Chicken Stir-Fry

This only took me like 20 minutes from start to finish, win.

Chicken Stir Fry

Pro Points: 5

Serves: 4

1 medium chicken breast, diced and marinated in soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce

175g pack of singapore noodles

1 C cabbage, shredded

1/2 C mushrooms, peeled and sliced

1 small head of broccoli, cut into pieces and steamed
1 medium onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cashews

Heat a fry pan and cook the chicken then set aside.

In the fry pan, cook onion and mushrooms until just cooked then add the cabbage, garlic and broccoil. Once the cabbage has cooked down, add the chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce and singapore noodle (breaking them up as they are added to the pan).

Heat through and top with the cashews.

Done.

Pumpkin and Feta Filo Parcels

I went out for lunch today and had a super nice pumpkin filo parcel that was served with a salad. So for dinner, i made one similar haha. I am sooooo messy in the kitchen, its crazy. Everything ends up on the floor!

Pumpkin and Feta Filo Parcels

Pro Points per parcel: 3

Makes 6 parcels

1 C cooked pumpkin, diced

1 red onion, cooked

1/4 C wilted spinach, water squeezed out

60g feta, crumbled

4 sheets of filo pastry

2 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 x 3 sec oil spray

salt & pepper, season to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius on fan grill

In a medium bowl combine pumpkin, onion, spinach, feta, pine nuts, garlic and season.

Spray one sheet of filo pastry and lay another sheet on top. Cut the filo into three equal sections. Spoon one heaped tablespoon of mixture at the end of the filo and wrap and fold into triangles.

Lightly spray the top of the parcels with oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake until golden brown and crisp.

Enjoy! They're yummy dipped in sweet chilli sauce or tomato relish.

Berry Smoothie

Well. My boyfriend always complains when i try to make him eat fruit so i just make him this smoothie and he loves it! I don't think he knows how much fruit is in it haha. With propoints, even though fruit is free this is probably a sufficient amount of fruit for the day. I love kiwifruit in smoothies because the pectin helps thicken the smoothie and they also increase the good bacteria in the digestive tract so you... easier (too much information haha). If you wanted a more sustainable smoothie, change the apple juice for low-fat milk and a tablespoon or two of yoghurt for a breakfast on the go.

Berry Smoothie

Propoints: 1

Serves: 1

3/4 C apple juice

1/2 mixed frozen berries

1 kiwifruit

1/2 C pineapple

Whiz everything in a blender and its done!

Banana & Walnut Bread

Mmmmm banana bread. I got this recipe from the Weight Watchers community message boards aaaaages ago. So thanks to whoever posted it haha. I added walnuts and chocolate because i LOVE chocolate. If i bake, and there isn't chocolate in the recipe; i will most likely add it. I also love the walnuts in this bread (tastes more like cake haha) as they add a nice crunch. This is super duper easy aswell and takes no time at all to make.

Banana Bread

Propoints: 3

Serves: 10

1 egg

1 tbsp golden syrup

1/3 C brown sugar

1 medium bananas, mashed

1 C self-raising flour, sifted

few drops of vanilla essence

cinnamon (to taste, about 1/2 to 1 tsp)

30g chocolate bits

1/4 C walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius on fan bake

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl apart from the flour

Fold in the sifted flour, if the mixture is too dry add a dash of milk

Bake in a loaf tin for about 30 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean.

Done! I spread mine with a cream cheese and icing sugar mix.

Roast Vege Cous Cous Salad

I love trying to balance different flavours to suit my own taste, i definately did this for this recipe. Cous Cous is a fav. It's so easy to prepare just pour over hot water, wait a bit... fluff, and it's done! Win. This recipe is perfect for left over roast veges and chicken, and easy to have the next day for lunch cold.

Roast Vege Cous Cous Salad

Pro Points: 6

Serves: 2

40g dry cous cous

50g boiled potato (half a potato), diced

50g boiled kumera/sweet potato (half again), diced

50g pumpkin, diced

1 red onion, sliced

1 carrot, diced

1 tbsp maple syrup

50g roast chicken, shredded

1 clove garlic, crushed

lemon juice

salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil

balsamic vinegar to taste

parsley, chopped

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Toss all of the veges, apart from the onion with 1tsp of the olive oil, maple syrup and salt and pepper.

Grill until the veges are starting to go golden then add the onion and keep in the oven until crisp and heated though.

Meanwhile, prepare the cous cous with 1/4 C of hot water then fluff. To the cous cous add a squeeze of lemon juice, remaining olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar, garlic, shredded chicken and parsley.

When the veges are done toss through the cous cous mixture then add salt and pepper to taste.

Fin.

WW Friendly Chocolate Mousse

This is seriously good. I had some light evaporated milk left over so i decided to make this mousse. It is adapted from the Healthy Food Guide website and definately tastes to good to be true! But it is. I'm not a fan of the photo i took but oh well.

Chocolate Mousse

Propoints: 3 per serve

1 tsp gelatine

2 tbs boiling water

1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
2/3 C light evaporated milk
2 tbs cocoa
1/4 C sugar
70g dark chocolate

Place 1/3 cup evaporated milk in the fridge to chill well. In a small bowl, dissolve gelatine in boiling water. Add coffee powder and stir until combined. If you don't want a strong-ish coffee taste only use 1/4 of a tsp.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup evapo­rated milk with sifted cocoa and sugar; stir well to ensure there are no lumps. Break up the chocolate evenly and add to the bowl. Microwave on medium-high for a few minutes until chocolate has melted; stir until smooth. Add gelatine mixture and stir well. Cool at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

Remove chilled evapo­rated milk from fridge and beat until thick peaks stand up by themselves. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture and then divide into six ramekins. Leave in fridge until completely cold and set before serving.

Mmmmmm.

Pizza Dough

Like my last post, the dough has to be good for a yum pizza. I have tested so many different ways to make it including doing it by hand, the bread maker and a million different recipes. All dough recipes are relatively the same but some taste more bready than others, esp ones for the bread maker with milk powder in. This one is a keeper, here we go...

250ml (1C) lukewarm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried yeast
3 C plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil

Combine the water and sugar then sprinkle over the yeast and leave for 10 minutes or until the yeast starts foaming

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixuture and olive oil.

Use a wooden spoon to combine and then knead the dough until it is light and elastic (if you push down on the dough with your finger it will spring back up)

Leave to rise in a warm place until it has double in size then it is ready to use.

Win. This base can be rolled out very nicely and goes thin and crisp, yum!

Pizza Sauce

Okay so, I go to uni and have worked at a pizza takeaway place for four years. Not to brag, but they are the best pizzas i have tasted in my entire life... no joke. My boss always says that toppings will always taste the same so therefore what makes a good pizza is the base and the sauce, of course she won't tell me the recipes but i have secretly watched her to try and figure it out. I have tested so many flippen ways to get a good sauce trying tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and a bit of it all to get a good one.

Pizza Sauce

410g tin tomato puree

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp mixed herbs
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp tomato paste

Over a medium heat, in a small pot heat the olive oil and add the garlic (be careful not to burn the garlic or else it will taste like poo).

Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes or so, it will splash everywhere so watch out.

Done. Simple but good. Seriously try it and you WILL taste the difference and have an amazing pizza.

Pumpkin and Sunflower Seed Bread

This is some seriously good bread. Very filling and super easy to make. I have adapted it from Annabel Langbeins (Love her!) The free range cookbook. I found that because the bread is quite dense, it takes longer than the 30-40 minutes suggested cooking time, so definately tap the bread to see if it sounds hollow or else if its not cooked it will sink. (Happened the first time i made it so i just toasted it, yum!) I've made this twice and it didn't rise as much as i thought, my bad?

Bread

2 C boiling water

4 tsp honey

2 C cold water

7 tsp dry yeast granules
2 3/4 C wholemeal flour
2 3/4 C high-grade white flour
3 tsp salt
1 C sunflower seeds (the actual recipe has two cups but i think 1 is enough)
pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on the top of the loafs

Preheat the oven to 80 degrees celcius and line 25 x 10cm loaf tins with baking paper.

In a large bowl, dissolve the honey in the boiling water. Add the cold water and yeast and put a side for 10 minutes.

Whisk the yeast mixture then add the two flours, salt and sunflower seeds and mix until combined. (Quite a wet batter)

Divide the mixture into the two tins and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top and make a few slices with a sharp knife on the top of the loaves so there is even rising.

Bake for 20 minutes at 80 degrees celcius (for the bread to rise) then turn the oven up to 210 degrees celcius for a further 30-40 minutes until cooked through and will sound hollow when tapped.

This bread toasts like a boss.

Chocolate Brownie

Om nom nom. Brownie! I know its probably not the best idea for weight watchers but i would much rather prefer a small amount of something nice rather than some average wayyyy-to-healthy recipe that doesn't taste that good. Therefore i present this brownie recipe which is amazing! Everything in moderation. The good thing is that once i made it i had a small slice then sent the rest home with my friend. Easy as that, yo.

Chocolate Brownie

Makes: 20

ProPoints: 3

100g butter, melted

1/2 C cocoa

1 C caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/3 C plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 C chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius, fan bake. Line a 24 x 30cm baking pan with baking paper.

2. With an electric beater, mix the melted butter and cocoa in a large bowl. Then add the sugar, vanilla essence and eggs to the bowl and whisk until thick and smooth.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, fold until combined then add the chocolate chips.
4. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes.

Done.

Potato Top Mince Pies

I bought my camera today! YAY! But for dinner tonight we had a nice and simple meal of potato top mince pies. Even though its not what i would like my first to be, (maybe something a bit fancy to show off? i dunno haha) this is a solid week night meal which is quick and easy to prepare.

Potato Top Mince Pies
Propoints per serve: 6

Serves: 8

8 sheets filo pastry

spray oil

500g premium beef mince

400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 carrot, grated

1 onion, finely sliced

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 garlic cloves, crushed with salt

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp beef stock powder, dissolved in 1/8 of a cup of water

3 medium potatoes, mashed

50g edam cheese
Paprika

1. Preheat the oven, fan bake to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Spray two texas muffin tins (8 cases) with oil then place in the oven until brown and crisp.
3. Brown the mince with the onion and grated carrot in a fry pan.
4. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, beef stock and soy sauce to the pan and heat through.

5. Divide the mince mixture between the filo cases, top with the mashed potato add the grated cheese and sprinkle on some paprika.

6. Return to the oven and bake until golden.

Serve with a simple salad and a dollop of sour cream. Yum!

OMG my first post!

Stoked. OKAY, so. My official recipe post will be up shortly but first of all i would like to say a hellooooo! I convinced myself yesterday that i would like to spend quite a lot of my money- being a poor uni student- on a lovely DSLR camera. I can see my savings slowing slipping away. New camera soon, oh yeaaa! Then once i have this little photo making tank i shall also have nice photos to accompany my recipes. Win win.