Autumn Hot Pots

French lamb stew 

POINTS Value: 4.5
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Level: Easy



Ingredients

500 g lean leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat and cubed
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 small onion(s), quartered
2 stick celery, sliced thickly
4 small carrot(s), trimmed and quartered
2 medium portion turnip(s), peeled and halved
2 level tablespoon flour
450 ml fresh stock, (beef or lamb)
1 portion bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme, dried
2 tablespoon tomato puree
1 teaspoon white sugar
125 g broad beans, frozen
1 pinch salt
1 serving pepper, freshly ground, black


Instructions

Heat a large, heavy-based non-stick saucepan and when hot, stir-fry the lamb with half the oil until just browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.


Add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté all the vegetables gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour, stir in and cook for 1 minute.


Pour in the stock, stirring, and bring to the boil. Then mix in the bay leaf, thyme, tomato purée, sugar, broad beans and seasoning.


Return the meat to the pan and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the meat is tender.

 
A traditional French stew, normally a slow-cooked dish, is made easy by using today's quick-cook cuts of lamb and tender young vegetables.

1 point Value Snack and Meal Ideas

print these out & stick on fridge, there a life saver when only want to use a few filling points

1. Egg White Omelette with Chives and Parmesan


Coat a small frying pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. In a small bowl, beat 3 egg whites until frothy and pour into prepared pan. When edges start to firm up, top eggs with 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives and 2 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese. Fold the omelette in half and cook to preferred doneness; season to taste with salt and pepper.



2. Smoked Salmon Rounds with Lemon-Dill Cream

In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of sour cream with 1 teaspoon of fresh minced dill and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice 1/4 of a cucumber into 6 thick rounds and spread a little of the sour cream mixture onto each round. Cut 25g of smoked salmon into 6 pieces and top each cucumber round with a piece of salmon.



3. Sweetcorn Soup

Place 100g sweetcorn in a medium saucepan. Add 250ml of chicken stock, 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of cumin; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender and then top with chopped jalapeno, if desired.



4. Ham-Wrapped Asparagus with Dijon Dressing

low fat mayonnaise; spread on one side of 45g of smoked ham slices. Wrap ham slices around 110g of steamed, cooled asparagus spears, either individually or around several spears at once.



5. Creamy Carrot Dip and Crudités

Boil carrots in lightly salted water until really tender - about 20 minutes. Drain well and allow to cool. Put carrot in a blender or food processor with a few drops of vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic puree, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 30g low fat soft cheese, 1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander pinch salt and black pepper, freshly ground. Blend for 15-20 seconds, until smooth. Check seasoning, adding salt, pepper and more Tabasco or spices, to taste. Prepare a selection of veg like peppers and cucumber, sliced into sticks.



6. Cucumber Chips and Dip

In a small bowl, mix and mash 2 teaspoon of sour cream with 2 tablespoon of reduced fat cottage cheese and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives; season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Cut 1/3 of a cucumber into thick rounds to use as chips.



7. Grilled Prawns with Asian Dipping Sauce

Coat a grill pan with cooking spray and heat to high. Coat 4 King prawns with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and grill until they turn pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce, 2/3 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of fresh minced spring onions (you can also add 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger and/or 1/2 teaspoon of minced jalapeno, if desired). Serve prawns with dip and grilled Zero POINTS value vegetables.



8. Pineapple and Prawn Salad

In a small bowl, combine 65g cubed pineapple and 45g chopped cooked prawns. Add 1 teaspoon of chopped mint or coriander, and 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice; toss to mix. Serve over shredded lettuce or baby greens; season to taste with salt and pepper.



9. Roasted Cod

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/190ºC/375°F. Coat both a small roasting pan and 1 medium cod fillet with low fat cooking spray; season fish to taste with salt and pepper. Roast fish until middle turns opaque, about 7 to 8 minutes; sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice and 2 to 3 teaspoons of minced parsley. Serve with roasted or steamed Zero POINTS value vegetables.



10. Spruced Up Italian-Style Zero POINTS Value Soup

Sprinkle 2 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese into 250ml of Italian-Style Soup.



.

Zero points value foods

These vegetables, condiments and other foods are delicious and won’t cost you any POINTS values.



Artichoke hearts

Artificial sweetener

Asparagus spears

Aubergine

Baking powder

Beansprouts

Beef extract

Beetroot

Bicarbonate of soda

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Butternut squash

Cabbage

Capers

Carrot

Cauliflower

Celeriac

Celery

Cherry tomatoes

Chilli, green or red

Chinese leaves

Coffee

Cola, diet

Courgette

Cucumber

Curry Powder

Diet fizzy drink

Egg white

Fennel

French beans

Fruit squash, sugar free

Garlic

Ginger, fresh or ground

Globe artichoke

Green Beans

Herbs fresh or dried

Jelly, sugar free

Jerusalem artichoke

Kale

Leek

Lemon

Lemon grass stems

Lemon juice

Lemonade, diet

Lettuce

Lime

Low fat cooking spray

Mange-tout

Marrow

Mint sauce

Mushrooms

Mustard & cress

Mustard powder

Mustard seeds

Mustard, any type

Okra

Onion, all types

Passata

Pepper, all types

Pepper, whole, cracked or ground

Pickled beetroot

Pickled cabbage

Pickled gherkin

Pickled onions

Pimientos, whole red, tinned

Pumpkin

Radish

Rhubarb

Rocket

Runner beans

Salad dressing, fat or oil free

Salt

Sauerkraut

Shallots

Soda water

Soy sauce

Spices, fresh or dried

Spinach

Spring onions

Stock cube, any type

Sugar snap peas

Swede

Sweetcorn, baby

Tabasco pepper sauce

Tandoori spice mix

Tea, all types

Teriyaki sauce

Thai fish sauce

Tomato

Tomato purée

Tomatoes, whole or chopped, tinned

Tonic water, low calorie

Turnip

Vanilla essence

Vinegar, all types

Water

Water chestnuts

Watercress

Worcestershire sauce

Yeast extract

Traditional Rice Pudding

Desserts

POINTS® Value: 2


Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 75 min

Level of Difficulty: Eas 
 

Ingredients


45 g pudding rice, short grain, rinsed (1 1/2 oz)

45 g muscavado sugar, (1 1/2 oz)

700 ml skimmed milk, (1 1/4 pints)

1 pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground



Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 170°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3.



2. Tip the rice into a 1.25 litre (2 1/4 pint) deep ovenproof dish. Add the sugar, milk, salt, vanilla extract and nutmeg. Stir to dissolve the sugar.



3. Bake the pudding in the centre of the oven for 1 1/4 hours.



Cook’s tip: Light muscovado sugar gives a delicious caramelised flavour to the pudding, though you could use golden caster sugar instead.

Lamb Moussaka

Main

POINTS® Value: 6


Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 40 min

Level of Difficulty: Easy

 


Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, crushed
350 g lamb mince, lean
175 g mushrooms, sliced
400 g canned tomatoes, chopped
1 stock cube, lamb or vegetable, dissolved in 150ml boiling water
2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 aubergine, sliced
400 g potato(es), par-boiled and sliced
1 medium egg
100 g low-fat soft cheese
150 g 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 pinch salt, & black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5/190°C/375°F.


2. Dry fry the onion, garlic and minced lamb in a large saucepan for about 5-6 minutes, until browned.


3. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, stock and herbs. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes without a lid.


4. Spoon half the mince mixture into a large ovenproof baking dish. Cover with the aubergine slices. Spread over the remaining mince then arrange the sliced potatoes on top in an overlapping layer.


5. Beat together the egg, soft cheese and yogurt. Season, then spread over the potatoes. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is set and golden brown.


Notes
For a vegetarian version, use Quorn mince instead of lamb and use a vegetable stock cube.

Autumn vegetable soup

Soup
POINTS Value: 1
Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 30 min
Level: Easy




Ingredients

5 spray low-fat cooking spray
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped carrot
350 g chopped swede
350 g celeriac chopped
2 portion stock cube, vegetable, dissolved in 850ml hot water
2 level tablespoon cornflour
425 ml skimmed milk
125 g sweetcorn, frozen or canned
1 pinch salt, and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprig parsley, to garnish



Instructions
1. Spray a large saucepan with low fat cooking spray. Add the onion, carrot, swede and celeriac and cook gently for about 3 minutes.


2. Pour in the vegetable stock. Heat until just boiling, then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.


3. Blend the cornflour to a smooth paste with 3-4 tablespoons of the milk. Add the remaining milk to the saucepan with the sweetcorn, then stir in the blended cornflour. Heat, stirring constantly, until the soup thickens and begins to boil.


4. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then ladle into warmed soup bowls. Serve, garnished with parsley sprigs.

lasagne

Main Meal
POINTS Value: 6
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 60 min
Level: Easy




Ingredients

350 g extra-lean beef mince
1 medium onion(s), chopped
3 clove garlic, crushed
175 g mushrooms, wiped and sliced
400 g canned tomatoes
1 portion stock cube, beef, 1/4 pint
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs, Italian
1 pinch salt
1 serving pepper, freshly ground, black
Asda instant white sauce mix
25 g half-fat cheddar cheese, mature, grated
125 g lasagne sheet, not pre-cooked

Instructions
Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/190C/375F


1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the minced beef until browned. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until softened.


2. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes without a lid, until reduced slightly. Remove from heat.


3. Mix the white sauce to packet instructions. Season.


4. Spoon half the beef mixture into an oblong ovenproof dish. Lay half the lasagne sheets on top. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of sauce over the sheets, then top with remaining meat mixture. Lay remaining lasagne sheets on top, then spread sauce over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 50-60 minutes until golden.