HOMEMADE COLESLAW

3 smartpoints serving 6

4 smartpoints serving 4

1/4 cabbage, shredded (0sp)

1/2 red onion, finely diced (0sp)

1 red apple, finely diced (0sp)

125g Extra Light Sour cream (I use Weightwatchers brand) (8sp)

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (0sp)

25g raw sugar (6sp) 

20g Parmesan cheese, finely grated (3sp)

Mix all ingredients together.

My Weightwatchers Story - August 2014 issue (Weightwatchers Australia)

Here is my article below along with the featured YouTube clip:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=BRDMOtGrgH0

PUMPKIN & SPINACH CANNELLONI

Serves 6 - 8

Total 77SP / 64PP

10SP / 8PP per serve (8 serves)

13SP / 11PP per serve (6 serves)

1kg raw peeled pumpkin, diced into 2cm cubes - I use Jap/Kent type (0sp)

1 onion, finely diced (0sp)

1 tsp minced garlic (0sp)

375g light ricotta cheese (8sp)

150g light feta cheese (11sp)

250g frozen spinach (0sp)

Salt and pepper (0sp)

700g jar passata (14sp)

1/2 cup water (0sp)

150g light mozzarella cheese (14sp)

375g fresh lasagne sheets (30sp)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Bake pumpkin on baking paper lined tray for 30 minutes. Keep oven on.

Cook spinach in microwave to packet directions.  Once cooked, drain liquid from spinach.

In a non stick frypan, fry onions until translucent.  Add minced garlic and cook for a further minute.  

In a large mixing bowl combine feta and ricotta cheeses, onion mixture, spinach and mix together.  Stir in cooked pumpkin gently so that it doesn't break down too much.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large rectangular casserole dish pour half the jar of passata sauce to cover base of dish.  Add 1/2 cup of water to passata jar, put lid back on and shake jar to mix.

Fill lasagne sheets with pumpkin filling and roll into cannelloni tubes and place in casserole dish.  Note: to make lasagne sheets more easier to roll, heat the packet of lasagne in microwave for 1 min 30 seconds, then let rest for 1 minute before opening.  This should stop them from splitting.

Pour over remaining passata and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with baking paper and aluminium foil.

Bake in oven for 40 minutes.  Take off baking paper and foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until mozzarella is lightly browned.

Serve with salad.

CREAMY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

Serves 6 (approximately 300ml serving size)

4 propoints per serve 

22 propoints in total

500g broccoli florets (0pp)

1 onion, diced (0pp)

50g reduced fat margarine spread (3pp)

50g plain flour (5pp)

2 cups skim milk (4pp)

2 cups salt reduced chicken stock (1pp)

1 carrot, finely grated or processed (0pp)

125g light cheddar cheese - I use Bega Extra Light and Tasty (9pp)

Canola spray (0pp)

1. Steam broccoli until cooked, set aside.

2. Over medium heat lightly spray with oil a large sauce pan. 

3. Add onion and cook until translucent.

4. Add margarine, once melted stir in flour and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.

5. Stirring constantly, add milk 1/2 cup at a time until combined and then stir in the chicken stock.

6. Add broccoli and carrot to pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.

7. Stir in cheese until all melted.

8. With a stick blender or processor pulse soup a few times to you get your desired texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

THAI BEEF SALAD

Serves 4

9 smartpoints per serve

1 small bunch coriander (0sp)

1.5cm piece ginger, finely grated (0sp)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced (0sp)

2 long red chillies, seeded, thinly sliced on the diagonal (0sp)

1 lemon, zested, juiced (0sp)

1 tablespoon fish sauce (0sp)

25g brown sugar (6sp)

400g beef steak, I used rump (9sp)

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (0sp)

1 Lebanese cucumber, halved, seeded, thinly sliced (0sp)

1 carrot, thinly sliced (0sp)

1 handful of bean sprouts (0sp)

1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced (0sp)

1 cup mint leaves (0sp)

62.5g serve of vermicelli noodles (6sp)

60g chopped unsalted peanuts (14sp)

To make nam jim, trim roots from coriander and rinse well. Pick leaves and reserve. Process coriander roots, ginger, garlic, one chilli, lemon zest and juice, fish sauce and brown sugar in a food processor until well combined and finely chopped.

Place noodles in bowl and pour over boiling water and let soak for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse.  Cut noodles roughly a couple of times with scissors.

Preheat nonstick frypan to medium/hot. Season steak with a little salt and a little olive oil spray.  Fry steak for 3 minutes either side then set aside to rest. Once cooled, thinly slice.

In a large bowl place onion, carrots, cucumber, capsicum, reserved coriander leaves, mint, remaining chilli and bean sprouts.  Add beef, noodles and  nam jim and toss to combine. Scatter peanuts on top.

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH LAMB

Oil spray

1 brown onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery sticks, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

100g potato diced

300g lean lamb steak, diced 

800g diced tin tomatoes

8 cups salt reduced chicken stock

1 zucchini, diced

420g can five bean mix, drained and rinsed 

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 cup Risoni pasta

In large pot, spray a little oil to coat.  Brown lamb and remove from pot.   Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables are starting to soften.  Add potato and cook for further 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock and add back in the lamb.  Bring to boil then reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add in drained beans, zucchini and cabbage.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add Risoni pasta and cook until soft.  Stir pot every couple of mins so Risoni doesn't stick to pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

We like to served with Parmesan cheese on top and crusty bread on side.

FLUFFY BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

Makes 9 pancakes - 8 smartpoints per serve (3 pancakes)

3/4 cup skim milk

2 tbsp white vinegar

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp Natvia (or sugar)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 whole egg

30g reduced fat margarine (or butter), melted

75g blueberries

In a bowl add vinegar to milk, set aside for 10 mins.  In the meantime, add flour, Natvia, baking powder and baking soda to a large mixing bowl.  After the 10 mins, the milk should have soured. Mix in egg and melted butter to milk mixture then add to dry ingredients.  Beat together until well combine. Stir in blueberries. Set aside for 5 -10 minutes.  (Note, batter should be thick).

Drop batter, (about 1/4 cup each) onto a medium hot non stick frypan.  I only use a little oil spray in between every few pancakes.  Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles start to form on top (1-2mins) and then flip with spatula and cook for a further 1 min.

Served with sugar free maple syrup and berries or your favourite topping.

Tip: One of my kids don't like blueberries so I leave the berries out of the mix until i put the batter in the frypan and then I scatter them on top.