Tag Archives: lunch

Velvety Smooth Cauliflower & Carrot Soup

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There’s a distinct chill in the air the last couple of weeks that signals the end of Summer. We’re definitely not enjoying a balmy Indian Summer this year & that’s for sure. It’s time to dig out the coats, boots & woolly tights & it’s most certainly soup weather. You can expect an abundance of soup, stew & general winter warming recipes coming your way. Soup is a slimmers best friend, it’s so handy for lunches, filling, satisfying, tasty, warm & a meal in itself, consisting of vegetables & stock for the most part it’s extremely healthy & low fat too. Well I don’t need to sell the benefits of soup to you because if you’re on plan you’ll already know! This one is lovely & creamy from the cauliflower with the sweetness of carrot to lift it to the next level. It makes about 5 or even 6 servings & you can freeze it to boot. 0 propoints on all plans. Here’s the skinny:  
1 Large Onion Diced

5 Carrots Peeled & Diced

1 Head of Cauliflower 

1 Garlic Clove

1 Tsp Thyme (Dried or Fresh)

1 & 1/2 Pints of Vegetable Stock

Salt & Black Pepper 

  
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat & spray with oil. Add the diced onion & fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the Carrots & continue to fry until softening approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Chop the cauliflower into florets & add to the pan with the stock & the whole clove of garlic. Season with the thyme, salt & pepper. Put a lid on the pot & continue to cook for around 30 minutes until everything is soft. Blitz well until smooth with a hand blender. Serve hot garnished with half fat creme fraiche & chopped chives if desired & enjoy!   

Spicy Mexican Chicken & Tomato Soup

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Tired of the same old homemade vegetable soup? Kick it up a notch with this spicy Mexican number! With chunky vegetables & shredded chicken this is more like a stew than a soup, a really substantial meal in itself it won’t need bread or any other accompaniments to fill you up. I’ve been having an issue on plan lately as we sometimes do & mine happens to be lunch. I usually end up over at the deli getting a wrap or something. It’s becoming detrimental not only to my food tracking due to guesstimating points but also to my pocket as it’s flippin expensive. So I’ve made a vow this week to give up this bad habit & bring my own lunches to work. Getting myself & the baby ready & out the door in the mornings is challenge enough without throwing preparing lunch into the mix so I’m being prepared & whipping up this tasty number today that’ll see me right for a few days at least. This is totally free on the filling & healthy plan & will cost 2 propoints a serving otherwise. It yields about 4 very generous servings.  
2 Chicken Fillets

1 Large Spanish Onion Diced

2 Large Carrots Peeled & Diced

2 Stalks of Celery Peeled & Diced

1/2 a Red, Yellow & Orange Pepper Diced

2 Cloves of Crushed Garlic

1 Tsp Dried Oregano 

1 Tsp Red Chilli Flakes

1 Tsp Ground Cumin 

1 Tsp Ground Coriander 

Salt & Black Pepper 

500ml Chicken Stock

2 Tins Plum Tomatoes Chopped

A Handful of Fresh Coriander 

  
Preheat your oven to 200c & roast the chicken for 25 minutes or until fully cooked through. Leave aside to cool slightly. In a large preheated pot sprayed with oil add the onion & fry for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery & peppers & cook stirring occasionally until softened approximately 10 minutes or so. Crush the garlic into the pan & cook for a further minute. Add the oregano, chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander and season with salt and pepper. Stir well & add the tomatoes (chop them through with a sharp knife while still in the can first). Pour in the stock & bring the soup to the boil. Reduce the heat & simmer for 25 minutes with a lid on. Shred the chicken using 2 forks & add to the soup 10 minutes before the end of cooking time. Just before serving add the chopped fresh coriander. Serve & enjoy!  

Delicious Low Carb Crispy Bacon, Fresh Spinach & Creamy Ricotta Crustless Quiche

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Remember I devised my anti-bloating survival guide when I was attending my Lovely Cousins Hen Party 2 weeks ago? Well the Wedding is next week and I bought a beautiful dress yesterday for it so I’m implementing my anti bloat strategy again so I can feel as comfortable & confident as possible in my gorgeous new dress. This means lowering carbs for the week & this quiche is a perfect low carb lunch or even dinner served with salad or vegetables. It’s creamy from the milk & ricotta & deliciously tasty flavour comes from the crispy bacon. This makes 6 servings at only 3 propoints a serving (1 propoint of the filling & healthy plan), trust me with this recipe you really don’t feel like you’re missing out on carbs at all!  

4 Whole Eggs & 2 Egg Whites *150g Ricotta Cheese crumbled

100ml Skimmed Milk 

4 Lean Bacon Medallions diced

10g Finely Grated Parmesan 

180g Bag Fresh Spinach 

1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley 

1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme 

1/4 Tsp Garlic Granules

A Pinch of Nutmeg

Black Pepper (I’m avoiding Salt for the week but add it if you wish)  

*The Ricotta was 5 propoints for 150g with the brand I used (Supervalu own brand) Make sure to check whatever brand you buy to make sure of points as they can differ & you may get more or less ricotta for your points.  

Prepare your Bacon & Spinach in advance as it needs time to cool down. Spray a large frying pan with oil & fry the diced bacon for approximately 4 minutes over a medium heat until fully cooked. Add the spinach to the pan & cook for a further minute or two until the spinach wilts down. Drain the bacon & spinach mix in a colander as the spinach will release a lot of water & allow to cool completely. When cool gently squeeze the mix to drain a bit more moisture out of the spinach. Preheat your oven to 190c. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients except the parmesan & add the cooled spinach & bacon. Whisk well with a fork & pour into a 9 or 10 inch quiche dish you have sprayed with oil (I spray a few squirts of oil & then spread it around the dish with a pastry brush for even coverage). Place into the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until cooked through & the eggs are set. About 15 minutes before the end of cooking time sprinkle the grated parmesan on top & return to the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving cut into 6 pieces serve with salad or vegetables & Enjoy!   

Simple Fresh Pesto alla Genovese Pasta Salad with Peppery Rocket, Buffalo Mozzarella & Succulent Sweet Sunstream Tomatoes

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A light simple lunch today but I despair of myself sometimes, I really do! This was supposed to be a Prosciutto Salad with the Prosciutto the star of the show so to speak. I had it eaten & left the plate over & there on the sideboard was my unopened packet of Prosciutto 🙊 I never even missed it while photographing it or eating it! 😂😝 Oh well at least I saved myself a couple of propoints. Put 2 Slices of Prosciutto on it if you would like it will be an extra 2 pro points 😃 Anyway it was 7pp as it stands & if you use wholewheat pasta on the filling & healthy plan you have it for 2pp. Hope you enjoy  
50g Uncooked Penne Pasta

4/5 Cherry Sunstream Tomatoes Halved

10g Pesto alla Genovese 

35g Reduced Fat Buffalo Mozzarella 

A Handful of Rocket Leaves

Salt & Black Pepper   

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions in salted boiling water. Drain & run under cold water until cold. Mix 10g pesto with a tiny drop of water to make it more like a dressing, mix some through the cold pasta reserving some for the top. Add through the remaining ingredients & season with salt & black pepper drizzle over the remaining pesto dressing & Enjoy!  

Orange & Cumin Spiced Israeli Couscous with Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables, Feta & Lemon & Herb Chicken 

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It’s the Weekend Wahey! I fancied something a wee bit lighter tonight & thought Chicken would be a perfect accompaniment to this Fabulous Roast Vegetable Salad so here’s tonight’s offering.  Israeli Couscous also known as Pearl Couscous isn’t actually Couscous at all, it is in fact a small Israeli toasted pasta, it’s not even referred to as Israeli Couscous in Israel it is actually called Ptitim. Anyway this wonderful grain, whatever it is and whatever it’s called, is a fabulous base that absorbs flavours beautifully when cooked & can be eaten hot or cold. It reheats well without clumping & is very versatile & can be used in a variety of dishes including soups, casseroles, salads or served alone. I wanted something light for dinner. I only wanted half a Chicken Fillet & kept the other half for lunch so this cost me 8pp in total. If you serve it with a whole Chicken Fillet per person it would make it 10pp each. On Filling & Healthy it’s only 6pp no matter how much Chicken you have. I hope you have a fabulous Friday Night! Here’s the Skinny:

For the Mediterranean Vegetables:

1 Large Carrot 

3 Peppers Red, Orange & Yellow

¼ of an Aubergine

1 Small Red Onion

1 Tsp Dried Parsley

1 Tsp Dried Thyme

Salt & Pepper

Sprayoil  For The Orange & Cumin Spiced Israeli Couscous

100g Dried Israeli Couscous

800ml Chicken Stock

1 to 2 Oranges

½ Tsp Dried Cumin

Salt & Pepper

For the Chicken:

1 or 2 Medium Chicken Fillets

1 to 2 Tbsps of Lemon & Herb Seasoning Mix  To Serve:

40g Feta Cheese

Fresh Coriander Leaves

Orange quarters for squeezing over  Place the Chicken Fillet in an ovenproof dish & sprinkle with the Lemon & Herb Seasoning. Place in a preheated oven at 200c for approximately 25 minutes or until Chicken is fully cooked through. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes & slice. Meanwhile Peel the Carrot & Chop all the Vegetables into small bitesize pieces. Place in a baking tray sprayed with sprayoil. Sprinkle with the Parsley & Thyme & season with Salt & Pepper. Toss well & place in a preheated oven at 200c for approximately 20 minutes until nicely cooked through. Remove and set aside. To prepare the Israeli Couscous bring the Chicken Stock to the boil & add the Israeli Couscous, Juice of the Orange, Cumin & Season well with Salt & Pepper. Reduce to a simmer & cook for approximately 12 minutes or the time specified on the packet instructions. Remove & Drain the Couscous. Mix the Vegetables & Israeli Couscous together well & crumble in the Feta, tear in the fresh Coriander & adjust the seasoning if required. Squeeze over some more Orange Juice if required & serve with the Sliced Chicken Fillet & Enjoy!

 

Summery Cream of Courgette & Basil Soup

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  I’m still out of action with my bad back today which is very frustrating as I won’t be able to exercise for a while so I need to be extra good food wise to make amends & also needed something super easy to prepare for lunch. I had a good few Courgettes left over from my Zucchini pie recipe the other day so decided to make this very simple, minimum effort but delicious soup. Look at the colours! How fresh does that look? This makes 4 big portions at 1pp a serving or free if following F&H   1 White Onion Diced Finely

1 Garlic Clove Crushed 

150g Potato Diced

3 Large Courgettes Diced into 1 inch cube

1 Vegetable Stock Cube 

1 & 1/2 Pints of Boiling Water

3 Tbsps Skimmed Milk

Salt & Pepper

A Good Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves  Lightly fry the onion in sprayoil for approximately 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic & fry for 30 seconds to a minute longer. Add the boiling water, potatoes & the vegetable stock cube. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes & add the courgettes & simmer for a further 15 minutes until the courgettes are just soft. Season well with salt and pepper when you add the courgettes. Take soup off the heat & blend with a hand blender. Allow to cool for a few minutes & add the milk & chopped basil leaves, reblend & check seasoning adjusting if required. Serve & Enjoy! 

  

Auntie Bridie’s Gorgeous Incredibly Simple Zucchini Pie

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  My Lovely Auntie made this for me many moons ago when I was a teenager visiting her in Sydney & I’ve been making it ever since. Kind of a cross between a crustless quiche & a pie, it’s incredibly tasty & I’ve tweaked it to a skinny version of course! Courgettes are called Zucchinis in Australia & as it was the first time I tried them the name kinda stuck, I always refer to them as Zucchinis now, anyway they’re on offer at Aldi this week 2 for 29c so I naturally stocked up! Here’s the skinny:  

3 Zucchinis (Courgettes) grated

1 White Onion grated

1 Level Tbsp Flour

40g Reduced Fat Mature Cheddar 

10g Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/8th of a Whole Nutmeg grated

1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley 

1/2 Tsp Dried Marjoram (optional)

Salt & Black Pepper 

3 Eggs Beaten  Mix all the Ingredients together well in a bowl reserving the 10g parmesan for the top of the pie & pour into a well sprayed with sprayoil 10″ quiche dish. Spread it out evenly & bake in a preheated oven at 180c for approximately 45 to 50 minutes or until browned & cooked through. I usually don’t add the reserved parmesan to the top until there’s about 25 minutes cooking time remaining. Told you it was incredibly simple! Allow to cool slightly & serve or chill & serve later. Can be eaten hot or cold. Makes 6 generous slices at 2pp each only 1pp pn F&H. Serve it with 0 point salad for an incredibly low point lunch or Butternut Squash Fries for a 2pp dinner if you’re running low on points! Enjoy!

 
   

Baked Sweet Potato, Spinach & Feta Frittata

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A Nice Light Baked Sweet Potato, Spinach & Feta Frittata for Supper with a Fresh Bistro Mixed Leaf Salad. This makes around 6 Servings & is approx 2pps on F&H & around 6pps if pointing per Serving. An exquisitely light dinner before weigh in and can be enjoyed hot or cold. I really hope you enjoy x 
Baked Sweet Potato, Spinach & Feta Frittata

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes 
6 Eggs 
80g Feta 
1 Bag Fresh Baby Leaf Spinach 
5 Spring Onions diced 
65mls Skimmed Milk 
Whole Nutmeg 
Salt & Black Pepper  

 Peel the sweet potatoes & cut into large cubes. Bake in a preheated oven at 200c on a lightly sprayed baking tray for around 25 mins until soft. Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile lightly fry the spring onions & spinach in spray oil in a pan until the spinach wilts down. Break the eggs into a bowl & season well with salt & pepper & grate about ¼ clove nutmeg into the mix. Beat the eggs with the milk well. Layer half the sweet potatoes, spinach & spring onion & half the crumbled feta into an ovenproof quiche dish lightly oiled with spray oil. Add another layer of the sweet potatoes, spinach, spring onion & pour the egg mixture over the top. Crumble the remaining feta on top & bake in a preheated oven at 200c for approx 35/40 mins or until golden brown & cooked through. Slice, serve with salad & Enjoy! Can be eaten hot or cold. 

  

Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Soup with Parsley, Thyme & Marjoram

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I’m feeling a bit under the weather today & there’s some law or rule that must be written somewhere that you have to have soup if you’re not feeling the Mae West. Roasting the vegetables first gives this a wonderful depth of flavour plus it’s quicker & handier to bung them in the oven rather than faffing about sautéing them so win win! Aldi have Carrot & Parsnip trays on offer this week for something ridiculous like 49c so that’s what I used 2 of them.

5/6 Carrots cut into large chunks (cut too small they’ll burn)

2 Parsnips also cut into large dice (about an inch) 

1 White Onion peeled & quartered

1 Clove of Garlic with Skin left on

1 Veg Stock Cube

1 Tsp Dried Parsley

1/2 Tsp Dried Marjoram (you can leave it out if you don’t have any knocking around)

A Few Sprigs Fresh Thyme leaves removed from stem

Salt & Fresh Black Pepper

  

Place All the Vegetables & the Garlic Clove (skin on) on a baking tray covered with tinfoil. Spread them out well if they’re too bunched up they won’t roast as well. Spray with sprayoil & whack them into a preheated oven at 200c for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven & place in a large pot. Find the garlic clove & squish it out of the skin (it’ll be really soft) into the pot. Add 1 litre boiling water, the stock cube, herbs & season well with salt & black pepper. Cook for a further 15 minutes or so to allow the flavours to marry & blend until smooth with a hand blender or food processor. Et Voilà! Your instantly feel better tummy warming soup! Delicious! Parsnips are one of the few veg that aren’t free so this will cost you 1pp per serving. Soup is good for about 3 days if chilled in the fridge (make sure it’s fully cold before refrigerating) I prefer soup fresh it’s nicer but so handy to freeze it too, I don’t take up valuable freezer space with tupperware tubs, if freezing it I simply pop it into small ziploc foodbags & freeze, much handier & no washing up tubs either!

  

Pot Luck Pasta

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My favourite food ever is pasta or anything remotely pasta related. I love making this quick & light lunch I’ve been making it for years. I call it Pot Luck Pasta because it really is Pot Luck whatever is in the house goes into it so it’s different each time. The sauce always stays the same though. Todays is meatfree but I love chopped up bacon medallions in this or some leftover roast chicken, feta or parmesan on top too, just remember to point them, cherry tomatoes halved are fab but I didn’t have any today (add then right at the end so they don’t break up) use whatever fresh herbs you like, I just love basil. Here’s todays offering:

1/2 Red Onion diced

1/2 Sweet Red Ramiro Pepper Sliced

A good chunk of Courgette diced

1 Tbsp Sweetcorn 

Salt & Black Pepper

Fresh Basil Leaves

2 Teaspoons Red Pesto (you can also use green)

1 Large Heaped Tbsp Philadelphia Extra Light Cream Cheese

220g Portion of Cooked Pasta

  

Cook the Pasta according to packet instructions in boiling salted water (tip don’t add salt until water is already boiling or it will take longer to boil) Meanwhile fry your prepared veg in a saucepan with sprayoil to soften about 5/8 mins. If you have soft veg like cherry tomatoes or sweetcorn don’t add them till the other veg is already soft or they’ll break up too much. Add the Pesto & Cream Cheese to the pot with the veg & add a few Tbsps of the Pasta Cooking Water & Stir well until Cream Cheese has melted down into a sauce. Season Well with Salt & Black Pepper & Add your torn Basil Leaves. Drain your cooked Pasta, weigh out 220g serving & add to the sauce. Stir well & serve immediately. Enjoy! This one is approx 8pps or 1pp on F&H if made with Wholewheat Pasta.