IT’S officially cosy season, so snuggle up with these comforting classics from Slimming World.
From hearty Cottage Pie to warming Tikka Masala, you won’t have to feel deprived or go hungry while making healthy changes.
It’s officially cosy season, so snuggle up with five comforting classics from Slimming World[/caption]
All recipes are taken from Slimming World’s collection. Join your local Slimming World group or sign up online for even more recipes, guidance and support.
To find your nearest group, visit slimmingworld.co.uk or call 0344 897 8000.
Chicken tikka masala
A classic Chicken tikka masala that’s ready to eat in an hour – but you’ll need a little extra time for marinading[/caption]
Preparation time: One hour, plus marinading
Serves: 4
YOU NEED:
- 160g fat-free natural yogurt
- Seeds from 6 cardamom pods, crushed
- Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 tbsp tikka curry powder
- 8 large skinless and boneless chicken thighs, visible fat removed, cut into large chunks
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 500g passata
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to serve
METHOD: Put 100g yogurt in a large bowl and stir in the cardamom, lime juice, half the garlic, half the ginger and half the tikka powder.
Add the chicken and toss well, then cover and chill for three to four hours, or overnight if possible (if you’re in a hurry, 30 minutes is better than nothing!).
Spray a wide non-stick saucepan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a medium-low heat.
Add the onion and the rest of the garlic and ginger, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the passata, coriander and remaining tikka powder and bring to the boil.
Reduce the heat slightly and simmer briskly for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
At the same time, preheat your grill to high and line a baking tray with foil.
Arrange the chicken chunks on the tray and grill for 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning occasionally.
Blitz the sauce until smooth with a stick blender (or use a food processor and return to the pan).
Bring back to a simmer, then season to taste.
Remove from the heat and stir in the rest of the yogurt.
Stir the chicken chunks into the sauce and serve with lime wedges, rice (we cooked ours with a little ground turmeric and stirred through some chopped chilli), veg or salad and with the extra coriander scattered over.
Cottage pie
Nothing says cosy comfort more than a cottage pie[/caption]
Preparation time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
YOU NEED:
- 450g floury potatoes, such as Desiree or King Edward, roughly chopped
- 450g swede, roughly chopped
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable stock
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 500g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 250g passata
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 beef stock cube
- 3 carrots, cubed
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 200g green beans, trimmed
- 150g frozen peas
METHOD: Boil the potatoes and swede for 15 minutes, or until tender.
Drain, return to the pan and add half the egg.
Mash, adding enough stock to give a soft consistency, then season lightly. Keep warm until needed.
At the same time, spray a medium non-stick pan with low-calorie cooking spray and put it over a low heat.
Add the onion and cook for five minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
Add the beef mince and increase the heat to medium.
Cook for five minutes, or until browned all over, stirring and breaking up any lumps.
Stir in the tomatoes, passata, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder, then crumble in the stock cube.
Add the carrots and herbs, season lightly and mix well.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat your grill to medium. Transfer the mince mixture to a medium pie dish.
Spoon the mash on top, roughen up with a fork and brush with the remaining egg. Grill for five minutes, or until golden.
Simmer the green beans and peas for three to four minutes, then drain.
Divide the pie between four plates and serve with the beans and peas on the side.
St Clements cake (vegan)
Preparation time: 50 minutes, plus 15 minutes cooling
Makes: 18 slices
YOU NEED:
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 2 x 400g cans chickpeas
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g plain unsweetened soya yogurt with added calcium, plus extra to serve
- Zest of 1 large unwaxed orange, plus extra to serve
- Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon, plus extra zest to serve
- 250g self-raising flour
- 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ level tsp baking powder
- 25g ground almonds
- 100g frozen blueberries
- 2 level tbsp icing sugar, sieved
METHOD: Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Spray a 20cm x 30cm non-stick baking tray or brownie tin with low-calorie cooking spray (and line it with non-stick baking paper if you like).
Drain the chickpeas over a large bowl and measure out 200ml of the chickpea liquid (aquafaba), discarding any extra.
Pour the aquafaba into the bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk until soft peaks form (or use a stand mixer).
Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick and glossy.
In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, orange zest, lemon zest and juice.
Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder over the aquafaba and gently fold in until just combined.
Then fold in the almonds, yogurt mixture and half of the blueberries, working quickly but carefully.
Pour into the prepared tin and level.
Scatter over the remaining blueberries and bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden (a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean).
Leave to cool in the tin for ten to 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
When the cake is completely cool, mix together the icing sugar and one tsp cold water in a small bowl until you have a smooth icing, then drizzle over the cake.
Cut into 18 slices and serve with the extra soya yogurt, and with the extra orange and lemon zest sprinkled over everything.
This will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.
Tartare fish pies
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling, golden brown. Serve hot with the vegetables[/caption]
Preparation time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
YOU NEED:
- 1 swede (about 600g), peeled and cut into small chunks
- 600g floury potatoes, cut into small chunks
- 3 level tbsp cornflour
- 600ml skimmed milk
- 1 fish stock pot
- 600g white fish fillets, such as haddock, pollock or basa
- 2 eggs
- 150g small cooked peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
- 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
- 6 cornichons (cocktail gherkins), finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives or parsley
- 50g watercress, large stalks discarded, leaves roughly chopped
- Boiled or steamed vegetables, to serve
METHOD: Cook the swede and potatoes in a saucepan of boiling water over a high heat for 20 minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, put the cornflour and three tbsp of milk in a small bowl, mix to make a paste and set aside.
Put the rest of the milk and the stock pot in a large non-stick saucepan over a low heat and bring to a simmer.
Add the fish and cook for eight minutes, then lift the fish on to a plate with a slotted spoon and cool slightly.
Leave the milk in the pan as you’ll need it again later.
While the fish is cooking, cook the eggs in a saucepan of boiling water over a high heat for nine to ten minutes.
Drain and cool in a bowl of cold water, then peel and slice lengthways.
Preheat your oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into large flakes, discarding any skin and bones.
Divide between four individual ovenproof pie dishes, about 400ml each (if you don’t have anything like this, just use one big ovenproof dish). Top with the prawns and eggs.
Stir the cornflour paste into the pan of milk and bring to the boil over a medium-high heat, then simmer until thickened, stirring often.
Cook for another minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the capers, cornichons, herbs, watercress and some salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce into the pie dishes and leave to cool slightly.
Drain the swede and potatoes, return to the pan and mash until smooth.
Season well with black pepper and spoon the mash over the top of each pie dish, making a good seal with the edge of the dishes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling, golden brown. Serve hot with the vegetables.
Greek chicken stew
Serve hot with your favourite vegetables and tagliatelle pasta[/caption]
Preparation time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
YOU NEED:
- Low-calorie cooking spray
- 8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400g can cherry tomatoes in juice (or chopped tomatoes)
- 2 level tbsp clear honey
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 50g reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled
- Boiled or steamed vegetables, to serve
- 400g boiled dried tagliatelle
METHOD: Spray a large non-stick saucepan or casserole pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium-high heat.
Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides, then lift on to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion, garlic and two tbsp water to the pan. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for six to seven minutes until just soft.
Stir in 100ml boiling water, the tomato purée, cherry tomatoes and their juices, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves and season lightly.
Return the chicken to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Uncover the pan and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened and the chicken is cooked and tender, turning the chicken occasionally.
Divide between bowls and scatter over the feta. Serve hot with your favourite vegetables and tagliatelle pasta.
- ©Slimming World 2024. ‘Slimming World’ is a registered trademark of Miles-Bramwell Executive Services, trading as Slimming World.
- Images: Slimming World/Dan Jones, Toby Scott.
- * Slimming World recommends a safe and steady weight loss of one to two pounds per week, but you may lose more in your first weeks.
