Chicken Teriyaki and Broccoli

Really, the Weight Watchers recipes have saved me so many times, they are all super easy and well balanced.  This is another one from their website.

Teriyaki Chicken & Broccoli

Serves 4 Pro Points per serving 7

450g Chicken breast, cut into cubes

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 spring onions, sliced

120ml chicken stock from cube

2 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce

320g boiled rice
350g broccoli, cut into florets
100g green beans sliced
one cal spray

Spray a non stick pan and fry the garlic.  Add the chicken and cook until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add the spring onions, stock and teriyaki sauce and simmer until the chicken is cooked and sauce reduced again about 5 minutes.

Prior to this cook the rice and steam the broccoli and green beans.
Put the rice into bowls with the broccoli and beans and spoon over the chicken and sauce.

Simple and tasty.

Chorizo, Bulgar & Spinach Salad

A quick and easy, lets use whatever I find in the fridge dish, concocted over the weekend.  I call it salad for want of another name.

Chorizo, Bulgar and Spinach Salad
Serves 1 Approx WW Pro Points: 10 points

50g Chorizo, sliced
50g dried bulgar wheat made up in 200ml stock
1 small courgette chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
Handful mushrooms, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 portion spinach
2 tsp Harissa paste.

Make up the bulgar wheat as per packet instructions.

Pan fry the chorizo, I do not use any oil as the chorizo releases so much. Toss in the onion, garlic and soften.  Then add the courgette, pepper and mushrooms, stir in the Harissa and cook until tender. Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute then mix in the bulgar wheat.  Serve.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Slow Roast Lamb with Fennel, Chilli & Oregano

Coming back from holiday, leaving the hot sunny days in Mallorca, back to the grey, overcast and cool days of England will make everyone feel the Post Summer Holiday Blues.  To cheer ourselves up I decided on a slow roast half shoulder of lamb, as well you know a favourite of mine.  This time I tried something a little different.

Slow Roast Lamb with Fennel, Chilli and Oregano

1 x half shoulder lamb

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 can chopped tomatoes

2 or more sprigs fresh oregano

S&P
2 tsp oil

Put the garlic, fennel, Chilli and part of the oregano into a pestle & mortar and bash about a bit. Mix with the oil the rub over the lamb, leave for a hour.

Put the lamb into a roasting tin and pour over the chopped tomatoes add seasoning and mix everything together, add the rest of the oregano.  Cover with foil and place into the over set at 160oc fan/150oc and leave to cook for 3 hours or so.  Turn the lamb halfway through so all sides get a chance to soak in the yummy sauce.

Remove the foil 30 mins from end of cooking time to crisp up slightly. Drain off some of the fat, the meat will just fall apart, serve with green beans and crushed potatoes.

The spices are delicate but very flavoursome, tinker around with the quantities to find what suits you.

Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Mini Pies

Still struggling with the rotation of iphone pictures, sometimes it works, sometimes not ... today is a not day!

Recently Hubby and I met up with family for a little picnic.  Once of our contributions were these lovely little mini pies.  A little preparation is required, but they were certainly worth it as the taste was fantastic and they were received very well indeed.

Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Mini Pies

Makes approx 12 if using deep muffin pan or 18 if using standard pie tray

Pastry

500g plain flour

1/2 tsp salt

250g chilled unsalted butter, cubed

1 medium egg, beaten

Filling

1.3kg FR chicken

1 stick of celery, rough chopped

1 large carrot, rough chopped

6 black peppercorns

Large bunch of fresh tarragon, chopped, leaving 3 sprigs for stock

Knob of butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 large leek, thinly sliced

1 tbsp plain flour

100ml double cream

Put the chicken in a large pan of water, add the celery, carrot, pepper and tarragon sprigs.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 45 mins.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool.  Strain the stock, then put back onto boil and redice for 10 mins.  Leave to cool.

Make the pastry, sift the flour and salt and mix, add the butter rub together till you have a breadcrumb consistency, then add 6-7 tbsp water and mix together into a ball.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth, form into a ball cover in clingfilm and place in fridge for 30 mins.

Heat the knob of butter in a frying pan and soften the onion and leek gently for 10 mins, stir in the flour and then cool.

Take the skin off the chicken and discard.  Gently shred the chicken, take 300g (saving the rest for other dishes) and add the chopped tarragon and the leek mixture, stir in the cream and 100ml of the reserved stock.  Season.

Pre-heat the oven to 220oc/200oc fan/GM7.  Take the pastry and divide off one third, set aside.  roll out remainder to about 3mm thick and cut out using approx 9cm dia form (11cm if using the deep muffin tin) place in the tin and spoon filling int the moulds.

Using the final third pastry roll out the lids and cut, using a smaller form.  Brush the edges with egg place on top, crimp together, brush lid with egg, cut a little cross on top.

Place in oven for 25mins.  Remove and cool slightly before transferring pies onto wire rack.  Eat!

Turkey Burgers

My new found love for turkey mince continues.  Honestly it is such a great replacement for mince beef and pork as long as it is spiced up well, it really lightens dishes points/calorie wise.  This receipe is another one from Weight Watchers and certainly satisfies those junk food cravings.

Turkey Burgers in Buns

4 servings Pro Points per serving 8

450g lean turkey mince

1 onion finely chopped

1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp chilli flakes

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

S&P
4 medium buns at 50g each

sliced tomato

lettuce leaves
sliced pickles

Mix together the turkey mince, onion, herbs, chilli and Worcestershire sauce, season and form into 4 patties.

The WW receipe calls for grilling the burgers for 10 mins turning once, but I used one cal spray and pan fried them.

Lightly toast the split buns fill with burger, lettuce, tomato and pickle and yum-up.  As an extra at zero points I added some sliced mushrooms to the frying pan when cooking the burgers and popped them on top.