This is my low fat variation on a yummy recipe I found in this Homestyle Pasta Cookbook. I reduced some of the not so friendly foods and added a bit more flavour and some more veggies to make it full of healthy superfree foods.

Here is my variation:

Serves 4

1 HEa per serving on Extra Easy, or you could make this recipe Green, if you use Quorn or more veggies instead of the Pork

Ingredients

125g of Whole Wheat macaroni

225g of Extra Lean Pork Mince

1 large aubergine (eggplant) or 2 small aubergines, sliced thinly, lengthways (you need enough to line a deep round dish)

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 courgette (zucchini), chopped

2 cloves of garlic crushed

425ml of passata

1/2 cup of frozen peas

56g of Parmesan Cheese (2 HEa’s)

56g of Cheddar Cheese (2 HEa’s)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

salt and pepper for seasoning

Frylight or Pam Spray

Method

Grease a deep round spring form cake tin with Frylight or Pam Spray.

Cook the pasta for a few minutes in a saucepan of boiling water, until al dente, remove and set aside.

Place aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave for 20 mins. Rinse well and then pat dry. Spray a large frying with Frylight or Pam spray and cook the aubergine in batches, so that each side is golden. Set aside as you do each slice.

When all slices are golden, arrange the slices in the greased dish, so that each slice overlaps the first to make a kind of pastry case, be sure to leave over a few slices for covering the top with then filling is done. Sprinkle the aubergine case with half of the parmesan.

Using the same frying pan, spray with some more Frylight or Pam spray and add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the pork mince, carrot and courgette and cook until browned. Add the passata, cumin and paprika and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil  and then reduce the heat and simmer for approx 15 mins. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry, but you don’t want it too wet.

Combine the meat mixture, with the already prepared macaroni, cheddar cheese, peas and beaten egg.

Preheat the oven to 180c or 350f.

Add the meat and pasta mixture to the aubergine case and spoon the mixture down. Arrange the remaining Aubergine slices over the top and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven for approx 30 mins, or until golden. Leave to cool slightly for 5 mins. Then out onto a large plate and serve.

This is great with any choice of sides. I just served mine with a side salad.

Filed under: Pork, main course, pasta, vegetables | No Comments »

Serves 2

4 syns for entire recipe on Extra Easy

2 syns per serving on Red (if you omit the rice) and Extra Easy

Ingredients

2 Tilapia Fillets

1 yellow pepper, chopped,

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1 red chilli pepper, finely chopped

juice of a lime

1/4 cup of passata

salt and pepper to season

2 teaspoons of olive oil (4 syns)

(you could substitute the oil with Frylight or Pam)

Method

Add the two teaspoons of olive oil to a frying pan. And lightly cook the Tilapia fillets for approx 2-3 mins per side. Remove to a plate.

Add the red pepper and garlic to the frying pan and cook until the pepper is nice and tender. Add the tomatoes, chilli and juice of a lime and cook for a few more minutes, until the tomatoes start to soften and all both the tomatoes and yellow pepper starts to go golden. Add the passata and give a good mix, so that it is heated through.

Season with salt and pepper and then remove the salsa to a side dish.

Return the Tilapia fillets to the frying pan. Top with the salsa and cook for a few minutes, until the Tilapia is heated through.

Serve on Steamed Rice with some Whole Green Beans

Filed under: fish and seafood, main course | No Comments »

If you like spicy food, then you will love this, it has a sweet and spicy taste to it and is really delicious. The mint yoghurt, works well too.

Serves 3-4

1 syn for entire recipe on Red (without rice) and Extra Easy

Ingredients

600g of extra lean lamb mince

fresh coriander

1 red chilli, finely chopped

salt

600ml of passata

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

fresh ginger, grated

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons of cumin

2 teaspoons of coriander

1 teaspoon of chilli powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of sugar (1 syn)

Frylight or Pam spray.

Method

In  large bowl, add the lamb mince, a few tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1 clove of garlic, some freshly grated ginger and salt and pepper and bind it all together. Form into approx 16 meatballs.

Spray a frying pan with some Frylight or Pam spray, and brown the meatballs. Then set aside.

Add the onion, remaining garlic, some fresh ginger, and the carrot to the frying pan and cook for 2-3 mins until softened.

Add the passata, all the spices and sugar and bring to the boil. Reduce heat, return meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer for approx 30 minutes.

Top with some freshly chopped coriander.

Serve with steamed basmati rice and some mint yoghurt (fat free yoghurt, with fresh mint, lemon juice and a little sugar/sweetener).

Filed under: lamb, main course | 5 Comments »

This quiche is really delicious with the hash brown base. I also recommend using a strong mature cheddar as it really gives the flavour. I used a good quality Canadian Cheddar which had been aged for 2 years.

Serves 4-6 people

1 HEa per serving on Extra Easy

Ingredients

1×500g tub of fat free cottage cheese

4 eggs

4 slices of lean bacon, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and finely grated

28g of Mature Cheddar Cheese, grated  for per serving of quiche (1 HEa), (so if quiche is to serve 4, it will be 4×28g and so on)

Frylight or Pam Spray

Method

Preheat oven to 180c of 350f

Squeeze excess water from grated potatoes, using a clean tea towel. Spray a quiche dish with some Frylight or Pam spray and flatten potato mixture all over the base of the quiche dish, making sure you go up the sides too. Spray over the top with a little more Frylight or Pam spray and add quiche dish to oven and bake until it has begun to go golden. Do not over bake, as it will cook for longer with the quiche mixture.

Add the red pepper to a oven proof dish, spray with Frylight or Pam spray and roast in the oven till softened. Approx 40 mins

Spray a frying pan with Frylight or Pam spray and add the onion and bacon and fry until golden.

In a bowl, blend together the cottage cheese, eggs and mature cheddar.

Add the bacon, onion and roasted red pepper to the hash brown quiche base, pour over the quiche mixture and then bake in the oven for approx 20-30 mins, quiche should be firm and cooked through and slightly golden on top.

Serve with a side salad

Filed under: bacon, cheese, eggs, lunch, potatoes | 2 Comments »

Serves 3

3.5 syns for entire recipe on Red  or Extra Easy

Ingredients

9 chicken thighs (all fat and skin removed)

1 onion, halved and sliced

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 courgette, halved lengthways and sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

300ml of chicken stock

500ml of passata

1 tablespoon of flour (3.5 syns)

1 tablespoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to season

splash of balsamic vinegar

Frylight or Pam spray

Method

Preheat oven to 180c of 350f

spray frying pan with Frylight of Pam spray and brown chicken. Remove from pan and add to a large casserole dish.

Add the onion, garlic, carrot, pepper and courgette to the frying pan along with a little bit of the stock to prevent from sticking, and cook until softened.

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, cayenne pepper, flour.

Add this to the vegetables and mix thoroughly to coat. Add the passata and chicken stock, bring to the boil and then pour over the chicken in the casserole dish.

Cover casserole dish with lid and bake in the oven for approx 1 hour.

Delicious served with Cheesy Mash. Serve with Suede or Celeriac mash for a Red day alternative.

Filed under: chicken, main course | 2 Comments »

Prepared this for dinner today and I have to say it was really delicious and satisfied my craving for Chinese food.  I will definitely be making it again. Even my 3 year old son, loved it and he is as fussy as they can be.

Serves approx 3-4

4 syns in entire recipe on Extra Easy, or if doing a Green day, substitute the chicken with more vegetables or Quorn

Ingredients

400g of chicken breast or thigh (with all fat and skin removed)

2-3 cloves of garlic crushed

some fresh ginger

1 red onion cut into thin wedges

1 green pepper, sliced

6 large button mushrooms sliced thinly

1 teaspoon of cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons of light soy sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

1 tablespoon of mirin

200ml of chicken stock

200g of dried egg noodles

Frylight or Pam spray

Black pepper

Method

Combine the cornflour (cornstarch) with a 1/4 cup of water and mix to fine paste, add the soy sauce, oyster sauce and mirin

Cook the noodles in a large pan of salted boiling water for 1-2 mins according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large wok or frying pan sprayed with some Frylight or Pam spray and stir fry the ginger, garlic and chicken strips until chicken is cooked through, remove chicken and set aside.

Spray wok with some more Frylight and add the red onion, green pepper and mushrooms and cook for approx 5 mins. You may need to add a little bit of the chicken stock to prevent from sticking.

Remove vegetables from pan, add the sauce that you prepared at the beginning along with any remaining chicken stock and heat gently until it starts to thickened.

Return the chicken, vegetables to the Wok, as well as the noodles and stir until all chicken, veg and noodles are well coated with the sauce.

Season with black pepper.

Serve straight away.

Filed under: chicken, main course, noodles | 1 Comment »

Serves 2

1.5 syns per serving on Green or Extra Easy

Ingredients

200g of button mushrooms

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons of low fat spread (2 syns)

2 medium sized baking potatoes

2-3 tablespoons of fat free Greek yoghurt

parsley

2 tsp of wholegrain mustard (1 syn)

salt and pepper to season

Method

Preheat oven to 200c or 400f

Prick potatoes with a fork and microwave for approx 8-10 mins. (This will reduce cooking time needed in oven)

Cut potatoes in half, place on a baking tray and spray with Frylight or Pam spray, then bake in the oven till golden.

When the potatoes are almost ready, you can start the mushrooms.

Add the two teaspoons of low fat spread to a frying pan, along with the garlic, and cook for approx 1 minute, to release the flavour of the garlic.

Add the mushrooms and a little bit of Frylight or Pam spray and cook until golden.

Remove from heat, add the Greek Yoghurt, mustard and parsley, and stir to evenly coat.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with your roasted jacket potatoes and some baby romaine leaves.

Filed under: lunch, potatoes, vegetables | 4 Comments »

This is a revised version of my older recipe. I have tweaked it ever so slightly and have to say it is better than the original.

Serves 4

1 syn for entire recipe on Extra Easy

Ingredients

200g penne or fusilli pasta

1  onion finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

3 slices of lean bacon sliced into small pieces

2  chicken breasts (skin and fat removed) cut into bitesize pieces

1 courgette, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 yellow pepper, finely chopped

7 button mushrooms, sliced

400ml of passata

200ml of chicken stock

Handful of cherry or vine tomatoes halved

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Splash of Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons of tomato puree (1 syn)

Oregano

Salt and Pepper to season

84g of Mozzarella cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 200c or 400f

Place pasta into a saucepan of boiling hot water and cook until al dente

Spray a frying pan with some spray oil add, the chicken and cook until golden Brown and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and bacon and brown for 2 minsAdd all other vegetables and cook for a further 5 mins

Add the passata, stock, balsamic vinegar, Tabasco, tomato puree and oregano and bring to the boil then reduce the heat. Simmer, covered for about 30mins.

Add the mixture to a casserole dish, along with the pasta and chicken, season with salt and pepper and top with mozzarella cheese, then bake in the oven for approx 30mins until the cheese on top is melted and golden.

It is great served with a side salad and corn on the cob.

Filed under: bacon, chicken, main course, pasta | 1 Comment »

Serves 4

Syn Free on Green or Extra Easy

Ingredients

1/2 large butternut squash, cubed

1 cup of green lentils, washed and rinsed

500ml of passata

200ml of chicken stock

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger

1 tsp of garam masala

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp of coriander

2 tsp of chilli powder

1 tablespoon of curry powder

Frylight of Pam Spray

salt and pepper to season

Method

Preheat oven to 200c or 400f

Add butternut squash to a oven proof dish, spray over the top with Frylight or Pam spray and roast in the oven till softened and golden.

Spray a large saucepan with Frylight or Pam spray and add the onion, garlic and ginger, cook until softened.

Add  all the spices to a mortar and pestle, along with a little bit of water and mix together.

Add spices to onion, garlic and ginger mixture and stir to even coat.

Add lentils, stock and passata, bring to the boil and reduce heat, cover and simmer for approx 1 hour.

Add in the roasted butternut squash about 10 mins prior to serving time.

Serve topped with fat free yoghurt.

Filed under: grains, beans or pulses, main course, vegetables | 5 Comments »

It was a totally scorching day here today, hitting about 33 degrees at it’s hottest. So I decided to do a nice quick salad for lunch.

It was a kind of raid your fridge type of meal, using up some leftovers and also getting one of my HEa portions in for the day.

The entire salad consisted off the following:

iceburg lettuce

cucumber

apple

tomato

red onion

beetroot

42g of reduced fat cheddar (HEa)

2 tablespoons of fat free croutons (1 syn)

1 tablespoon of fat free ranch dressing (1 syn)

mini gherkins

sweetcorn relish (0.5 syns)

leftover tomato pasta

This is the result:

and it was very yummy indeed

Filed under: lunch, salads | 2 Comments »