PASTA BOSCAIOLA

Total 71 smartpoints
11 smartpoints per serve - serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely diced (0sp)
2 tsp minced garlic (0sp)
500g mushrooms, sliced (0sp)
175g shortcut bacon  (13sp)
400g pasta, dry (37sp)
375ml Nestlé Carnation Light and Creamy Evaporated Milk (15sp)
1 tsp salt reduced chicken stock powder (1sp)
1/2 tbsp cornflour (1sp)
Salt and pepper, to taste (0sp)
25g Parmesan, grated (4sp)

METHOD
Over medium heat add onion, mushrooms and bacon (spray pan with a little olive oil if necessary).  Cook down until soft stirring occasionally (Let any liquid reduce to nothing). 

Meanwhile, add the pasta to a large pan of boiling salted water and cook until al dente.

In a small jug add chicken stock powder and cornflour.  Gradually stir through evaporated milk so that there are no lumps in the cornflour. 

Once liquid has reduced in mushroom/bacon mix add garlic and cook for a further minute.  Stir in  evaporated milk mixture and heat until warm and slightly thickened.  Stir through drained pasta, season with salt and pepper and serve with parmesan cheese on top.

TERIYAKI BEEF AND VEGETABLE STIRFRY

Serves 4 - 6 smartpoints per serve

460g beef, trimmed, thinly sliced (10sp)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (0sp)
1 tbsp minced garlic (0sp)
2 carrots, julienned  (0sp)
1 large onion, thinly sliced (0sp)
1 red capsicum, sliced (0sp)
130g snow peas (0sp)
(Note: you can use any vegetables)
100g Masterfoods Teriyaki Marinade (10sp) - Note: Other brands of Teriyaki Sauce can be used, check smartpoints as they vary between sauces)
2 tsp sesame oil (3sp)

In a bowl sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over beef, mix through garlic and set aside for 20 minutes.

Heat a large non stick wok. Once wok is very hot add 1 tsp of oil and stir-fry beef for 2 mins until lightly browned, constantly stirring. Remove beef and set aside. Add the othe 1 tsp of oil along with vegetables (except snowpeas) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes (or until they are cooked to your liking).  Add back beef along with teriyaki sauce and snowpeas and cook until sauce is hot.   Serve with 1/2 cup basmati (3sp) or long grain rice (4sp).

CHICKEN BIRYANI

INGREDIENTS
750g chicken thighs, cut in about 3cm chunks
1/2 cup tikka masala paste
2 brown onions, finely sliced
20g butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 1/4 cups hot chicken stock
1/4 cup of currants

2 tbsp flaked toasted almonds
1/4 cup fresh chopped coriander 

METHOD
In a bowl mix together chicken and paste. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced).
Melt butter with oil in a non-stick frypan over low to medium heat, then add onions. Fry off onions until starting to caramelise, about 15 minutes.
In another ovenproof pot (I use  a non-stick anodised pot) add chicken.  Then spread cooked onions over the top of the chicken.

Place rice into a sieve. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Sprinkle rice evenly over onions. Pour stock over the back of a metal spoon over rice. Cover with foil then cover with a lid. Bake for 1 hour then stir through currants and almonds. Bake for a further 45 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir through coriander and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

 

SLOW COOKED CHUNKY BEEF STROGANOFF

INGREDIENTS
800g beef chuck steak, diced in chunks
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
500g mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 cups of beef stock
1 tsp cornflour
2 tbsp sour cream

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 160C.
• Over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil and brown off beef.  Transfer to an oven proof dish, add 1 cup of beef stock, cover and bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours (until beef is tender and stock has almost reduced to nothing).  Hint: Use an ovenproof pan that can go directly from stovetop to oven.

Once the beef is cooked....

• Over medium high heat, fry off onion, mushrooms and garlic with oil in a large non stick fry pan for about 5 minutes.   
• Stir through paprika, tomato paste and 3/4 cup of beef stock. 
• Mix the last bit of beef stock with the cornflour to make a paste. 
• Add to the pan the beef chunks along with any remaining stock and stir in the cornflour mixture.     Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes. 
• Stir in sour cream just before serving.   Hint: Give the sour cream a mix before adding to the pan so that it isn't so chunky.   This will make it easier to stir through the sauce.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with rice and steamed beans, mashed potato or pasta.

GREEK STUFFED EGGPLANTS

5 smartpoints per stuffed eggplant

INGREDIENTS

3 eggplants 

Olive oil spray 

1 onion, chopped 

2 tsp minced garlic 

1 tsp cinnamon

300g minced lamb 

1 cup cooked basmati rice 

225g tomato passata 

½ cup beef stock 

1 tsp dried oregano 

chopped parsley (about 2 large tbsp plus a little extra for decoration)

salt and pepper 

100g reduced fat smooth feta cheese

No fat Plain Greek yoghurt and pomegranate seeds - optional 

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, then cut around the edge of each half then cut again deeply in a criss-cross pattern inside the border, being careful not to cut through the skin at the bottom. Scoop out the flesh and put aside.

In a large frypan, fry off the onion with a spray of olive oil for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cinnamon and cook for another 30 seconds, then add the scooped-out eggplant and cook for 5 minutes or so until that is soft as well.

Add the mince meat to the pan and break up and stir for about another 5 minutes. Add in the passata, stock, oregano, parsley and rice, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Put the eggplant halves on a baking tray and fill each with the meat mixture. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 50 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle with crumbled feta. Spray over a little olive oil and cook for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft enough.

To serve, sprinkle over a little parsley and a dollop of yoghurt then sprinkle over pomegranate seeds (optional).

 

RICOTTA PANCAKES

Makes 12 pancakes - 3pp each

INGREDIENTS

375g reduced fat ricotta cheese (10pp)

190ml skim milk (2pp)

1 tbsp stevia powder (0pp)

4 eggs, separated (7pp)

180g plain flour (17pp)

Pinch of salt (0pp)

1tsp baking powder (0pp)

1 tsp vanilla extract (0pp)

Zest of one orange (0pp)

Oil for cooking (1pp)

METHOD

Place ricotta, stevia, milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

Add to the ricotta mixture along with vanilla extract and zest and mix until just combined.

Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

Fold egg whites through batter.

Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan and drop a 1/4 cup of batter per pancake into the pan. 

Cook over a low to medium heat for 2 minutes, or until pancakes have golden undersides.

Turn pancakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.

I served mine with stewed apple and sugar free maple flavoured syrup.

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Total 64 propoints
Serves 6 (11pp per serve)

INGREDIENTS
500g chicken thighs, sliced (15pp)
75g shortcut bacon, diced (5pp)
500g button mushrooms, sliced (0pp)
1 brown onion, finely diced (0pp)
20g minced garlic (0pp)
20g butter (4pp)
300g arborio rice (27pp)
1/2 cup dry white wine (3pp)
5 cups of hot salt reduced chicken stock (2pp)
40g parmesan cheese (5pp)
150g frozen green peas (3pp)

METHOD
Heat a large non stick frypan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and bacon and fry off for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for a further 2 minutes then add mushrooms.  It may seem a lot but they will reduce down.  Cook down until liquid  from mushrooms is reduced to nil then add in garlic and stir through.

Meanwhile melt butter in another large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir to coat.  Then add 2 cups of hot stock.  Give a gentle stir and let reduce down. Then add wine. Give another gentle stir then reduce down. Gradually add the rest of the stock (stirring occasionally) until rice is al dente and almost all the stock is gone.  Stir in parmesan cheese, chicken and mushroom mixture and frozen peas. Turn off stove. Cover with lid for a few minutes for peas to cook.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.