Juicy Plump Sun-Dried Tomato & Soft Buffalo Mozzarella Linguine with Sweet Fresh Basil & Cream Sauce

  
Happy World Pasta Day! The perfect excuse to whip up one of my favourite pasta dishes, not that I ever need an excuse to have pasta, I absolutely adore the stuff and would eat it every day if I could get away with it! I love linguine it’s flatter than spaghetti and holds a creamy sauce much better. This gorgeous recipe features juicy plump sun-dried tomatoes and creamy mozzarella with basil and a real fresh cream sauce, yes cream, light cream but cream nonetheless! This is filling, comforting and remarkably healthy at just 10 propoints per serving (if you use wholewheat spaghetti instead you can have it for 5 propoints on filling and healthy). Here’s the skinny:  
184g (cooked weight) of linguine

50g sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

35g light mozzarella

1/2 a red onion diced

1 clove garlic

30ml light cream

Fresh basil leaves

A small sprinkle of chilli flakes

Salt and black pepper

  
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in boiling salted water. Rinse the oil off the sun-dried tomatoes if desired and chop into small bite-size pieces. Spray a medium saucepan with oil and fry the onion for approximately five minutes until soft. Crush in the garlic clove and cook for further 30 seconds. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and heat through for one minute.   Add the cream and chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper. Loosen the creamy sauce with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce mixing well. Tear in the fresh basil leaves and stir through the mozzarella torn into chunks and serve immediately. Enjoy!  

Creamy Spicy Cajun Chicken Tagliatelle

  

You know one of those days when you open the fridge stare blankly inside, close it & repeat the process about 3 more times? Well that was me today. I had a small bit of chicken left over from the chicken coconut curry I made last night 
& was wondering what the heck I was going to make with it. Well this is what the heck I made with it! How would you like to try this gorgeous mountain of food for just 10 propoints? (1 on F&H if you use brown pasta) Yummy! Serves 1. I hope your Sunday is great x 100g Diced Chicken Fillet

60g Dried Weight Tagliatelle 

1 Small Red Onion Diced

1 Small Red & Yellow Pepper Diced

1 Clove of Garlic

65g Philadelphia Lightest Cream Cheese

2 Tsps Cajun Seasoning (I used my own blend you can find it under my Jambalaya recipe or use shop bought)

Fresh Basil

Salt & Black Pepper   Prepare the pasta as per packet instructions. Place the diced chicken in a bowl & coat well with the Cajun seasoning. Heat a medium saucepan and spray with oil. Sauté the onion and peppers for approximately five minutes until soft. Add the chicken and cook for a further 5 to 8 minutes until fully cooked. Crush in a clove of garlic and cook for a further minute. Season with salt and black pepper. Add in the Philadelphia and a small amount of pasta cooking water and stir well until the Philadelphia is melted into a sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce stirring well until fully coated. Tear in some fresh basil leaves and serve immediately. Enjoy!  

Easy Cheesy Healthy Bolognese Pasta Bake

  I’m quite adept at coming up with ideas to use up leftovers & I had leftover mince, cheese & thyme from last night’s dinner so this is what was made. I always have a few staples & tinned plum tomatoes always inhabit my larder so this was a very easy healthy & quite a filling choice. Pasta is always my go to comfort food, it’s extremely versatile & incredibly satisfying to the tummy. Bolognese is always so packed with flavour & tasty be it served with spaghetti & cheese or baked in the oven in this gorgeous pasta bake. This serves 4 hungry people at 10pp a portion (1pp on F&H). Dinner is sorted! Here’s the Skinny:   400g Lean 5% Fat Beef Steak Mince

1 Onion Finely Diced

2 Large Carrots Finely Diced

2 Sticks of Celery Finely Diced

1 Red Pepper Diced

1 Clove of Garlic Crushed

2 Tins of Plum Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Tomato Purée 

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

A Few Spigs Fresh Thyme Leaves 

A Handful of Fresh Basil 

Salt & Black Pepper 

240g Dried Pasta Shapes

30g Reduced Fat Grated Cheddar

30g Reduced Fat Grated Mozzarella  Start by making the Bolognese sauce, this is not difficult in the slightest but it does require time to simmer down & thicken into a glossy flavour filled sauce otherwise the sauce will be watery & not as flavoursome. Heat a large pot over a medium heat & spray with oil. Add the onion & fry for approximately 5 minutes until softening. Add in the carrots, pepper & celery & fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the mince & cook until browned through. Add the garlic & cook for a further minute. Add in the tomatoes chopping them with a sharp knife once in the pot. Add the purée, the rest of the herbs (except the basil) & salt & pepper. Cook over a medium low heat uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour stirring occasionally until the Bolognese is thick & glossy. Meanwhile prepare the pasta according to packet instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water.   Just before adding to the bake tear the basil leaves into the bolognese & stir through. Place the cooked pasta shapes & Bolognese in an ovenproof dish & top with the grated cheese. Place in a preheated oven at 180c for about 30 minutes. Serve & enjoy!  

Magnificent Meatballs in a Glossy Beef & Thyme Gravy with Creamy Buttery Mash

  
Autumn comfort food at its finest! Meatballs are delicious in any shape or form but I was looking for something a bit different than spaghetti & tomato sauce so I devised this delicious meatball & gravy recipe & let’s face it, the only thing to accompany gravy is buttery mash! All this can be yours for 10 propoints (1pp on F&H). Serves 4. Light the fire, throw a movie on & indulge in Autumn comfortness!   
For the Meatballs:

500g 5% Fat Lean Beef Mince

2 Slices Calorie Controlled Wholemeal Bread

1 Small Onion Finely Diced 

1 Tsp Dried Oregano 

1 Tsp Dried Parsley 

1/2 Tsp English Mustard

1 Tbsp Tomato Purée 

A Dash of Skimmed Milk

Salt & Black Pepper 

Fresh Parsley (optional)
For the Gravy:

500ml Stock made with 1 Beef Stock Cube

2 Tbsps Cornflour 

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1 Tbsp Tomato Purée 

A Small Handful of Fresh Thyme

Black Pepper 
For the Buttery Mash:

800g Potatoes 

30g Reduced Fat Butter

Salt & Black Pepper

A Dash of Skimmed Milk

  
Break the Bread up into very small pieces & soak in a cup with a small amount of skimmed milk for a few minutes. Squeeze the excess milk gently out pf the bread with your hands & crumble it into a bowl with all the other meatball ingredients. Mix well (be careful to mix lightly but well if you mix too much the meatballs will be dense). Roll them into 20 meatball shapes & place in an ovenproof dish you have sprayed with oil. Bake them in a preheated oven at 200c for approximately 25 minutes or until cooked & browning. Meanwhile peel & cut the potatoes into medium sized cubes & cook in boiling salted water for about 18 to 20 minutes until soft & you can pierce with a fork. To make the gravy place the stock in a saucepan over a medium heat and add all the ingredients except the cornflour. Mix the cornflour with a small amount of cold water in a glass & pour slowly into the stock stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Keep stirring regularly until thickened into a gravy. (If it lumps a tiny bit at the beginning the stirring will take them out & if not whizz quickly with a hand blender.) Add the cooked meatballs to the gravy & coat them well. Mash the potatoes with a tiny dash of skimmed milk, the butter & season with salt & pepper. Divide the mash into 4 & plate with 5 meatballs each & some gravy on top. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired & enjoy!  

Delicious Thin Crust Cheese & Veggie Pizza

  
The easiest 2 ingredient dough in the world to make, no waiting around for it to prove just knead, roll & top! Who doesn’t like pizza? It’s so versatile you can top this with whatever takes your fancy. Add some Roast Chicken or Prosciutto if you fancy a meat version just remember to add the additional points. Buffalo Mozzarella & Pesto would also be fantastic the dough is 10pp so you can play around with toppings & add points accordingly this one was 14 propoints for the entire pizza. Here’s the skinny:  
For the Dough:

95g Self Raising Flour

100g 0% Fat Greek Yogurt 

A Pinch of Salt  

For the Sauce:

Passata 

1 Tbsp Tomato Purée 

Dried Oregano 

Salt and Black Pepper 

To Top:

Red Onion Finely Sliced 

Red & Yellow Pepper Finely Sliced 

Mushrooms Sliced

Basil Leaves

30g Grated Reduced Fat White Cheddar 

30g Grated Reduced Fat Mozzarella 

  
Mix the flour and yogurt together in a bowl with a tiny pinch of salt until it forms a dough. Sprinkle a Tbsp of flour on your work surface (this is accounted for in the points) and knead the dough for 5 minutes. Roll it out into a large thin base. Mix the sauce ingredients (as much passata as needed) and spread thinly over the base. Top with the cheese & toppings of your choice. Bake in a preheated oven at 190c for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through & browning. Slice, serve & enjoy!  

Cheats Easy Peasy Quick & Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala & Basmati Rice

  
This is so easy I’m nearly embarrassed to call it a recipe! Ideal for days when you don’t want to slave over the stove & just want something quick, tasty, comforting & convenient. It makes a lovely creamy tikka masala sauce & using a full roasted chicken fillet per serving guarantees it is satisfying & filling too. Apologies for the delay in posting the recipe if you follow my blog on facebook or instagram, but I made this last night as a quick stop gap dinner & had no intention of blogging it until I seen how nice it turned out how gorgeous it tasted & I just had to share with you all, so better a late recipe than not posting one at all I say! I conjured this up just for me so this serves 1 person (you can double the recipe to serve 2) and it’s 10 propoints for the lot you can have it for 1pp on the filling & healthy plan provided it’s made with whole grain basmati rice instead. I hope you enjoy:
1 Medium Chicken Fillet

250ml/300ml Passata

15g (a level tbsp) Tikka Masala Curry Paste

Onion Diced (enough for 1 person about ¼ or ½)

Red Pepper Sliced (enough for 1 person about ¼ or ½)

¼ Tsp Cumin Seeds

A Pinch of Garam Masala

A Pinch of Tumeric

A Pinch Dried Cumin

A Tiny Pinch of Chilli Powder

1 Tbsp Fat Free Natural Yoghurt

Fresh Coriander Leave to Garnish

125g Cooked White Basmati Rice  I roasted the chicken fillet in the oven first, you can dice it & fry it until cooked through either whichever you prefer. I baked it on tinfoil in a preheated oven at 200c for 25 minutes or so. Meanwhile cook the rice according to packet instructions. Heat a medium saucepan & spray with oil. When hot add the cumin seeds & fry for a few minutes to release their flavour. Add the onion & red pepper and lightly fry until softened (about 8 to 10 minutes). Add in the Tikka Masala paste & stir for a few seconds coating the onion & pepper. Pour in the passata (about ½ a 500g carton add a bit more if needed) & add in all the dried spices (garam masala, turmeric, dried cumin, chilli powder) use as much as desired, I used a small pinch of each just to enhance the flavour of the curry paste. Simmer over a medium low heat until the passata thickens into a sauce like consistency (15 to 20 minutes). Remove the sauce from the heat & chop your roasted chicken into fairly large chunks & stir through the sauce. Add the yogurt & stir it through well. Serve over the hot basmati rice garnished with some of the fresh coriander leaves & enjoy!  

Succulent Fillet Steak, Black Bean & Sesame Noodle Stir Fry

  
Oh Gosh do I love the twang of Sesame Oil in stir fry it just lifts the plain every day to absolutely amazing! This is also an extremely economical use of Fillet Steak as 1 Steak generously serves 2 people & you could double the recipe & serve 4 people with just 2 Fillet Steaks now that’s good value. This is 10 propoints for a huge portion, honestly there was some left in the pot in my house it’s that generous of a portion! – yummy in my tummy! You could make this for 1 propoint on the Filling & Healthy plan if you use Wholewheat Rice to serve instead of the Noodles, Mmmm, Mmmm, Mmmmmm!!!! This serves 2 very hungry people. Here’s the skinny: 

180g Fillet Steak

140g Dried Egg Noodle

1 Heaped Tbsp Black Bean Sauce

2 Tsps Sesame Oil

¼ Tsp Chinese 5 Spice

1 Thumb Sized Piece of Fresh Ginger Peeled & Grated

½ Red Chilli Finely Diced

1 Clove Garlic Crushed

Juice of ½ a Lime

2 to 3 Tbsps Soy Sauce

½ a Red & Yellow Pepper Finely Sliced

1 Carrot Thinly Sliced with a Vegetable Peeler

A Few Florets of Broccoli Finely Sliced

5 to 6 Baby Sweet Corn Halved

2 Large Spring Onions Sliced

Fresh Coriander Leaves

  
Cook your Noodles according to packet instructions, drain, cover & set aside. Preheat a griddle pan sprayed with oil & cook the Steak according to your liking (approximately 4 minutes each side for medium rare). Place on a plate & cover with foil to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Meanwhile heat a wok you have sprayed with oil & add the Peppers, Broccoli & Baby Sweet Corn & stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes until softening & starting to colour. Add the Carrots, Chilli & Chinese 5 Spice and cook for a further minute then add the Ginger & Garlic stir frying for another minute or so. Add the cooked noodles to the pan with the Soy Sauce, Black Bean Sauce and Spring Onions. When the noodles are heated through (after a minute or two) add the Sesame Oil, Fresh Lime Juice & Coriander Leaves stir through well & serve the Noodles with half the Sliced Steak on top, per portion, garnish with some Fresh Coriander & Enjoy!