(Pre Flex Points)
I love cooking from scratch and turning a fridge/cupboard full of ingredients into a new, healthy and delicious tasting meal but like most people, I am often a bit pushed for time when it comes to mid-week dinners.
Aubergine, Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta – ‘Pasta alla Norma’ – 9sp
I’m always being asked for more vegetarian recipes but as such a big meat eater, I often find myself automatically basng my recipes around chicken, pork, beef or lamb. Having gotten a little into Meatless Mondays at the moment however, I though it was time I gave another veggie recipe a go.
Malaysian Chicken Satay Stir Fry – 3sp
Stir fries are my hubbie and I’s go to quick and easy meal. Usually on the plate in under 15 minutes, stir fries are the perfect way to fill up with veggies whilst enjoying a flavour packed meal. I’m always looking for new ways to jazz up my stir fries so this week I decided to go a little Malaysian. The stir fry sauce here is tasty and so easy to prepare, as simple as popping everything in a bowl and giving a little mix. I’ve used powdered peanut butter instead of the normal stuff as 1 tbsp of the normal stuff is 3sp and the powdered stuff is only 1sp for 2 tbsp! It is a little pricey to buy (mine was £4) but it lasts a lot longer than the regular stuff and is such a great points saving. Best of all, to prepare you simply mix with water and you end up with the same textured peanut butter as you would from a normal jar! Most supermarkets sell it now next to the normal stuff.
Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca) – 4sp
I am always keen to reduce the amount of meat the hubbie and I consume and try and increase our fish intake. That’s why I’ve decided we are going to start and do ‘Meatless Monday’s’ (he doesn’t know this yet haha). This delightful recipe is therefore perfect to rustle up quickly on an evening after work and is suitably as impressive if you choose to cook it for a group on a weekend. Low in points and bursting with flavour, this fish stew really will leave everyone wanting it again and again. The mixture of the zingy Brazilian flavours with the mellow fish are a lovely combination. Feel free to experiment with the type of white fish you use. I’ve used haddock, cod and coley as well as little monkfish at times. All combinations have been lovely. Just go with whatever you can get the cheapest on the day (coley is perfect as its very cheap indeed!!).
Rustic Italian Sausage, Tomato and Pesto Soup – 3sp
I’ve often got a packet of sausages lurking round in my freezer as I think they are a great ingredient for a speedy and tasty tea. I often defrost and then remove the skins, crumble and use them in pastas or risottos but this week, wanting to make something a little lighter that I could take to work for my lunch, I decided to give a new soup a go. The result was lovely. Pesto and tomato are one of my favourite combinations and whizzed together with sausages, they make for an overall tasty, fresh and summery soup.
Tandoori Salmon with Pilau Cauli Cous Cous- 1sp
As you will have no doubt seen by my Instagram, curry Sunday has become a regular thing in our household. Always keen to come up with new and interesting things to serve on a Sunday, this week I decided to give making my own Tandoori Marinade a go. It is exceptionally easy and I have to say, the results were fantastic. Whilst not strictly a curry, the delicious Indian flavours which burst from this dish definitely make it Sunday worthy.
Lovely Lasagne – 9sp
There is nothing better than an oozing, bubbling lasagne but the white sauce that it is usually loaded with is usually enough to send us way over our daily allowance. Using a lower point white sauce (such as my homemade recipe below or my alternative jarred suggestion) can bring the points down significantly.
Sundried Tomato, Chicken and Mascarpone Pasta – 12sp
Back before my sister could cook she used to absolutely love the shop bought pots of mascarpone sauce. Whenever I see them in the shops now they remind me of her (not that she would buy one now being quite the cook herself!!). This week however, when I spotted a pot of Tesco’s light mascarpone in the shops, I thought I might try my own take on her old favourite.
Loaded Sweet Potato Skins – 5sp
This is a really easy recipe that I’ve made a few times now and it always goes down an absolute storm with everyone who tries it. It’s a great accompaniment to any BBQ or a great replacement for rice if you are having chilli or BBQ chicken (or even Beer Can Chicken which is what I first made these to go with – recipe for this to follow!!).
Fiery Beef Madras – 2sp
One of my OH’s conditions for me getting my beautiful puppy was that we would have ‘curry Sundays’ which to be fair, we have mostly stuck too (with the exception of last night!). Last week, in an effort to keep things interesting, I whipped together this lovely curry and I have to say, it may be my favourite curry creation yet. I cooked this on a low simmer for an hour so the sauce was lovely and rich and the beef lovely and soft and falling apart. If you don’t have time to do this however, just pop it on a higher heat for anywhere from 15 minutes.