Tuna Salad

Not quite a Tuna Nicoise as I don't fancy olives and green beans in my salad - but close enough!

Ingredients ...

3 eggs

500g new potatoes, diced

2 cans tuna in brine, drained

1 lemon

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

Mixed salad leaves

Large handful cherry tomatoes

Grated carrot

Method ...

1.  Boil eggs and diced potatoes.

2.  Arrange on plate with salad ingredients and sprinkle with juice of 1/2 lemon

3.  Add salt and pepper as desired.

Weightwatchers: serves 2, at 11PP per serving.

Low-fat Bean Cassoulet

Ingredients ...

1 can cannellini beans
4 Linda McCartney sausages
300g potato
1 Butternut squash  
1 onion
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
2 cloves garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes
75 ml red wine  
200ml veg stock made with 1 veg stock cube  
Mushrooms
ProPoint-free green veg (anything you fancy throwing in)
Thyme
Chilli flakes
Black pepper
Oil Spray (ProPoint free)

Method ...

1. Put sausages under grill to defrost for 10 minutes (doesn't matter if not completely heated, just enough to make them choppable)
2. Meanwhile quickly parboil potato butternut squash and carrot cubes for 5 minutes to soften.
3. Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with ProPoint-free oil spray.  When oil is heated add sausage chunks, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, potato, squash and mushrooms and cook in the oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add beans, tomatoes, stock, wine, thyme and chilli flakes.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

ProPoints: 24PP for entire cassoulet.  I would eat half of this for a dinner portion (12PP).

Lemon & Poppyseed Muffins

Ingredients ...

225g caster sugar
3 medium eggs
50g Lurpak Lightest, Spreadable
150g self-raising flour
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp lemon extract
1 pot Tesco lemon low-fat yoghurt (125g)

For the drizzle ...
100ml lemon juice
50g icing sugar

Method

1) Put 12 muffin cases in a muffin tray.
2) Whisk caster sugar and eggs thoroughly.  Gradually add melted spread, lemon yoghurt, lemon zest and lemon extract.
3) Sift in flour and poppy seeds.
4)  Divide mixture amongst muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees.
5) Heat icing sugar and lemon juice gently together on hob until sugar is dissolved.  Prick each muffin with fork whilst still warm, drizzle a couple of teaspoons of drizzle over each one.
6) Allow to cool completely before serving.

ProPoints: 5 per muffin.

Lentil pâté

Ingredients ...

350g red lentils, rinsed  

2 tsp garlic, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 tbsp sundried tomato paste 

2 tbsp smoked paprika 

Method ...

1.Cook lentils on hob for 20 minutes until soft.

2. Whilst it's cooking, fry garlic and onion in olive oil.  Add tomato paste and paprika.

3. Combine lentils with tomato mixture and stir to combine.

4.. Puree if required (although I prefer it as it is).

ProPoints: entire bowl of pâté is 35 PP (but you will only spread a fraction of this).  A tenth of the bowl would be enough to generously spread a pitta bread for 3.5 PP (rounded up to 4).

Baked Apples

Ingredients ...

* 2 apples (not baking apples).  I use braeburn.
* 3 tsp Lurpak lightest, spreadable   2
* 3 tbsp honey  5
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method ...

1. Heat butter, honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract together in microwave until sauce is formed (about 30-45 seconds).
2. Wash and core apples.  Use a knife to make a score in the skin all the way round each apple (to prevent exploding).
3. Place in a small oven tray (I use a loaf tin) and pour sauce over.  Roll apples around in sauce a bit to ensure good coverage.
4. Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

Alternatives.  After coring, centre can be stuffed with raisins, other dried fruit or mincemeat - but this wouldn't appeal to my toddlers so I don't!

ProPoints: 4PP per apple (all the sauce is included in that, so spoon it all on!)