CHICKEN chow mein, pasta and even chocolate brownies don’t have to be off the menu if you are trying to lose weight.
Pinch Of Nom bloggers Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson believe the key to healthy eating is meals that are easy and quick to prepare, while swapping ingredients for healthier alternatives.
Kay’s and Kate’s latest book, Pinch Of Nom: Quick & Easy, has 100 delicious recipes that can be prepared in super-quick time. Kate says: “Now, more than ever, we know how important it is to prepare speedy and nutritious food using simple ingredients.”
Kay adds: “Overwhelming feedback from our readers suggests the meals they need help with are the ones when you have little time or energy to create something healthy.”
In the concluding part of our exclusive series, we choose some tasty dinner and sweet treats.
Filo fish pie
(Serves 4)
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes.
Per serving: 318 cals; 26g carbs.
YOU NEED
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
- 250ml semi-skimmed milk
- 350g skinless cod fillets, cut into large chunks
- 230g skinless smoked haddock fillets, cut into large chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 80g frozen peas
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 175g cooked and peeled prawns, drained
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 4 sheets filo pastry, 22cm x 26cm (roughly 9in x 10½in), approximately 85g total
- 1 egg, beaten
To accompany (optional):
- 80g steamed vegetables (+38 cals per serving)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4.
Spray a large frying pan (with a lid) with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and leeks and fry for ten minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic and fry for two to three minutes. Add the milk, cod, haddock, bay leaves, peas and seasoning. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes or until the fish is just starting to flake. Don’t stir – try to keep the fish in chunks.
Place a colander over a large bowl. Gently tip the contents of the frying pan into the colander to drain off the cooking liquid.
Place the drained fish and vegetables in an 18cm x 27cm (roughly 7in x 10½in) ovenproof dish, add the prawns and remove the bay leaves. Set aside.
Place the cooking liquid in the frying pan and place on a medium heat. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water until smooth. Stir the cornflour mixture into the cooking liquid and simmer for three to four minutes until slightly thickened. Season again if needed.
Pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables.
Scrunch up each sheet of filo and place on top of the pie. Glaze with the beaten egg.
Place in the oven and cook for 30–35 minutes, until piping hot and golden brown.
Chicken chow mein
(Serves 4)
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Per serving: 359 cals; 45g carbs.
YOU NEED
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 tsp minced root ginger
- 1 tsp garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into slim batons
- 3 chicken breasts (skin and visible fat removed), cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar or the juice of a lime
- 1 tsp granulated sweetener
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice
- 4 nests of egg noodles (about 150g in total – 38g per nest)
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into slices
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into slices
- 150g mangetout, chopped in half
- 6 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 x 200g tin water chestnuts
- 1 x 200g tin beansprouts
METHOD
Spray a wok with low-calorie cooking spray and fry the onion, ginger, garlic and carrot until they start to become aromatic.
Add the chicken breast and cook over a high heat for about five minutes until the chicken begins to brown.
Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sweetener, black pepper and Chinese 5-spice and stir well. Continue to cook the chicken over a high heat for a further eight to ten minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
Add the peppers, mangetout, spring onions and chestnuts to the chicken and turn down to a simmer. Cook for another three to five minutes depending on how crunchy you like the veg.
Stir through the noodles and the beansprouts and serve.
Pizza pasta
(Serves 6)
Preparation time: 15 minutes.
Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Per serving: 390 cals; 48g carbs.
YOU NEED
- 300g dried pasta
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 x 500g carton of passata
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or Henderson’s relish)
- 60g sliced pepperoni
- 7g fresh basil, chopped, plus a few extra leaves for garnish
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 140g reduced-fat mozzarella
- 80g reduced-fat Cheddar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and leave on one side. While your pasta is cooking, spray a large frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray and fry the onion over a medium heat for three to four minutes until translucent. Add the peppers and the garlic and continue to fry until the peppers are soft.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, passata, oregano and the Worcestershire sauce and stir until combined.
Dice 30g of the pepperoni and add to the sauce along with the chopped basil. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Tip the cooked pasta into an ovenproof dish, pour over the sauce and stir until the pasta is coated.
Sprinkle the pasta with the mozzarella and Cheddar and add the remaining sliced pepperoni to the top of the pasta.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling and the pasta is heated through.
Once the pasta is cooked, sprinkle with the fresh basil leaves and serve.
Lamb, rosemary and sweet potato pie
(Serves 6)
Preparation time: 20 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Per serving: 340 cals; 40g carbs.
YOU NEED
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- 450g leg of lamb, diced, any visible fat removed
- 300ml beef stock (1 beef- stock pot dissolved in 300ml boiling water)
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes, drained
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 150g button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 900g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 egg yolk
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 20g reduced-fat Cheddar, grated
- To accompany (optional):
- 80g steamed vegetables (+ 38 cals per serving)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Spray a medium saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray, place on a medium heat and fry the onion for five minutes until softened. Add the garlic and fry for one to two minutes.
Add the lamb and fry for one to two minutes on all sides to seal. Add the stock, tomato puree, drained chopped tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms and rosemary. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 45-60 minutes, or until the lamb is tender, then season.
While the lamb is cooking, cook the sweet potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain the sweet potatoes and mash with the egg until smooth. Season to taste.
When the lamb is tender, place in the bottom of an 18cm x 27cm (7in x 10½in) ovenproof dish. Spread the mashed sweet potato over the lamb mix and sprinkle with cheese. Place on a baking tray.
Place in the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Sweet potato brownies
(Makes 16)
Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 40 minutes.
Per serving: 96 cals; 8.8g carbs.
YOU NEED
- 200g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 100g reduced-fat spread, plus a little extra for greasing
- 125g brown granulated sweetener
- 100g plain flour
- 2 medium eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 50g cocoa powder
- For the topping:
- 1½ tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Grease and line an 18cm x 18cm (7in x 7in) square cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Place sweet potatoes in a pan of boiling water. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for ten to 15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash.
Leave to cool completely. When the sweet potatoes are cool, place them in a mixing bowl along with all the other brownie ingredients.
Using an electric hand whisk, beat together for two to three minutes.
Tip into the prepared tin and spread out, levelling the surface with a knife.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool completely.
In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup with 1 tbsp cocoa powder until smooth.
Remove the brownies from the tin, drizzle with the chocolate topping and cut into 16 squares.
Remove carefully from the greaseproof paper. (You can also choose to freeze the brownies for another day.)
- Extracted from Pinch Of Nom Quick & Easy: 100 Delicious, Slimming Recipes, by Kay Featherstone and Kate Allinson (Bluebird, £20).
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January 04, 2021 at 05:26AM
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