The photos do not do this dessert justice – it is absolutely delicious! I made four individual ones but they all ‘crumbled’ as I served them.
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No Count Summer Salmon
This was a gorgeous dish, full of flavours and ideal for a warm summer evening. It is free on No Count or 7 points if tracking (including 70g of pasta).
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 salmon fillets
- 280g wholewheat pasta
- 200ml Yeo Valley 0% fat crème fraiche
- a tbsp capers, finely chopped
- the zest and juice of a lemon
- a tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
Method:
- Cook the salmon in the oven – I wrap mine in tin foil and cook on 180C for half an hour.
- Boil some water in a pan and cook the pasta – I cook dried pasta for 15 minutes.
- Put the crème fraiche in a bowl and add the capers, lemon juice and zest and the dill. Season to taste and mix it all together.
- Once the pasta and salmon are ready, drain the pasta and pour the crème fraiche mixture into the pan. Stir together.
- Cut the salmon fillets into chunks and add to the pasta.
- Serve straight away, while still warm, and enjoy!
Served here with asparagus – cooked in a tsp olive oil with a splash of soy sauce added at the end.
No Count Eton Mess
Eton Mess is such a delightful, refreshing summer dessert and this one is free on No Count and WW Freestyle too.
Ingredients for the meringues (makes 7):
- 4 egg whites
- 100g Natvia Sweetener
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 140C and line two flat baking trays with baking parchment.
- Place the egg whites into a bowl and whisk, using an electric hand whisk, until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed, but the mixture should not look too dry.
- Add the Sweetener one dessertspoon at a time until it has all been used, whisking after each one. (The mixture will not remain quite as thick.)
- Using a serving spoon, place the mixture onto the baking trays. I made seven but you could make more and have them smaller.
- Bake for an hour until the meringues are pale, golden-brown and crisp. Open the oven door slightly and leave the meringues to cool in the oven.
I made the Eton Mess by layering raspberries, low fat natural yogurt, pureed strawberries and crumbled meringue (I used half of a meringue in each). It is soooooo good and highly recommended!
This is what the meringue looks like when it is cooked. As it is being crumbled up for the Eton Mess, it doesn’t really matter what it looks like as it comes out of the oven:-)
Lasagne
A classic dish, with a recipe adapted by @armyannie, a fellow WW no counter and member of Connect. Thank you – it’s absolutely delicious!
It is 1 point on No Count and 12 points if tracking.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 150g wholewheat lasagne sheets
- 100g Protein cheese
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 500g 5% fat beef mince
- an onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 400ml beef stock (using a beef stock cube)
- 2 tsp oregano
- 400ml skimmed milk
- a tsp cracked peppercorns
- a handful of fresh parsley
- 2 flat tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan oven 160C).
- Brown the mince and set to one side.
- Add the oil to a large frying pan/wok and fry the onion, carrots and celery. Cook on a low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes.
- Add the browned mince to the pan with the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano and beef stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season to taste.
- While the mince and veg are simmering, make the white sauce. Put the milk in a saucepan with the parsley and cracked peppercorns. Bring to the boil slowly, then remove from the heat and set to one side for ten minutes to allow the flavour of the herbs to seep into the milk.
- Sieve the milk to remove the herbs and return the milk to the pan.
- Mix the cornflour with a bit of cold water and mix into a paste. Add a splash of the warm milk to the paste and stir. Now pour this mixture into the pan of milk. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the mustard – season to taste.
- Layer the meat, pasta and white sauce in an ovenproof dish – meat then pasta then white sauce, making sure that the final layer is white sauce.
- Scatter the Protein cheese over the top and bake in the oven for about 45 mins. Enjoy!
No Count Chicken Chipotle Casserole
Another very tasty, spicy chicken dish that’s quick and easy to make. I cooked this in the oven but a slow cooker would be just as good.
It’s free on No Count and the whole dish, including 50g of rice, would be 5 points if tracking.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 150g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes with herbs
- 1 x 400g tin of borlotti beans, drained
- 3 tsp chipotle paste
Method:
Put all the ingredients into a casserole dish and season well. Cook in the oven on 160C for 1.5 hours.
Served here with 50g brown rice.
No Count Spicy Pasta Bolognese
A delicious alternative to a popular dish – free on No Count and 11 points if tracking.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 500g beef mince 5% fat
- an onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp chipotle paste
- 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes
- 100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 280g wholemeal penne pasta (dried weight)
- 200g Yeo Valley 0% crème fraiche
- 100g Protein cheese, grated (25g each is free)
Method:
- Brown the mince. Add the onion and cook for five minutes, while stirring.
- Add the garlic, chipotle paste and chopped tomatoes, and season well. Leave to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer to a lidded oven dish and add the mushrooms. Place in a pre-heated oven (180C) for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the crème fraiche and season well. Stir in half the grated cheese.
- Take the mince out of the oven and put the pasta on top. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over.
- Place back in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Served here with broccoli and cauliflower mash – I use a dessertspoon of Yeo Valley Crème fraiche and seasoned well.
Crumble-topped Banana Muffins
I decided to use the banana cake recipe to make muffins and see what they were like with a crumble topping. Verdict – delicious!
And at just 1 point each on No Count! If tracking, they work out at 5 points each.
Ingredients for the muffins (makes 8):
- 4 large ripe bananas
- 100g oats blitzed in a food processor
- 100g oat bran
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 40g Flora light
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp Myprotein butterscotch sugar-free syrup
- a tbsp lemon juice
Ingredients for the crumble topping:
- 70g oats, blitzed in food processor
- 50g oats
- 40g Flora light
- 2 flat tbsp Splenda
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Mash the bananas and mix in the 2 eggs, Myprotein syrup and lemon juice. Set to one side.
- In a separate bowl, mix the oats, oat bran, mixed spice and baking powder.
- Rub in the Flora with your fingers.
- Pour the banana mixture into this bowl and stir together.
- Make the crumble next by placing all the oats in a mixing bowl.
- Add the Flora and rub in with fingertips.
- Sprinkle over 2 tbsp Splenda and mix together.
- Spoon the banana mixture into muffin cases and then put some of the crumble mixture on the top of each one.
- Bake in the oven for 40 – 45 mins, and enjoy!
Served here with low fat natural yogurt and blueberries.
NB: I used paper muffin cases for a change but they would be better in a silicone muffin tray.
Sweet and Savoury Sausages
Here’s another recipe for those Heck sausages although I have adapted this one from a food mag I have.
I never used to like meat with fruit but I’ve recently started to experiment and I’m quite liking the different flavours. This one was really good – hubby and son gave it the thumbs up too!
The dish is 3 points on No Count or 3 points if tracking (plus the points for the potatoes).
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 16 chicken Italia Heck sausage
- 2 red onions, sliced
- a mango, cut into chunks
- 2 yellow peppers, cut into chunks
- 3 tsp jerk seasoning
- 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 150ml hot chicken stock, made with a chicken stock cube
- 2 tsp cornflour, mixed with a small amount of water
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
- Put all the ingredients (apart from the cornflour) into a casserole dish and season well.
- Cook for about 50 mins, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the cornflour and cook for a further 10 mins.
Served here with roasted new potatoes – spray the potatoes with Frylight and sprinkle with salt. Cook on 180C for about 45 mins.
Slow-cooked Pork
A really quick, easy recipe
On No Count, the whole dish is 2 points so it’s up to you whether to count it as one of your weeklies. If tracking, it would be 12 points per serving, including the rice.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 4 lean pork steaks
- a red onion, sliced
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- a courgette, sliced
- 100g sweetcorn
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
- 200ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp capers, in brine
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (2 points)
Method:
Place all the ingredients into a slow-cooker and season well. I cooked this on low for five hours, but my slow cooker does cook quickly.
Served here with 50g of brown rice.
No Count Raspberry Puddings
These are fab puddings: crispy on top and soft inside – and could be made with most fruits. They are free on no count and just 1 point each if tracking, or 2 for 3 points.
Ingredients (makes 11):
- 100g oats, blitzed in food processor
- 3 eggs
- 300ml skimmed milk
- 2 tbsp Splenda
- 200g raspberries (I used fresh ones)
Method:
- Whisk the eggs and milk together before pouring into a bowl with the oats and Splenda, and whisking it all together.
- Pour the mixture into muffin cases/moulds and pop 4 raspberries in each one.
- Bake on 170C for about 45 minutes (you do need to check that the inside has been cooked).
Served here with Bird’s low fat custard powder. Make up a sachet of custard powder with a pint of skimmed milk (return to the pan to thicken it up) and you can have 60g for 1 point.