tray, fry light and salt and cook in the oven at 200°c for 40 minutes.
3. Put your chicken breast in some cling film (just fold over once, don't wrap tighly or it won't flatten) and hit with a rolling pin or any other heavy, blunt object which takes your fancy (you can imagine that the chicken is your boss/ husband/ mother-in-law. Very therapeutic.) You want the chicken to be around 1cm thick-ish. Just easy for rolling without falling apart. 
4. Lay out your bacon medallions, place the chicken on top. In the middle of the squashed chicken put your laughing cow and garlic then roll up to make a nice bacon-chicken-parcel. 
5. Cook in the oven on 200°c for around 30 minutes. 
6. Boil or steam your veg. Done!

Slow Cooker Bruschetta Chicken - 6pp

It's bruschetta... but on chicken instead of bread. I know, awesome!

Serves 1
Ingredients
180g chicken breast 4pp
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 x tomatoes, chopped
fresh basil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
Fry Light
30g half fat grated cheese 2pp (I use Tesco Half Fat Mature Grated Cheddar)

Method
Cut all fat off your chicken breast. Spray some fry light into the bottom of the slow cooker (you can use oil if you like but it will be PPs), top with your onion, tomatoes, garlic and balsamic and slow cook as you normally would (usually about 6 hours for me). The first time I added the basil before cooking but it goes a bit soft and mushy so you might want to sprinkle over when serving. Top with your grated cheese. 

I have mine with roasts or chips for an extra 5pp. 

Cauliflower Rice - 0pp

Cauliflower rice is a life saver when you're low on ProPoints! I'll admit, it does smell like fart when it comes out of the microwave, but I swear it doesn't really taste of anything, especially when served with curries or chilli which have a strong taste to them. 

One of the easiest things ever to make. There isn't an exact science to this, nor does there need to be, so this is just what I do. It's really hard to go wrong.

I usually get a small bowl (you know like the ones you have your cereal in), grate my cauliflower on the big side (I'm not fancy enough for a food processor) until I look like I have a decent portion (about 3/4 full. It's veg. I'm not scrimping.) Then cover the bowl with cling film and heat on full in the microwave for 3 1/2 minutes. Carefully remove the clingfilm as the steam hurts. Then that's it, ready to serve!

I know some people add salt and pepper to theirs, others add spices, some fry it (chicken fried cauliflower rice.. mmm must try). This is just what I have found to be the easiest method with great results each time. 

Moroccan Meatballs - 8pp

This recipe was actually stolen from the a Juice Plus clean eating plan and they are soooooooo good! I love finding recipes from other plans and making them fit my own.

Lamb mince can be substituted for beef, pork, turkey... whatever you fancy, but for me you can't beat lamb though the calories in it do upset me!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 250g lamb mince (8pp for 125g)

• 1 onion, grated

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• fresh/ dried parsley

• Fry Light

• 1tsp ground cumin

• 1tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• 500g passata

• fresh/ dried coriander

Method

1. Put the mince, half the onion, half the garlic and parsley in a bowl. Use your hands to combine, then set aside.

2. Heat Fry Light in a frying pan, set over a medium heat. Cook the remaining onion and garlic for 5mins, until softened and golden. Add the spices and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min, until aromatic. Add the passata and bring to the boil.

3. With slightly wet hands, roll the lamb mixture into balls (I usually make around 8 between the 2 of us), then put them directly into the sauce. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 15mins, until the meatballs are cooked through. Sprinkle with coriander to serve.

I have mine with cauliflower rice for 0pp :D

Fish, Chips and Mushy Peas - 11pp

Ok so no recipe or major explaination needed for this one. This is just a low calorie version of good ol' English fish n' chips.

These cod pieces are gorgeous. If you haven't tried them before, go and buy them. Now. I also believe Aldi do a version for the same ProPoints. Be aware though these are from the freezer section. They do fresh versions for around double the PPs! (40cal = 1PP approx)

Tesco lightly dusted salt n pepper cod - 4pp
250g potatoes for chips - 4pp
1/2 tin mushy peas - 3pp

Sticky Chicken Wraps - 11pp

I think that I stole this recipe from Slimming World a long time ago and it has since been a staple in my household with some tweaks to make it more Weight Watchers friendl :) It's quick and easy to make and tastes amazing. Is also good with rice and vegetables for a Chinesey feel!

Serves 1

Ingredients:

140g chicken breast - 3pp

15g honey - 1pp

15g balsamic vinegar - 0pp

15g soy sauce (I use dark but I don't think it matters) - 0pp

2 x Weight Watchers tortilla wraps 6pp

45g Tesco half fat soured cream - 1pp

Lettuce, tomato, cucumber

Dice your chicken breast (I do mine quite small as, psychologically, it seems like more!) 

Add the chicken to a sauce pan with the honey, balsamic and soy and cook on medium until the liquid had reduced to a sticky coating on the chicken. 

Top your wraps with salad, your sticky chicken and soured cream and done!

Tip: Use Old El Paso tortilla boats for less points (2pp each)

Chocolate Banana Pancakes - 4pp

One of my favourite weekend breakfasts ever (when I can be bothered to make it). The most simple pancakes you will ever meet.  

Pancake Ingredients:
1 banana - 0pp
11g/ 1 sachet cadbury highlights - 1pp
1 medium egg - 2pp
1tsp sweetener - 0pp
1tsp baking powder - 0pp
Fry light - 0pp

Toppings:
100g 0% fat Greek yoghurt - 1pp
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Raspberries
Or choose whatever you like!

Method:
Blend all pancake ingredients until smooth. Cook in a frying pan sprayed with fry light until set. I put on quite a low heat as I find they burn easy and I usually cook 3 small pancakes at a time. I like the illusion of having loads of pancakes when I stack them up :) Then top them with whatever you like. As easy as that!

For even less points you could have banana and cinnamon pancakes and miss out the chocolate powder. To bulk them out more you could add oats. The possibilities are endless!