griddled | Skinny Jeans and the Inbetweens

I love steak and usually have it with pepper sauce but I fancied a bit of a change and rustled up this fancy posh dinner sure why not it is the bank holiday after all! The Roquefort has a beautiful tangyness that compliments the beef superbly. Mushrooms and onions are a natural accompaniment to steak but you could serve this with some beautiful tender stem broccoli either. This fabulous dinner can be yours for just 13 propoints (and only 3pp on filling and healthy!). Serves 2, Here’s the skinny:
2 x 190g fillet steaks

300g peeled raw potato

Mushrooms

1 Onion

40g Roquefort Cheese

20g Reduced Fat Butter

Fresh Thyme

Salt and black pepper

Preheat your oven to 200 Celsius. Take your steaks out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you cook them to bring them to room temperature. Cut the potatoes into chip shapes and place on a plate. Microwave for three minutes. Spray well with spray oil and cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until browning. Season the steaks each side with black pepper and cook on a very hot griddle pan sprayed with oil for the time according to your liking approximately 2 to 3 minutes each side for rare 4 minutes a side for medium and 5 to 6 minutes a side for well done. Place the steaks on a plate and cover with tinfoil & allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Quarter the mushrooms and fry alongside the onions in a pan sprayed with oil. Mash the Roquefort and butter together with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves and some black pepper until nice and smooth. Serve the chips, mushrooms and onions, and steaks topped with half of the roquefort butter per person and enjoy!

Tonight’s Lower Carb Dinner. Fabulous Grilled Thyme & Lemon Marinated Chicken & Halloumi Skewers with Harissa Spiced Cauliflower Couscous. Oh My Gosh Just 5 Propoints for all of this! (3 on F&H!) This is the first time I’ve tried Cauliflower Rice or Couscous & I won’t lie I was very sceptical of trying it, I dislike substitute food in general I like real food but made healthy but I have to throw my hands up & admit I was very impressed, it’s a keeper and I imagine a lifesaver for those days when your propoints just won’t stretch. Now I did season the shish out of it with harissa & lemon but the texture was all there & it was filling, I can not give testimony on how it tastes plain (I’d imagine rank but I probably stand to be corrected again!). The halloumi really really makes this dish but if you’re even more desperate than me before trying to fit into a lovely dress to attend a family wedding then you can double the chicken & omit the halloumi to make it free free free on the filling & healthy plan. Don’t say I’m not good to you! Anyway I’m rambling slightly so here it is in all its glory:
For the Harissa Spiced Cauliflower Couscous:

1 Cauliflower

1 to 2 tsp Harissa Paste (depending on how spicy you like food)

1 Lemon

1 Handful Soft Herbs (I used Basil)

Black Pepper (add salt if you wish, I’m avoiding it this week)

For the Lemon & Thyme Marinade:

Juice 1 Lemon

Juice 1 Lime

Black Pepper

1/4 Tsp Dijon Mustard

Handful Fresh Thyme Leaves

For the Grilled Chicken Halloumi Skewers:

1 Medium Chicken Fillet

80g Halloumi Cheese

Red Pepper

Yellow Pepper

Red Onion

Courgette

Cherry Tomatoes
Mix all the marinade ingredients well in a bowl together. Dice the chicken into largish chunks & toss into the bowl coating well. Cover, refrigerate & allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as you can spare on the day. Soak 4 wooden skewers in a large baking tray of water, this stops them from burning whilst cooking. Chop all the skewer vegetables except the courgette into equally sized medium chunks. Slice the courgette lengtwise with a vegetable peeler. Arrange the chicken, halloumi & veg chunks onto the soaked skewers & concertina the courgette into a fab shape before skewering onto 4 skewers. You should get approximately 3 medium chicken chunks & 2 medium halloumi chunks per skewer depending on the size you’ve cut them. Sprinkle over some more thyme & black pepper & set aside covered & refrigerated until ready to grill. Heat a large griddle pan & spray it with oil. Grill the skewers for 15 to 20 minutes turning occasionally or until the chicken is cooked & the halloumi is roasted (If you’re not familiar with halloumi you can grill this cheese it doesn’t melt & holds its shape) Meanwhile place the washed chopped cauliflower florets into a food processor (you may need to do this in batches) pulse until fine like couscous. Heat another pan & spray with oil. Gently fry the cauliflower cous cous for 5 to 8 minutes until heated through & add the harissa & the juice of a lemon (as much as desired to moisten & flavour the couscous, add half & if still a bit dry add more) Mix well over the heat for a few minutes & add the chopped basil just before serving. Plate up the couscous & top with two skewers per person, add a lemon quarter for garnish/squeezing over & Enjoy!