Mary Berry Roasted Sausage and Potato Supper

 So tried out this recipe tonight: with a few minor tweaks to it to make it slimming world friendly. I used fry light instead of olive oil and I used 1 1/2 peppers and a little butternut cut up and diced.

I par cooked the new potatoes and butternut for about 10 minutes as I am always paranoid that I am going to end up with under baked veggies, the trick I think as Mary Berry says is to lie all the vegetables flat with no over lap. I also decided to use chicken stock instead of wine as someone suggested. I must say it was delicious so easy to make too. I liked the adding of stock/wine at the end because it stopped everything from being too dry and frazzled which admittedly some of my traybakes have been in the past. I also used Marks and Spencer skinny sausages which are worth it too as they are only half a syn per sausage. Was really happy with this: potatoes were nice and crisp but soft too. That said I will stop talking hope you enjoy her recipe!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced lengthways into wedges
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into large dice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
• 500g (1lb 2oz) baby new potatoes, unpeeled and halved
• 12 sausages, pricked with a fork
• 200ml (7fl oz) white wine
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

2. Place all the ingredients except the wine in a large, resealable freezer bag. Seal the bag shut and shake well to coat everything in the oil. Alternatively, put everything in a large bowl and turn the ingredients until they are fully coated in the oil. Tip into a large roasting tin, spreading the ingredients out into one even layer and ensuring that the sausages aren’t covered by any of the vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 30-35 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven, turn the sausages over and toss the vegetables in the cooking juices. Pour in the wine and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes or until browned and the sausages are cooked and the potatoes tender. Serve hot with a dollop of mustard on the side.

Very Easy Chicken Stroganoff

Serves 4 (or 2 greedy people like myself)

Ingredients:
4 skinless chicken breasts diced (or 2 large chicken breasts)
1 large onion finely diced
100g chestnut mushrooms
Fry Light Spray
150ml chicken stock
Salt and Pepper to season
Paprika
5 tbsp lighter creme fraiche
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 tsp of mixed herbs 


Method:

1. In a lightly sprayed frying pan over a medium heat, fry your onion and garlic until transluscent and cooked. Sprinkle over a tsp of mixed herbs.

2.  Add your chicken breast next cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked. Add your mushrooms, and season. Sprinkle over some paprika which will add colour and flavour to the dish.

3. Next add the chicken stock, bring this to the boil and then turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes or until reduced. Stir in your creme fraiche for 5 minutes until completely heated through. Serve with either rice or pasta. Sprinkle over more paprika or seasoning if desired. Enjoy!

Prawn and Spinach Pasta in Tomato Sauce

Slimming world friendly (Syn free)


Ingredients:
1 packet of king prawns
1 200g bag of washed spinach
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
250ml chicken stock
200ml passata
2 ripe vine tomatoes roughly chopped
Mixed herbs to season
Salt and Pepper
Chilli flakes (if desired)
Enough linguine pasta for two people ( I always do too much)
 Spray light

Method:

1.  In a lightly sprayed frying pan over a medium heat add the onion and garlic until soft and transluscent.Then add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add the passata and mixed herbs and season. Add the chicken stock. Bring the sauce to a boil then simmer and reduce until you get a nice thick sauce. Add chilli flakes if desired.

2. Meanwhile boil some water for the pasta and cook pasta according to instructions.

3. Once the sauce has reduced add the spinach and stir occassionally until the spinach is wilted and cooked. Then add the prawns and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.

4. Drain the pasta reserving a little pasta water and add to the sauce. Stir occasionally until well combined.Serve immediately, and sprinkle some grated parmesan on if desired. (or in my case lots!)

Chicken wrapped in bacon with cream cheese and ratatouille pasta

Ingredients:
1 courgette thinly sliced
1 aubergine roughly diced
1 red pepper chopped and diced
1 yellow pepper chopped and diced
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 red onion finely diced
Mixed herbs to season
2 chicken breasts
4 rashers of bacon
100g cream cheese
100g pasta
300g passata
1 chicken stock cube crumbled

Method:

1.  Place your chopped onion and garlic in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until soft and transluscent.

2. Add the remaining vegetables add a little water if needs be. Leave to cook over a low heat until vegetables are soft. Crumble in the stock cube and stir well. Leave for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the passata and mixed herbs.

3. Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet instructions.

4. Preheat the oven to 160 fan oven. Bash your chicken breasts with a mallet or rolling pin if you dont have one. Make a pocket and place cream cheese in it. Wrap the bacon round it and then cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

5. Drain your pasta then pour over your tomato  sauce and slice chicken breasts over pasta. Serve immediately with a little parmesan if desired enjoy!

Chicken, bacon and mushroom filo pie

Chicken, bacon and mushroom filo pie

Ingredients:
1 onion finely chopped
Frylight spray/oil

3 chicken breasts diced
6 rashers of bacons chopped roughly
250g chestnut mushrooms
Sprinkling of ina parmaan chicken spice
Sprinkling of garlic and herbs seasoning (alternatively just use 2 cloves of garlic chopped)
2 tsp of dried tarragon
1 tsp of dried thyme
5 sheets of filo pastry
3 tbsp of plain flour
500g chicken stock made from one stock cube or a stock melt
Salt and pepper to taste

Melted butter to brush on the pastry


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan oven. In a large frying pan over a medium heat spray fry light. Add the onion and a little water and cook until transluscent. Add the herbs and spices. Next add the mushrooms for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bacon next until it has cooked. Toss the flour into the chicken cubes and add to the pan.

2.  Next add the chicken stock, and you should get a nice lovely sauce. If it is too thick or thin for your liking either add more stock or a little more flour. Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Place the filling in a medium pie dish. Brush filo with butter and place on top of the pie dish. Repeat until all sheets are used. Overlap layers slightly and roll and scrunch pastry round the sides. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with fresh vegetables and new potatoes.

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Ingredients:

800 stewing beef
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped
2 large green chillis deseeded and finely chopped
4 tsp of ground cumin
4 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground tumeric
5 tsp garam masala (or tandoori masala)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
Freshly chopped coriander
400ml coconut milk
Enough cornflour to make a thick curry consistency
200g  greek yoghurt mixed with chopped cucumber and finely chopped coriander to make the raita

Method:

1.Combine all the ingredients into the slow cooker except the coconut milk and garam masala and coriander. Fill one of the empty cans of tomatoes with water and add to the mixture ensuring everything is covered evenly.

2. Cook on low for 5 hours, or on high if you are short of time.  Taste throughout, adding salt and pepper if needed or more chilli. If the sauce is thin add some cornflour and cold water, enough until you achieve the right consistency. 30 minutes before you are about to serve add the coconut milk,chopped coriander and the garam masala stirring occasionally. Serve immediately

Variations: Spinach 15 minutes before the end would also work perfectly. Alternatively cubed uncooked potato could be added at step one.

Tarragon chicken with peas and rice

Tarragon chicken with peas and rice

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs skins removed
300ml good quality chicken stock
250ml white wine
1 onion chopped and finely diced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tsp of fresh tarragon/dried tarragon
Lemon juice to taste
Salt and pepper to season
1 packet of chestnut mushrooms roughly chopped
Enough rice for four people cooked according to packet instructions
1 cup of peas
 2 tbsp of plain flour
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Philadelphia cream cheese


Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 160 (fan). Place the chicken thighs into a casserole dish and sprinkle over the mushrooms.

2. Meanwhile heat a frying pan with a little oil, over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until transluscent. Turn down the heat,  and add the flour until it makes a sticky paste coating all the mixture. Add the wine and stock and stir frequently until the sauce thickens. Add the tarragon. Turn off the heat and place to one side.

3.  Add the sauce mixture to the chicken and mix thoroughly. Place lid on the casserole dish and cook for 1.5 hours.

4.  Cook the rice according to packet instructions and stir in the peas, salt and pepper and a dash of lemon juice. Mix well.

5. Serve immediately with a dollop of creme fraiche or philly cheese if desired.