Apologies and a Chickpea Cake!!

So sorry that I have disappeared for so long! Everything is changing in my life! I am about to start a new job, half way through buying a house but having a nightmare with sorting out our mortgage and to top it off my Aunty and Uncle were staying with us for the entire Olympics! It's all been a bit crazy and my usual cooking has kind of fallen to the side, I am sorry!
But I am back with a recipe that pops up on the weight watchers boards every now and again. Chocolate Chickpea Cake! Now this is gluten free and veggie friendly, I topped it with 90g of chocolate Philadelphia as it was a bit dry without it but you could serve it with ice cream, custard, frozen yogurt or whatever you want. Just remember to adjust the propoints accordingly!
 

 
Ingredients:
1 can (around 200g when drained) of Chickpeas
3 Eggs
3 Tbsp Splenda or 0pp Sweetner
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
25g Cocoa Powder (I use Green & Blacks)
 
Instructions:

1. Stick all the ingredients in the food processor and blitz!
2. Turn the cake mix into a non stick cake tin, I use a 10 inch round tin but you can use whatever you want!
3. Bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean.
4. I like to leave too cool and top with Cadbury Philadelphia before serving. Yummy!!

Serves 8 with a propoints value of 2 per serving* (propoints calculated using recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)
*If topped with 90g Cadbury Philadelphia then it is 3pp per serving.
 

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Mozzarella Dippers

It's no secret that I love cheese, and the discovery of deep fried cheese may have had a lot to do with my weight gain! The takeaway at the end of my street does a portion of 8 mozzarella sticks for less than £3 (which in London is a bargain!!) I was really craving some the other day, but I was good and instead of going to the takeaway I walked straight past it and into the shop and purchased a ball of light mozzarella!! I headed home and made my own baked mozzarella dippers and I have to say they were damn tasty!!
 

 
Ingredients:
1 Ball of Light Mozzarella
1 Egg
2 tbsp Flour
3 tbsp Breadcrumbs (I use Hale & Hearty gluten free)
1 tsp Italian Herbs
Pinch of Salt and Pepper.
Spray Oil
 
Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Slice the mozzarella.
3. Whisk the egg in a bowl, put the flour in another bowl and breadcrumbs with italian herbs and seasoning in another.
4. Spray a baking sheet with oil.
5. Dip each slice of mozzarella in the flour, then the egg and then breadcrumbs. Place on the baking sheet.
6. Spray all the dippers with a little oil.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 5-7 minutes. Not too long or the mozzarella leaks out everywhere!
8. Serve with a tablespoon of marinara sauce (I cheated and used light pasta sauce as it was all I had!)

Serves 2 with a propoints value of 8 per serving (propoints calculated using recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Baked Aubergine Rolls

This is actually a weight watchers recipe that I LOVE!! I make it all the time. I posted a photo of it on my instagram and a few people including my friends Ami and Julia asked for the recipe, so this post is for them and anyone else who fancies making it!!
 

 
Ingredients
2 Aubergines
3 Cloves Garlic
400g Chopped Tomatoes
2 tbsp Basil
1 Chopped Onion
 
2 Courgettes
150g Ricotta
1 tbsp Parsley
2 tbsp Basil
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper
3 tbsp Parmesan (I use ready grated)
 

 
Instructions

1. Trim the ends from the Aubergines and slice lengthways. Place on a baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees.
2. Fry 2 cloves of chopped garlic in spray oil, add the Tomatoes and 2 tbsp of basil and simmer for 10 minutes to make the sauce.
3. Chop the onion and grate the courgettes.
4. Sauté the onion and remaining garlic in spray oil in another pan. Add the grated courgette and cook for a few minutes.
5. In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, basil and seasoning.
6. Add the cooled courgette mixture to the ricotta.
7. Place 1 tbsp of ricotta and courgette mixture on a slice of aubergine and roll up. Then place the roll in an oven proof dish, as shown in the photo above. Repeat with all the aubergine slices.
8. Top the rolls with the tomato sauce and Parmesan.
9. Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees.

Serves 2 with 8 Propoints per serving (as calculated by weightwatchers.co.uk)
 
 

Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta

I love pasta, especially with creamy sauces. Unfortunately for me my waistline doesnt appreciate them so much! So I have been on the hunt for creamy pasta sauces I can make at home that taste good, but don't cost me all my weekly propoints! This recipe is adapted from an American one I found on the Very Best Baking site, I found it very creamy and satisfying and perfect for a week night meal!
 

 
Ingredients
120g Pasta (I use Doves farm rice pasta)
25g Chopped Sundried Tomatos
140ml Light Evaporated Milk
1/2 tsp Dried Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
50g Grated Half Fat Mozarella
 
Instructions

1. Cook the pasa in salted boiling water.
2. Chop the Sundried Tomatos and combine with the evaporated milk in a saucepan on a medium heat.
3. Add the basil, garlic and seasoning. Simmer.
4. Add the Mozarella and stir until melted into the sauce.
5. Add the cooked pasta and stir into the sauce until all covered. Serve!!

Serves 2 with 9 Propoints per serving (Points calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Easy Cheesy Mexican Rice

As you might have noticed, I love Mexican food (and cheese!) So any recipe that combines the 2 is always good in my book! This only takes 5 minutes and it's ready, a bonus in my book when I am feeling super lazy or have been working long shifts!
 

 
Ingredients:
1 pouch of Tilda Microwave Brown Basmati Rice (or any other microwaveable rice)
175g of Defrosted Quorn Pieces
4 tbsp Salsa
3 tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
60g Half Fat Grated Mozarella
 
Instructions:

1. Defrost the quorn.
2. Microwave the rice.
3. Combine salsa, sour cream, seasoning and cheese in a pan and heat gently until cheese is melted into the sauce.
4. Add the quorn and rice and heat through. Serve!

Serves 2 with 10 Propoints per serving (PP values calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Baked Risotto

This was a recipe I originally saw in Good Food Magazine and as I love risotto I instantly wanted to make it. So I lightened up the recipe slightly and I now have eventually got around to trying it! I am so glad that I did, I love risotto it is so filling and because this is baked it's super easy to make!!
 

 
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Chopped Onion
150g Arborio Rice
3 Cups Vegetable Stock (I use a knorr stock pot dissolved in water)
1/2 tsp Parsley
5 Cherry Tomatoes
6 Asparagus Spears
1 tbsp Grated Parmesan.
 
Instructions:

1. Fry the onion in olive oil until browned.
2. Add the rice To the onion and place the mixture in an oven proof dish.
3. Cover with 2 cups of vegetable stock and cover the dish with foil. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200 oC.
4. Take out of the oven and add the parsley, season and stir.
5. Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and dot around the risotto.
6. Put the asparagus spears on top and add the remaining cup of stock. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
7. Top with Parmesan and serve!

Serves 2 with 9 ProPoints per serving (PP values calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Pasta with Quorn, Cherry Tomatoes, Ricotta and Pesto

I love this quick and easy dish, it contains 2 of my favourite ingredients - Cheese and pasta!! Its a dish that a cook when I have very little time and patience at the end of a busy day!! The recipe is for one serving but you can double up to make 2 or whatever! I used quorn because the boy is veggie, but you could put chicken, turkey, ham or anything in it!! Enjoy.
 

 
Ingredients:
60g Pasta (I use doves farm)
Spray Oil
100g Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in half
3 tbsp Ricotta Cheese
1 tsp Green Pesto
60g Quorn Roast Style Sliced Fillets

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water.
2. Fry the sliced tomato in a little spray oil until soft.
3. Add the quorn, ricotta and pesto and stir.
4. Stir in the pasta until coated in the sauce and serve!

Serves 1 with 11 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 egg
235ml Skimmed (Fat Free) Milk
125g Gluten Free Plain Flour (I use Doves Farm)
2 tsp Caster Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Spray Oil
2 Bananas
4 tbsp Golden Syrup

Instructions:

1. Whisk the egg and milk together.
2. Add the flour, sugar and baking powder and whisk into a batter.
3. Spray a pan with oil and pour in the batter. This much batter should make 4 large pancakes.
4. Top each pancake with chopped banana and a tbsp of golden syrup and serve. Yum!!

Serves 4 with 6 Propoints per serving ( PP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

Broccoli Blue Cheese Bake

I really struggle to eat my vegetables, to be honest I just don't like them!! I can eat fruit all day everyday but veggies... Blergh!! So I am always looking to hide my vegetables in yummy ways! I came across a recipe for this Broccoli Blue Cheese Bake at The Girl Who Ate Everything I adapted it slightly to make it more weight watchers friendly and gluten free, but damn it was tasty!!
 

 
Ingredients:
1 Head of Broccoli
1 tbsp Light Butter (I use Lurpak Lightest)
1 Chopped Clove of Garlic
1 tbsp Gluten Free Flour
200ml Skimmed Milk
40g Blue Cheese (I used Stilton)
2 tbsp Light Cream Cheese
1 Slice of Bread (whizzed up into breadcrumbs)
 
Instructions:

1. Cook the broccoli.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the garlic.
3. Add the flour and milk, mix into a smooth white sauce.
4. Add the cheeses and stir until melted.
5. Put the broccoli in a oven proof dish and cover with the sauce.
6. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees.

Serves 2 with 6 Propoints per serving (Calculated using the recipe calculator on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Pesto and Quorn Risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite dishes, it's easy to make and is super filling. I love it! This weekend I went to visit my friend and he kept going on about a chicken and pesto risotto that he had made and was really proud of. So I decided the give it a go, I used quorn and lightened up the recipe a bit, but the result was lovely.
 

 
Ingredients:
1 tsp Olive Oil
Half a Chopped Onion
1 Clove of Garlic
120g Arborio Rice
1l Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Pesto
140g of Quorn Roast Style Fillets
1 tbsp Weight Watchers Cream
Salt and Pepper
 
Instructions:

1. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
2. Add all the rice and then the stock, bit by bit until it is all absorbed.
3. Mix in the pesto and quorn fillets.
4. Add the seasonings and cream, stir until creamy and serve!

Serves 2 with 9 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe calculator on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Oh Yum!!

This weekend I went to visit my family and found these in the local Tesco! I have never been so happy!! They are so yummy and only 4 PP each!! I love them with cheese on top or made into a mini pizza. Also if you can't buy them in your local supermarket, you can order them direct from genius foods on their website. I am so happy right now!!

 

 

 

Super Cheesy Salsa Quorn

This totally satisfies my cheese cravings! It is quick and simple to make AND low in points. I usually have it with vegetables when I have over indulged and eaten a few too many points during the day (like today when I accidentally ate 6 cheese strings and 10 marsh mallows for lunch, I'm not proud!! Haha!)

However you could have it with chips, pasta, tortilla chips, salad or whatever you fancied really!! You could also make it with chicken breasts if your a meat lover, but remember to alter the points values!

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Quorn Fillets

4 Light Laughing Cow Cheese Triangles

1 Jar of Salsa

30g Grated Light Cheddar Cheese (I use the Sainsburys Be Good range)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
2. Spread a cheese triangle on top of each quorn fillet and place in an oven proof dish.
3. Top with the jar of salsa.
4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
5. Top with the grated cheese and place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serves 2 with 6 Propoints per serving (Calculated using the recipe calculator on weight watchers.co.uk)

 

Lasagne

I love lasagne but with it being 1. Made with pasta, so not gluten free and 2. Super high in points a lot of the time. Meant I haven't had it for a long time. So I decided the make a weight watchers friendly version that is gluten free and veggie friendly and this is the result! It tastes amazing and only 7 Propoints! Amazing.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Chopped Onion

3 Cloves Garlic

1 Grated Carrot

1 Grated Courgette

150g Chopped Mushrooms

500g Passata

200g Chopped Tomato

2 tbsp Tomato Purée

1 Vegetable Stock Cube

300g Quorn Mince

2 tbsp Italian Herbs

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

235g Free From Lasagne Sheets

650g Cottage Cheese

150g Light Grated Cheddar Cheese or Mozarella

 

Instructions:

1. Pre cook the lasagne sheets in boiling water until tender.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil.
3. Add the mushrooms, carrot and courgette. Sweat for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the Passata, chopped tomatoes and purée. Stir.
5. Add the stock cube, Italian herbs and seasoning.
6. Add the quorn mince and stir. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Layer the sauce and pasta in an oven proof dish. It usually do sauce, pasta, sauce, pasta, sauce and then pasta.
8. Top the last layer of pasta with the cottage cheese and grated cheddar or Mozarella.
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200.

Serves 6 with 7 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe calculator on weightswatchers.co.uk)

 

Gluten Free Pizza

The boy will tell you how when we met I was totally pizza obsessed. This was before I was diagnosed as wheat/gluten intolerant. Giving up pizza was sooooo hard, and il be honest I do have the occasional slip up and tuck into a dominos! Today I was really craving pizza, so decided to give making a stuffed crust pizza a try! I had had success with the recipe for the dough previously, so i stuffed the crust with light mozzarella and topped it with pineapple and jalapeños (the boys topping of choice!) and even he happily ate my GF alternative stuffed crust! Success! I have a lot of cheese on my pizza, if you wanted to make this less points you could omit the stuffed crust and just use half the Mozarella. Enjoy!!

 

 

Ingredients:

200g Gluten Free Plain Flour (I use Doves Farm)

1 Sachet of Instant Dried Yeast

1 tsp Sugar

1 Pinch of Salt

125ml of Warm (Not hot!) Water

1/4 jar of Light Pasta Sauce (I use weight watchers or sainsburys light garlic and herb pasta sauce)

125g Light Mozarella

50g Low Fat Cheddar Cheese

 

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl.
2. Add the water and mix together with your hands to make a dough.
3. Roll out the dough onto a floured baking sheet.
4. Now if you want to make a stuffed crust, chop up half the Mozarella and place all around the edge of the pizza about 1/2 inch from the edge. Fold the edge over the Mozarella and squish down using your finger tips.
5. Spread the pasta sauce on the base and top with the remaining chopped Mozarella, your choice of toppings (remember these may be extra propoints!) and then top with the cheddar.
6. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

 

Serves 4 with 8 propoints per serving ( PP calculated using the recipe calculator on weight watchers.co.uk)

 

Apple Crumble

I've been looking at making an apple crumble that's low in points and GF for a while. My Mum makes an amazing one, but hers has soooo much sugar in it! This one was perfect with custard or cream or whatever you want! I made it especially for Easter Sunday lunch dessert.

 

 

Ingredients (filling):

3 Peeled and Chopped Cooking Apples

2 tbsp Splenda

2 tsp Cinnamon

 

Crumble Topping:

40g Butter

3 tbsp Splenda

50g GF Plain Flour

25g GF Porridge Oats

 

Instructions:

1. Mix the apples and Splenda with cinnamon and place in the bottom of an oven proof dish.
2. Mix together the sugar and butter until creamy.
3. Add in the flour and oats, mix until the mixture is crumbly.
4. Place the crumble on top of the apples.
5. Bake for 35 minutes at 180 of Gas Mark 4.

Serves 4 with 3 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the points calculator on weight watchers.co.uk)

 

Porridge Mash Up

This is what I have for my breakfast everyday! It's really filling, tasty and only 3PP! I mix it up but adding different flavours of yogurt so I don't feel like I am eating the same things everyday. For example sometimes I use activia pouring yogurt, sometimes marks and spencer count on us yogurt, or activia snack pots or weight watchers yogurt! Just remember to change the points according to what yogurt you use! Today it was marks and spencer count on us vanilla yogurt. Yum! I know the picture doesn't look all that, but trust me it's tasty!

 

 

Ingredients:

4 Strawberries

1 Banana

15g Porridge Oats (I use waitrose freefrom oats)

150g Yogurt (today I used M&S count on us vanilla)

 

Instructions:

1. Chop the fruit int bite size pieces.
2. Throw everything in a bowl and mix it up!

Serves 1 with 3 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.co.uk)

 

Taco Tuesday - Nachos!

I am still Mexican obsessed so Tuesday is still Mexican night in our house. Tonight it was nachos. It's not really a recipe, but it was so tasty I still want to talk about it!! I used quorn mince mixed with taco seasoning and tomatoes, put them on top of 2 bags of weight watchers nacho chips and topped with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. YUMMY!

 

 

This worked out as 14 pro points, but totally worth it!!

 

Butternut Squash Curry

This is the first time I have made this and it was amazing! Perfect post-workout food. Yum! This makes a massive portion which you can either have on its own shared between 2 or with rice served between 4. It is even suitable for freezing (before you add the yogurt) I hope you like it as much as I do!

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Chopped Onion

1 Chopped Butternut Squash

1 tbsp Korma Paste

200ml Vegetable Stock

1 Tin of Chickpeas

200g Chopped Tomatos

2 tbsp 0% fat Greek Yogurt

 

Instructions:

1. Fry the onion in the olive oil.
2. Add the Korma paste.
3. Add the chopped butternut squash and stock and simmer until the butternut squash is tender and can be mashed.
4. Add the chickpeas and chopped Tomatos and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Mix in the Greek yogurt and serve.

Serves 4 with 4 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe builder on weight watchers.co.uk)

 

Blue Cheese Risotto

I am obsessed with risotto at the moment. It is one of my favourite things to make and is super filling for not too many propoints. I really love this blue cheese version and make it at least once a month!

 

Ingredients:

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 Chopped Leek

1 Clove of Garlic

120g Arborio Rice

750 ml Vegetable Stock (I use a knorr stock pot dissolved in water)

1 tsp Italian Herbs

40g Stilton Cheese

 

Instructions:

1. Chop the leek and garlic before gently frying in olive oil.
2. Add the rice and vegetable stock a cup at a time. Once the stock has been absorbed add another cup.
3. When the rice is tender and all the stock has been absorbed add the herbs and cheese and stir until melted.

Serves 2 with 9 Propoints per serving (PP calculated using the recipe builder on weight watchers.co.uk)

 

Wahaca

Since moving to London the boy has made it his mission to try as many Mexican food establishments as possible. This weekend it Wahaca and we went to the one in the Westfield Centre in Stratford as its only up the road. I had guacamole and chips to start and then some 'street food' by which they basically mean Mexican tapas. I had steak and cheese tacos, chicken quesadilla and sweet potato fries. I have to be honest it was yummy! Granted not very weight watchers friendly but I saved up my weeklies especially!

 

Guacamole and chips.

 

Chicken quesadilla.

 

Steak and cheese mini tacos.

 

And sweet potato fries!