Winter Warmers - Soups and Casseroles

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients
1tbps extra virgin olive oil
2medium onions diced
1-2tsp curry powder (depending on how spicy you like it)
990g-1kg pumpkin
490-500g sweet potato
3 vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 1 1/2Litres of boiling water (I used vegetta)
200-300ml carnation light coconut milk (see bottom of recipe for points difference depending on amount used)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Heat oil in large saucepan and fry onion and garlic till transparent
2. Add curry powder, pumpkin and sweet potato, fry for a few minutes
3. Add stock, simmer covered for 20-30minutes
4. Allow to cool slightly and blend with stick blender
5. Return to stove and add coconut milk, allow to simmer gently until heated through
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve

Serves: 8
When I made it this was approx 380-385g a serve, which is 1 1/2 cups or 375ml

Points Per Serve:
when using 300ml evaporated coconut milk: 2.5
200ml: 2
no evap. coconut milk: 2

According to my measurements every 76g = 1/2point

Desserts & Sweet Treats

-Banana Bread
-Date & Walnut Loaf
-Easy Light Chocolate Mousse

Banana Bread

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon (I added a touch more, vary to your taste)
1/2cup artificial sweetner (I used splenda, you can use caster sugar if you prefer which adds an extra 0.5 points per serve)
1/2tsp salt
1 egg
1/3cup sunflour oil
1tsp vanilla extract (I left this out as I had none in the cupboard, still turned out fine)
4 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
20g walnuts, roughly chopped

Method
Preheat oven to 180c(160c fan forced), grease and l ine the base of a 900ml loaf pan

Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sugar with salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine egg, oil and vanilla.

Add wet mixture to the dry ingredients with banana and walnuts and fold until just combined - do not overmix.

Place into loaf pan and bake for 50mins until golden.

**Alternatively, you can leave the walnuts out of the mixture and sprinkle them over the top with a light drizzle of honey or golden syrup prior to baking

Serves: 12
Points per serve: 2 (2.5 if using caster sugar instead of sweetener)
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Date & Walnut Loaf

Ingredients
2 tbs maple syrup
1 1/4c plain white flour
3/4c rolled oats
1 1/4c walnuts
1/2c brown sugar
1c boiling water
100g pitted dates
1 tsp bi-carb soda

Method
Preheat oven to 180c (160c fan forced). Grease a 6.5cm deep, 9cm x 19cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Place dates in heatproof bowl. Pour over boiling water and maple syrup. Stand for 15 minutes.

Sift flour and bi-carb together into a bowl. Add oats, walnuts and sugar. Stir to combine.

Add date mixture to dry mixture. Stir until well combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smooth surface. Bake for 50-55mins until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool in pan for 5-10minutes, lift onto wire rack to cool.

Serves: 8-16
Points per serve:
8 = 4.5points
12 = 3 points
16 = 2 points
* This is a very dense loaf, I find splitting it in to 16 serves although a bit small is still very satisfying

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Easy Light Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
1/2c boiling water
2 tsp powdered gelatine
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 eggs separated
1/3c splenda

Method
Combine water & gelatine in a jug. Whisk with a fork until gelatine is completely dissolved. Stir in cocoa. Set aside to cool for 10mins.

Using an electric mixer beat eggwhites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add splenda, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue is thick and glossy. With the mixer on high speed, add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Slowly pour gelatine mixture into egg mixture (making sure they are at the same temperature before you combine them), beat constantly until well combined.

Spoon mixture into 6 serving cups. Refrigerate for 4hours. Serve dusted with a little extra cocoa if desired.

Tip: when beating eggwhites you can add a small pinch of cream of tartar, this helps stabalise the egg producing a light fluffy mousse.

Serves: 6
Points per serve: 1.5

Salads & Side Dishes

-Creamy Potato & Onion Bake
-Warm Beetroot Salad

Creamy Potato & Onion Bake

Ingredients
1x 3 second spray extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1kg(approx 6 med-large) potato, peeled & thinly sliced
375ml skim milk
4tbs light cream
2-3 cloves garlic crushed
1 whole dried bay leaf

Method
Preheat oven to 180c (160c fan forced)

Spray a 1 1/2 litre capacity oven proof dish with oil and set aside

Spray non stick frying pan with oil and place over medium/high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 10mins, or until tender and slightly caramelised. Add thyme and nutmeg, and cook for a further minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, arrange a third of potatos in base of prepared dish. Spoon over half the onions and season with salt and peppet. Repeat layers with remaining potato and onion, seasoning between each layer.

Combine milk, cream, garlic and bay leaf in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat and set aside for 10minutes to allow bay leaf to infuse in milk. Remove bay leaf and pour mixture over potatos. Bake in pre-heated ovben for approximately 70-80minutes, or until potatos are tender and liquid evaporated.

Sprinkle with extra thyme leaves and serve

Serves: 6
Points per serve: 2.5
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Warm Beetroot Salad

Ingredients
2 bunches baby beetroot (8 beetroot)
1/2 bunch silverbeet, trimmed, leaves torn
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
40g walnuts (or up to 80g for an extra point per serve)
1 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
70g light feta cheese (I used south cape tasmanian reduced fat fetta)

Method
Preheat oven to 200c (180c fan forced). Trim beetroot stems and leaves(you want to leave about 3-4cm of stem attached so the beetroot won't bleed the colour out). Reserve small beetroot leaves. Wearing gloves wash beetroot and pat dry.

Place beetroot in baking dish, cover tightly with foil and roast for 45minutes until skin easily peels away from beetroot when rubbed. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Wearing gloves remove stems, peel and halve each beetroot. Place in a large heatproof bowl, cover to keep warm.

Wash silverbeet and reserved beetroot leaves.

Heat opil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and walnuts. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until walnuts are toasted.

Add leaves to pan, cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes until leaves are just wilted. Add leaves and vinegar to beetroot. Season with pepper. Toss to combine.

Top with feta and serve.

Serves: 4
Points per serve: 2.5 (3.5 if using 80g of walnuts)

Seafood Recipes

Chicken Recipes

Chicken Skewers with Satay Sauce

Ingredients
2 tbs reduced fat crunchy peanut butter
2 medium limes (1tbs juice, 2 tsp rind)
4 tsp honey
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2tsp ground tumeric
4 tbs soy sauce
560g skinless chicken breast, cubed
2/3c light carnation coconut falvoured evaporated milk

Method
Combine chicken, garlic, soy sauce and honey.

Pre-heat chargrill pan over high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers. Cook for 3 minutes each side until brown and cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine tumeric, lime rind and juice, peanut butter and coconut milk in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, simmer, stirring for 3 minutes until fragrant. Taste and season with salt.

Top chicken skewers with satay sauce & serve.

Serves: 4 (2 skewers each)
Points per serve: 5.5

Meat Recipes